This as-told-to essay is based on conversations with Morgan S., a 37-year-old strategy senior manager in Houston. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I’m from Houston, and I love it. My monthly take-home pay from my corporate job is just under $10,000 after taxes. I feel very financially secure here and ahead of my age.
One thing that outsiders may not know is that Houston’s property tax is among the highest in the country because we have no state income tax. A lot of people hate on Houston, but the city has so much to offer.
To afford the cost of living in Houston, I work to increase my income and live below my means. Regardless of how much money I bring in, I practice responsible spending.
I have multiple streams of income
I’ve worked in the energy industry for 15 years and currently work at a company with lucrative compensation benefits (e.g., a defined contribution plan and RSUs). I’m on a hybrid schedule, working in the office two to three days a week.
My commute is about 25 minutes each way. My healthcare comes with my job for $92 a month, and it’s pretty easy to set appointments.
For investments, I have a rental property that pays me $2,900 a month and a private equity investment that pays me $1,250 a month. I’ve also started to earn some side income from social media.
I started social media because there’s more to life than corporate work, and there’s so much to be made on these platforms. I currently have an agent pitching me for deals, and I believe in the value of building a monetizable personal brand.
I plan to sell the $465,000 3-bedroom townhouse I purchased in 2025
I live in the Rice Military neighborhood, which is five miles from downtown. It’s extremely walkable, there are multiple green spaces, and my family lives nearby.
My house payment is $3,186 a month, plus about $300 in utilities, and there’s no HOA. It’s my second home, and I turned my first into a rental.
Buying real estate is a huge commitment, and this one turned into a nightmare with tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. If I had just taken all the money I spent on this house and invested it in the market, I could’ve been much closer to my coast FIRE goal of $1.3 million. I’ll probably sell this house, invest the proceeds, and move back into my more modest rental later this year.
Here’s how I budget to live below my means
My net worth is $1.1 million in savings and investments. To get around, I drive a 2019 Mazda CX5 that I bought used. She gets me from point A to point B, and I plan to drive her until I can no longer do so. I have zero interest in upgrading.
I budget about $400 per month for groceries and rarely go out or order delivery. I don’t drink coffee every day, though on Saturday, I might walk to treat myself to a coffee.
My partner and I are currently debating whether we want to spend $50,000 for a wedding or save that for the future.
To save money, I believe in living below my means: a simple wardrobe made of natural fibers that lasts longer than a single wear, buying secondhand vintage, accepting hand-me-down furniture, and eating most meals at home. I also go without expensive hair and eyelash extensions.
I prefer the city over the suburbs
I’ve never lived in the suburbs, and don’t think I’d want to.
One trade-off to living in the city is the outdoors: my partner loves hiking and other outdoor activities, and we can’t really do that here. Also, the suburbs offer a better dollar-per-square-foot, but I like being able to walk everywhere, so I think that’s a better trade-off.
It’s possible that if I have kids, we might move to the suburbs for better schools. I’m still deciding on whether it’s worth it to have kids, which I think a lot of millennials are contemplating.
Living in Houston is worth it to me
In Houston, we have lots of high-paying jobs, access to great amenities, and sports teams. We’re even hosting the World Cup this summer. There’s a huge Vietnamese community with delicious food; it may be one of the most diverse cities in the country.
I’ve spent a good amount on dining out this past year and my gym membership. Another splurge is golf.
Still, I plan to invest over $100,000 this year and save or invest 53% of my gross income. It’s definitely worth it to me to live in Houston, and I have no plans on moving.
Do you want to share your cost of living with Business Insider? Email editor Tess Martinelli at [email protected].
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