How to Live Well on a Low Income in Texas
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Live outside of large cities like Dallas and Austin.small house, big house image by Nino Pavisic from Fotolia.com
Live outside of major cities. The real estate, in general, is less expensive in Texas than in other parts of the country, but housing in cities like Dallas, Houston and Austin can be very expensive. Live in the suburbs, if possible. If your commute to work is not too long, consider living in smaller towns even outside the metropolitan areas of large cities. Rent and home ownership are much more affordable in small towns. - 2
State parks in Texas are cheap and provide great entertainment.River image by Sergey Yakovenko from Fotolia.com
For recreation, visit state parks for camping, hiking or just a day out. Texas' state parks are located all over the state, and they each boast very different scenery and outdoor activities. They are inexpensive forms of entertainment. Purchase a year-long park pass for $60, as of June 2010, that will provide free entrance to the parks for as many people as you can legally fit in one car. Longhorn Cavern State Park, for instance, located in Burnet, Texas offers underground cavern tours. Pedernales Falls State Park is located on a very scenic section of the Pedernales River and offers camping, hiking, and swimming among its many other attractions. - 3
H-E-B is a good grocery store.picking bananas image by michael langley from Fotolia.com
Buy groceries at H-E-B. This grocery store chain is located throughout Texas, and it generally offers a wide selection, including organic and harder-to-find ingredients. Produce is fresh at H-E-B, and the store stocks many different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Prices at H-E-B are usually much lower than other local grocery stores as well. - 4
Colleges have cheap public events.college campus image by Nick Alexander from Fotolia.com
Attend events and lectures at a local university or college. Plays, cultural events, lectures and other activities at colleges and universities in Texas are often open to the public and are inexpensive. For example, Texas A&M University offers many musical events and also hosts the Wiley Lecture Series, which has brought high-level names such as General Wesley Clark and Mikhail Gorbachev to the College Station campus.
