KnowYard Community

The family-owned Chinese spot near me has been open since the 80s. Same family. Same recipes. Still the best egg drop soup I've ever had.

Skip ADT. The equipment is overpriced, the contracts are 3 years, and the cancellation process is a nightmare. There's a reason they need door-to-door salespeople.

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

Ring Alarm Pro with the cameras. If you're already in the Ring ecosystem it just works. $20/month for monitoring and cloud storage for all cameras. The integration is the selling point.

The fact that he tried the handle and moved on when it was locked tells you everything. Most of these people are looking for easy targets. Make your house not the easy one.

Comprehensive insurance covers it but file the claim and your rates go up. My deductible is $500 and the replacement was $2,200. Insurance covered it but my premium went up $30/month. So I'll pay it back in 5 years. Cool.

Texas is at-will employment. They can fire you for almost any reason at any time. So when they say "job security," ask about actual turnover rates. That's the real answer.

Reolink cameras (no subscription, local storage) paired with SimpliSafe sensors for monitoring. Best of both worlds. Camera footage stays on YOUR hard drive, not someone else's cloud.

Park in the garage if you have one. If you don't, park in the most well-lit area possible. Motion sensor light aimed at where you park helps too.

The recyclers buying these no-questions-asked are the real problem. A stolen cat sells for $100-500 in scrap. Until that's regulated this won't stop.

If the job posting has been up for 6+ months, either the role doesn't exist (ghost listing to collect resumes) or nobody wants it because the work environment is toxic.

The biggest red flag: when they rush you to accept without giving you time to think. "We need an answer by tomorrow" is pressure, not urgency. Good opportunities can wait 48 hours.

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.

My commute used to be 1.5 hours round trip. That's 7.5 hours a week, 30 hours a month, sitting in traffic producing nothing. Remote work gave me a whole day back every month.

SimpliSafe. No contract, $17/month monitoring, easy DIY install. Had it 3 years and it's triggered twice from actual incidents — both times the monitoring center called within 30 seconds. Would buy again.

Document everything in writing. Every call, every text, every email. Take photos of the thermostat showing the indoor temp. This is your evidence if it goes to court.

Share that footage on your neighborhood social media. Nextdoor, Facebook group, whatever. Other people's cameras might have caught him arriving or leaving in a car. Plate numbers are what police need.

"Competitive benefits" with no specifics = bad benefits. Real companies list their benefits because they're proud of them. Vague ones are hiding something.

I walked out of an interview where the manager bragged about never taking vacation. That's not dedication, that's a warning about what they'll expect from you.

Cat shield or cage. $150-300 installed. It's a metal plate bolted over the catalytic converter. Doesn't make it impossible to steal but makes it take 10+ minutes instead of 90 seconds. Most thieves move on.

Same thing happened to us last month. We added window sensors and a door bar on the sliding glass door. Total cost: $80. Sleep much better now.

Deadbolt, motion sensor lights, and a door reinforcement kit. The kit is $50 and makes it nearly impossible to kick the door in. That's the most vulnerable entry point.

If they won't let you talk to anyone who actually does the job, run. I always ask to speak with a current team member. If they hesitate, there's a reason.

Toyota Tacoma, Tundra, 4Runner, and Prius are the most targeted. Higher ground clearance = easier access, and Toyota cats have more precious metals. If you own one of these, you're a target.

The real answer is that it depends on what trade and what degree. A CS degree from a good school pays more than plumbing. But a plumbing license pays more than a generic business degree with $40K in loans.