San Francisco Living as an RN?

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Hello all I just want to say I'm new here, so bare with me if i make a lot of errors... :down: As the title suggests, I'm looking for some input on any nurses that live in the San Francisco area or outside of it with how living life is as a nurse there. Secondly is it possible to live a comfortable life there being a nurse. So a little bit about me i am an RN 1 and have 1 year experience in ICU and 6 months now in specialty clinic dealing with urology and i am a charge nurse there. My fiance is also a nurse for 5 years and he makes much more then i do be that he has more experience then me, he worked trauma ICU for 2 years and med surg for 1 year, now he has been a dialysis nurse 2 years. We both live in Texas and we have a house, no kids yet, and two dogs. We recently went to San Francisco and feel in love... This city seems so lively and open and caters to our beliefs more then where we are living now. As we noticed from our short weeks stay of being there life is well quite expensive... I just wouldn't even know where to start of look for a different job if we were to move out there. I know we would have to sell our home here sell our cars because we both decided we would use public transportation to get around, and we are ok with never owing a home if we were to live out there. Just the atmosphere and everyone having dogs,walking around being friendly with each other is what we are. I honestly felt so sad to come back home when we did.. i felt like my heart and his heart were left there.. If there is anyone here who is a nurse who lives in San Fran? and how do you do it? Can you do it? Would it just be better for me to finish my masters degree in family nurse practice before moving? I just don't want us to struggle with money. I hear constantly that the demand for nurses and doctors are great, but where is the compensation for that demand? I feel like i don't see that aspect. I'm just curious.. Anyone who replies i appreciate your time, opinions and thoughts.

Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
Ok, so I could work as a CNA or RN in San Fran, make good money, and be able to survive living in a white cargo van without the side windows? Like I'd be able to get away with doing that? I wonder if there's parking in San Fran that is free and still within walking distance of anything.

Yes, you could, but why on earth would you want to? There are plenty of affordable places that pay RNs well. CNAs, unfortunately, are not going to make a lot of money no matter where they are.

I sure wouldn't count on being able to find free parking in SF. In most cities, the police will force people living out of vehicles to periodically move them, as well. You may also be ticketed.

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Yes, you could, but why on earth would you want to? There are plenty of affordable places that pay RNs well. CNAs, unfortunately, are not going to make a lot of money no matter where they are.

I sure wouldn't count on being able to find free parking in SF. In most cities, the police will force people living out of vehicles to periodically move them, as well. You may also be ticketed.

Because if I can't get into nursing school, I'll work as a CNA. If I work as a CNA in a city where cost of living is high, I'm sure the wages will sort of compensate. Nurses make $150,000 over there, but the housing is high. Well, I could take the high wage, but buy a van that Directv or Cox cable uses or plumbers or whatever, and pocket 90% of that money.

The reason I choose a white cargo van is because it looks like something maintenance workers use to get to places to work on things. It blends in. You've got that cage thing behind the two front seats. If you put a piece of plywood, with black fabric, you've created a barrier that most people will assume is a utility van for a company. The cage with black fabric and plywood is to keep people from seeing you in the back sleeping. There's no side windows. You could get window delete conversions but they cost money.

The cost of the van outweighs the long term cost of renting or paying a mortgage. Technically, if I were an RN, I could buy a house in San Fran, and rent it out to maybe a surgeon or doctor or an attorney, pocket that money and live in my van as if I never had a mortgage to begin with. That's just a small portion of what i could do.

The idea isn't to buy a van with a bunch of windows and dress it up to look fruity about it. Sure it feels like you're in a prison, but the fact that you're working when you wake up, don't pay rent or electricity or water, you have a gym membership to use for showering and working out, and no one can tell if the van belongs to a maintenance company or personal use, as long as it looks clean it'll never come off as a creepy vehicle. Unless that person has been eyeballing your van the whole time, then it would be an issue. But if they're not paying attention, they'll see it's parked there, then minutes later the engine starts and it rolls away. he didn't see the person get into the van but oh well, they weren't paying attention so why make a big fuss about it. Move on.

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Yes, you could, but why on earth would you want to? There are plenty of affordable places that pay RNs well. CNAs, unfortunately, are not going to make a lot of money no matter where they are.

I sure wouldn't count on being able to find free parking in SF. In most cities, the police will force people living out of vehicles to periodically move them, as well. You may also be ticketed.

It's to pay off student loans.

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Specializes in Psychiatric and Mental Health NP (PMHNP).
It's to pay off student loans.

You don't have to live out of you vehicle in order to pay off student loans. When evaluating job compensation, one must consider cost of living. Making $125K a year in SF is not going to provide a high standard of living. Making $125K a year in Fresno sure will provide a handsome living. Someone making $100K a year in Fresno is way better off financially than someone making $125K a year in SF.

In California, the San Joaquin Valley is desperate for RNs and NPs. They will pay the same or more than, SF, LA, and San Diego. And it's way less to live there. Easy choice if one is concerned about finances.

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Your idea is possible in SF or a city nearby. I lived in my car for almost 3 months while living in the South Bay. At the time I was working in a SNF for only $33/hr + overtime, and I was saving almost $4,000 a month. A white maintenance looking van is much easier to live in than a hatchback (my car). You can buy a 24 hr gym membership and shower there. There were at least 10-20 people living at the 24hr fitness parking lot that I went to the most. I rotated 24hr fitness locations for variety. The point is, it's doable. San Francisco has more mild weather than the South Bay, also, so it's easier to do year round. Sleeping in my car was only difficult if it was under 45 degrees or so outside. Over 50 degrees was very comfortable. I tinted my windows with limo tint for privacy. Also, check out van living or car dwelling posts on reddit and videos on YouTube. It is doable and was a lot of fun while it lasted! (I ended up taking a hospice position where I was forced to store too many supplies and paperwork in my car to make it feasible)

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

If the OP lives in the north Dallas area, they can easily rent out (or sell) their house right now. Huge housing bubble going on due to several corporations moving here.

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