KnowYard Community

Solar panels with battery backup. Not cheap but after 2 summers of anxiety I made the investment. When ERCOT asks me to conserve, I just switch to battery. Independence from this grid is priceless.

Package lockbox on the porch. $80 on Amazon. You put a sign on it that says "delivery drivers: please place packages inside." Works 95% of the time. Haven't had a theft since.

Zocdoc app. Filter by insurance and availability. I found a PCP with a next-day appointment that I couldn't find through any other method.

The healthcare shortage in Texas is real. We have fewer doctors per capita than most states. It's not you — the system is genuinely overwhelmed.

LOCK YOUR CARS. I know it sounds obvious but half the break-ins are just unlocked doors. They walk down the street pulling handles. If it's locked they move on.

Get a dog. I'm only half joking. Even a small loud dog changes the calculation for someone trying doors at 3am.

Check on your elderly neighbors during heat waves. Seriously. Heat stroke can kill and not everyone has working AC or the ability to get to a cooling center.

For dentists: look at newer practices that opened in the last 1-2 years. They're actively building their patient base so they have availability. Established dentists are booked out forever.

Red light running is the Texas state pastime. The light turns red and three more cars go through. I wait a full two seconds after my light turns green now.

Call your insurance company and ask for a list of in-network providers accepting new patients. The online directories are always outdated but the phone reps have current info.

Look for shops that have been in the same location for 10+ years. If they've survived that long without moving, their reputation is keeping them alive. That's the best signal.

Check if your TPMS can be reset before replacing the sensor. Sometimes a reset clears the light. YouTube your car model + TPMS reset. Saved me $200.

The deregulated market is the problem. Nobody wants to invest in reserve capacity because there's no profit in power plants that only run during emergencies. So we have zero buffer.

Look for nature preserves run by land trusts or Audubon societies. Usually free, well-maintained trails, and way fewer people than state or city parks.

Urgent care clinics do physicals and basic checkups. It's not ideal for ongoing care but if you just need a checkup done this month, they can do it.

The 2021 storm should have been a wake-up call. 200+ people died. And here we are still running the same grid on hope and prayers every summer.

Nobody in this state understands the zipper merge. Two lanes go to one and everyone treats it like a personal insult.

Car insurance in Texas is insane and nobody talks about it. Mine went from $140 to $210/month for the same coverage. Zero accidents. Zero tickets.

The worst drivers are always the ones on whatever highway I'm currently on. This is a universal law.

The best part is when they finish one section and it's beautiful for about 6 months before the potholes come back because they used the cheapest materials possible.

Compared to where I moved from in the northeast, this is still a bargain. But yeah the trajectory is not great.

Property taxes are the real killer. No income tax sounds great until you realize you pay 2.5% of your home value every year. That adds up FAST on a 400k house.

Early morning on weekdays is the cheat code for popular parks. I go at 7am on a Tuesday and have the whole trail to myself. Same trail on a Saturday at 10am has 200 people.

Keep a cooler in your trunk in summer. Cold water, some snacks. If you break down on a Texas highway in July, help might take 30-45 minutes. You want water available.

The "no income tax" thing is a trap. They get you with property tax, sales tax, and toll roads. You end up paying the same or more than a lot of income tax states.