KnowYard Community

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

Electrician for 12 years. Made $95K last year. Zero student debt. Bought a house at 24. I work hard but I'm not broke. Most of my college friends can't say both of those things.

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.

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.

Look at healthcare and government tech roles. They're not as flashy but they're still hiring and they don't lay off every 6 months. Stability matters when you've been burned.

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 Cracked foundation, old roof, stained carpet, outdated kitchen.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

Ring footage and police reports don't accomplish anything in my experience. The camera is for insurance claims, not actual justice. Sad but true.

Starting salary in my district is $52K. Starting salary at Buc-ee's is $50K. With less stress, less responsibility, and no papers to grade at home. That tells you everything about how we value teachers.

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.

Pressure washing. You can get a decent setup for $400. Driveways, fences, patios. Post on Nextdoor and you'll be booked within a week. $100-200 per driveway.

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.

Furniture flipping. Grab free stuff off Facebook Marketplace, clean it up or do minor repairs, resell. A truck is your biggest advantage. I clear $500-800/month doing this on weekends.

Skip the job boards for the first week. Reach out directly to everyone you know. LinkedIn connections, former coworkers, friends of friends. 70% of jobs are filled through networking and that's not a cliché.

Our neighborhood started a group chat where people post when they're expecting deliveries and others keep an eye out. Old school community policing. Actually works.

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.

File for unemployment the same day. Texas unemployment isn't much ($563/week max) but it buys time. Don't wait. The processing takes 2-3 weeks.

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.

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

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

It's not theater. Something like 60-70% of people who protest get a reduction. The appraisal district overshoots on purpose because they know most people won't protest. Don't be most people.

For COBRA — check healthcare.gov first. Losing your job qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. ACA plans might be significantly cheaper than COBRA depending on your income.

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.

I have everything delivered to my office now. Annoying to carry it all home but at least it's secure.

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.

Same thing happened to me in January. 3 years, great reviews, gone in a 10 minute call. The market is rough but not dead. Took me 11 weeks to find something. Apply everywhere, even stuff you think you're overqualified for.