<prompt> Human: I work in San Francisco, CA make 115k and up to 135k a year my guess is that it will be around 127.5k - my first real time job so Im not sure how the bonus awarding will work. Im currently paying 2900mo, which puts me at 27.3 of 127.5k. However, Im paying 39 in taxes and it feels like Im not saving much money. Is paying this much in rent that bad of a decision? Im on the first month of a one year lease, so its not the end of the world, but my alternatives that I have all weighed and decided against were: 1. move to a place not in the city that requires a longer commute and basically only accessible by public transportation still about 2kmo for a studio 2. live in an older apartment complex they all appear to be in barely livable conditions and surrounded by homelessess and still in the low 2kmo 3. living with other people I just moved here and dont know anyone in the area... I did put an ad on craigslist but I wouldnt have wanted to live with anyone I met up with Is there a smarter way to go about this?  <response>: 2900month is actually on the expensive side for the bay area. I think you could find something nearby for 2400-2500 