KnowYard Community

Nobody ever includes property tax and insurance when they compare mortgage to rent. With those factored in, my "cheaper than rent" mortgage is actually $500 more than my old apartment.

HEB for meat and produce, Aldi for everything else. Kroger only if I forgot something and it's 9pm.

Buc-ee's is an experience, not a restaurant. You go for the vibes and the clean bathroom and you leave with $40 of beaver-branded impulse purchases.

Chorizo and egg with a little bit of potato mixed in. Squeeze of lime. That's the one.

Bacon egg and cheese on flour with green salsa. That's the order. Every time. Don't overthink it.

The fudge and the jerky are genuinely high quality. Everything else is overpriced gas station food with cute packaging. Fight me.

The bathroom thing alone justifies its existence. After driving 3 hours on a Texas highway I would pay $5 just for a clean bathroom. The food is a bonus.

The lawn thing is SO real. My water bill in August was $180. For GRASS. I'm seriously considering xeriscaping the whole front yard.

Emergency fund before you buy. At least $10K set aside for repairs. The AC, water heater, or roof WILL need attention in the first 2 years. Guaranteed.

Bought a home warranty for $600/year. Covered the AC repair and a plumbing issue in the first 6 months. Paid for itself twice over. Get one for the first year at least.

The brisket sandwich is legitimately good for what it is. Is it better than a dedicated BBQ joint? No. Is it the best food you can get without leaving a gas station parking lot? Absolutely.

My Mexican friends refuse to eat at most Tex-Mex places. But they also admit that queso (which doesn't exist in Mexico) is addictive. Cultural exchange works both ways.

Birria tacos here have gotten so much better in the last few years. The trend actually brought legit birria spots out of hiding.

The driving thing never stops being true. I live half a mile from a CVS and still drive there. It's 105 outside man I'm not walking.

Brace for the first time someone invites you to a backyard BBQ and it turns into a 7 hour event with 40 people you've never met.

Skip the places with "Mexican Grill" in the name. Find the places with handwritten specials on the whiteboard. That's where the real food is.

The real authentic spots are usually in strip malls with no English on the menu. If abuela is in the kitchen you're in the right place.

The grocery store conversation thing is real. My neighbor once told me her entire life story in the cereal aisle. Welcome to Texas.

Any medical facility. Not as a doctor — as everything else. Phlebotomy cert takes 4 months and pays $18-22/hr. Medical billing is similar. Hospitals are desperate for support staff.

Just wait for your first blue norther. 80 degrees at lunch, 35 degrees by dinner. You will learn to check the weather every morning.

Chick-fil-A is the gold standard and I'm tired of people trying to find something better. It's sweet tea. They perfected it. Move on.

Wait until someone waves you through a 4-way stop when they got there first. Texas politeness actually slows down traffic lol

Tex-Mex is not Mexican food and nobody who grew up eating both would confuse them. Both are good. They're just different cuisines at this point.

Pro tip: photograph every flaw in your house. Cracked foundation, old roof, stained carpet, outdated kitchen. Bring photos to the hearing. Condition matters.

If you have a kid and the indoor temp is dangerous, call 311 and explain the situation. Some cities have emergency housing resources or can expedite code enforcement.