KnowYard Community

Check the TxDOT project tracker website. You can see the actual contract, budget, and timeline. It won't make you feel better but at least you'll know when to expect relief.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Welcome to Texas inspection theater. My favorite is when they fail you for a windshield crack that's been there for 2 years and is nowhere near the driver's line of sight.

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.

Apartment dwellers are still screwed though. No home charging means relying on public chargers which are slower, more expensive, and sometimes broken. Until apartments have chargers, EVs are a homeowner thing.

The inspection system exists to generate revenue. Change my mind. A car that runs perfectly, stops properly, and has functioning lights should pass.

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 The online directories are always outdated but the phone reps have current info.

I met my girlfriend at a trivia night at a local brewery. Go to recurring social events where you see the same people week after week. That's how actual connections form.

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.

TPMS is the most annoying inspection failure. My car failed for the same thing. $180 to replace a sensor that does nothing I can't do with a pressure gauge in 30 seconds.

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.

Some shops will charge less. The dealer quoted me $250, an independent tire shop did it for $120. Call around before you pay dealer prices.

The $300/month savings is real. My coworker and I compared over 6 months. Her EV costs about $60/month in electricity vs my $340 in gas for similar driving.

Still waiting for prices to come down. Used EVs are getting more affordable though. Seen used Tesla Model 3s under $25K. Might be the move.

Church and mutual friends are how most people here meet. I know that's not helpful if you're not religious but that's honestly the reality.

My concern is long road trips. I drive to other parts of the state regularly and charging adds 30-45 minutes to the trip. Not a dealbreaker but it's not nothing.

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.

Made the switch 6 months ago. Home charging overnight is a game changer. I wake up to a full "tank" every morning. Never going to a gas station again.

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.

I genuinely think some of these projects are designed to never finish so the contracts keep paying out. Call me cynical but 3 years for a highway widening is insane.

Pool membership was the best $200 I ever spent. June through September I'm there 4 days a week after work.

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.