Noe Valley Voice April 2013
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On 24th Street

 

Asked on Sunday, March 24, 2013, in front of Chase Bank at 24th and Noe streets:

 

How do you stay frugal in San Francisco? What do you splurge on?

 

Cecilia Deaglio-Brunazzi, Grand View Avenue: I love to cook, so the best way to stay frugal for me is to cook at home. When I go grocery shopping, I like to look for bargains at the Noe Valley Farmers Market. I also frequently shop for clothes at secondhand clothing stores—I am a big fan of Mary’s [Exchange]. I usually splurge on good haircuts at Acabello Salon in Pacific Heights. I don’t want to wear other people’s mistakes on my head!

 

Sheryl Lavi, Noe Street:  I take Muni and BART to the financial district for work instead of driving or taking a cab. I also invite people over and cook at home instead of meeting friends at an expensive restaurant; it’s a lot cheaper. My husband and I like to splurge on dinner occasionally, though. We love to go to Gracias Madre in the Mission. We also spend a good amount of money for gym memberships at Burn and Cardio-Tone.

 

Gerardo Capiel and Ava, Noe Street: I walk a lot. It is great to live in a very walkable city. I can get exercise and check out the city without paying a fortune on gas or cabs. There are also some reasonably priced restaurants I like to go to like Mr. Pollo and Lolo. But when I do splurge, I go to places like La Ciccia. It isn’t cheap, but it’s a special treat.

 

Tara Brent, Clipper Street: I am not very good at living frugally in San Francisco. I have learned to bring my lunch to work if I can, instead of going out to eat. I save my trips out for the weekends. When I do go out on the weekends, I like to splurge and try new restaurants in the Mission and Valencia area. I love to buy sneakers and clothes, so I drop big bucks at stores like Citizen in the Castro and Cary Lane in the Mission.

 

Meggin Kearney, Clipper Street, and Jessica Chang: It is difficult to be frugal around here. We both cook at home a lot and try not to eat out. We both spend a lot of money shopping at Whole Foods because they have the best quality vegetables and the store is only a couple of blocks away.

 

Peter Fair, Fountain Street: The best way to stay frugal is to not have kids. I have two, and before them I got a lot more sleep and had a lot more money. I spend a lot on their school, summer camp, and music and language classes. In order to stay frugal, I try not to make impulsive purchases at the grocery store. I go there with a shopping list and a clear agenda so I can get out of the store having not spent a fortune.

 

Danny DeMento and Carly Patterson, Fair Oaks Street: Good luck trying to live frugally here. I cook a lot and limit my drinking, or if I do I drink heavily at home. I walk a lot or make use of the wonderful public transportation we have in this city. I splurge on my band Feather-Bright. We spend a lot on rehearsal space and instruments.

 

Carol Blanton, Hill Street: I am a bargainer, so when I go shopping, I look at the sale rack first. I splurge on food at Whole Foods—I don’t care what I spend on food, I just want it to be high quality. I am planning my daughter’s wedding, so I have been splurging a lot on that. We went to Just for Fun for the invitations and Noe Valley Bakery for the cake.