[work in progress, please add suggestions at the bottom]

Accommodation

Finding a cheap place to stay in San Francisco is going to be a problem, accommodation is probably the single most expensive thing here.

Hotels

If you are looking for a cheap hotel in an area safe/nice enough to put your Mum in then you could do a lot worse than the Hays Valley Inn; quality and location far above the average for the price.

Hostels

There are a lot of backpacker hostels in San Francisco, unsurprisingly, and  competition is high, nevertheless they still feel expensive – to get a good deal come out of season and stay in the not-so-nice bits of town, I suggest trying the Adelaide, Green Tortoise or Elements.

Car hire

Yep, even car hire can be cheap if you know where to look. Avoid the big names (Avis, Hertz…) because while they may have tempting offers, when you get to their office to pick up your “fuel efficient compact” you will find they have given you a “free upgrade” to a two seater fuel guzzling monster or a massive RV, they will tell you how it is good on gas but they are lying.

I recommend Rent-A-Wreck, real nice guys, family run business, easy to get to (Third Street “T”), you ask for a compact then you get a compact, unlimited mileage… the car will be a “clean, reliable, late model car at a low, low price” – 2955 Third Street, (415)-282-6293, rawsf@msn.com

Public Transport

Yep, it is very good and very cheap, get a MUNI map.

Camper van and RV rentals

Try lost campers for cheap camper van rentals; they are not RV’s exactly, more nice little vans with a double bed in the back and a camping stove, but they are done nicely, good quality and great value…

National Parks

It costs somthing like $20 to get into Yosomite, another $20 to get into Kings Canyon, $5 a head to get into Mur Woods… and so on… you can buy a pass for all of these and hundreds of others for about $80 which will get you and your partner and up to three others (so long as you all arrive in the same vehicle) in for free.