Laura Roberts is the editor of Shoestring Austin. Employing her tag line “because living on a budget doesn’t have to suck,” she hopes to bring a new focus to Austin-area food and entertainment, with affordable choices for those who don’t like to skimp on the good stuff.

Armed with a love of great food and a starving artist’s budget, Laura has long been a proponent of living the good life on a shoestring budget. Based in a city known throughout North America for its low cost of living, inexpensive dining options and intensely overhyped festivals (SXSW, anyone?), Shoestring Austin is a way for her to chronicle her adventures dining in and out, all while keeping up with the fabulous finds and inexpensive fun her city has to offer.

In addition to the blog, Laura also contributes travel pieces to sites like The Frisky, Not For Tourists, Gifted Travel and others, in between working on her novel, Naked Montreal, and maintaining her literary street cred at Black Heart Magazine. Her first book, Rebels of the 512, has been described as “the best satire you’ll ever read about pirates, ninjas and evil politicians in Austin, Texas.” She can be found on Twitter @originaloflaura, and encourages you to share your feedback on the blog.