I spent many years traveling around the usa homeless , keep in mind that homlessness is a state of mind, unless you are out of your mind, You should consequently "LIVE in your body" if you keep that idea in mind you will not feel as destitude as you actually are. people help those who help themselves......I traveled homless for 6 years, I chose to have those hardships still waiting to write my book, from hitch hiking, on car, boats and trains, owning cars, camping, to living in commune and ashrams and all that HIPPIE(Happy Individual Person Pursuing Individual Enlightenment) stuff Rainbow gatherings, the grateful dead tour, phish tour, and my own down and out ness, but i had survived. My parents booted me out at 18, and moved to south America (Foreign Service)but at 17 I went sailing on a tall ship and learned the rule of the road, being homless in the Carribbean, working my way back home , and I did the number one mistake, booze, ive been sober for 10 years now, if you homless you will be lonely, getting freind is paramount to surival but not necessary, and trust no man just your self and god(higher power) and your family.
let me tell you my story but first here are some hints to Surive:
first Food:
Pizza Hut and any pizza place throws the old pizza dough out. find out when and dumpster dive. make a oven with stone and brick and bake.
be honest ...example when i was hitch hiking , first dine and dash if you must but it is better to call the manager over and ask point blank, "I have money for coffee, i am willing to do some work for a meal, (may get luck and not have to) then throw the curve ball, and tell them I dont want to be dishonest and eat and run on a full stomach, do you have any returned food?" that works well
Churches and community centers, if you on the streets fins a camp. to put food, if you have a car bonus go to every church and ask they always have a pantry.
Social services, Food stamps, tell the social worker you want emergency expidited and you will get at least 119.00 in stamps, use them or sell them most people will buy them $.50 on the dollar. if you strapped for cash.
All you can eat buffett places get some cash and eat , and or panhandle.
Pan handling: dress clean, look good , and act like you lost your wallet and ask any person walking by for two bucks for the bus,train etc. I know a guy in Sanfrancisco who was making on average 300.00 dollars a day this way. if you need a prop use a old credit card that looks damaged, and dont look desprate. or be creative stand in front of a coffee shop and ask for spare chang for coffee, or just say you got a buck im a little short. the secret is self confidence. and never do it in the same place.
getting work: this is proven and mine... if you have a sense of work and knowing how to work... go to any hardware store.. go get a piece of card board and write" traveling need work" in big bright letters, i have pulled weeds from gardens, cleaned rain gutters, worked on construction sites, done all kinds of handy many jobs, but there is a trick...
I love yachts, and sailing, I can make money any where, here is how, get a bucket and soap and cruise the local marina and wash boats???? with in a few days, charge 30 buck of so , also invest in some good sponges and Simple green aramad hammer super washing soda and T.S.P. (trisoidum posphate|) if you have other skills you can move up to varnish work and whatnot..
living: Remember the bureau of land management will allow for you to camp legally for 15 days but you must move your camp more that 50 feet, and if you pack it in take it out, you can find BLM land some time 50 miles or so from a major city.
you are only limited to what kind of work you think you can do, if you try and earn it people will help you. I have so many more hints and help give me feed back and ill give you more, right now I live in Kuwait a half a worl away, and have many more International homeless survival tips,

This is a long overdue and timely subject. WE all know how stressed our nation is, and the world. There appears to be NO IMMEDIATE answers, or any one person who can"LEAD" us out of it. We are facing a force 5+schitstorm, and it will destroy many livlihoods, and send many into the streets. Homelessness will be rampant, and crime will be severe as folks lose it all, and are left pennyless. This may be one of the reasons why our government has been quietly building gulags all over the country.
They know BIG TROUBLE IS A BREWING.
I hate to see it coming. But, coming it is.
The sharing of this type of information, is a good thing for those that wouldn't have a clue of how to cope on the down and low.
Another subject that compares to this, are the HOBOS that ride the rails. There are web sites that cover this subject. Lots of useful info there.
Also, talk to any old timer in a Vets facility, nursing home, etc. who lived through the depression of the thirties. You'd be amazed at the stories they can tell you, about how to survive out there with nothing.
Much of our slang today, is based on the vernacular of those times.
Never being homeless myself, I cannot add much to this post.
But it is a worthy subject.

If you are willing to work, and work hard, there isn't a need for you to go homeless. In rural areas it would be maybe, but not in a city environment.

Your post really covered on how to survive well. Thanks.

I am usually homeless once a year, I have slept in a homeless shelter before. It wasnt like one of the big ones but apparently it was or is a major supplier of narcotics in the area. The whole place makes people hi the moment they step in. I have slept on park benches before, I tried joining the army and had no where to go so I just slept on the park bench in San Diego by the old Navy barracks. I was homeless in Atlanta too and went to the homeless shelter there it was nasty, slept behind a mercedez dealership in 30 degree weather. So just imagine some dude walking down the street with an Army suitcase with a bunch of nice clothes begging for money. Apparently I have a disability I am not really sure.

I liked your guide. I have been on the street for just over a year and it was nice to hear from an educated, non-drug/alcohol addicted homeless person for a change. That's the category I fall into, as well. I also have a few mental issues - depression, OCD, etc which is how I came to be out here. I absolutely refuse to accept any assistance dollars (even though I could probably get some) and I have never panhandled, not even
when I had to go a day or two without food.

During the time I have been out here I have encountered only three other homeless people that I had anything in common with and this, after having traveled all over the US. It gets lonely. Non-homeless people routinely blow me off because they think I'll try to hustle them. Even church volunteers seem unwilling to risk having a genuine conversation. When no one else is around I talk to myself - out loud! Not because I'm crazy, I just need to hear myself every so often. I think that must be a good part of the reason we converse with others so we can affirm our own feelings, beliefs, and points-of-view to ourselves.

What you said about street people being able to sense fear is so true. I have learned to wear a "poker face". I've lost count of the number of times I've been threatened for no apparent reason and have been sucker-punched a couple of times. I go out of my way to avoid "the herd" and prefer to sleep outside where there are no others. I steer clear of shelters (especially the ones in big cities) and only go to churches to get food and showers.

The street is gruelling and monotonous. I have really come to despise this life. If I ever get off the street I promise to never take things for granted again.

Here's a quick note I thought of last night when I was making dinner.

DON'T drain your canned veggies! All the vitamins are in the water. If you can't stomach drinking it, then perhaps do what I did last night. I put two packs of ramen noodles in a dish to be microwaved. Instead of adding all tap water, I drained the veggies over the ramen, and then topped it off with the tap water. But don't throw in the veggies until the ramen is done. They're already mushy enough. Throw them in after the ramen is done, and they'll be warm enough just sitting in the broth for a minute.


[edit on 5/23/0808 by jackinthebox]

I think most people are only a few wage packets away from being homless.


Lose your income lose your home.


Here you go Robbie Williams' ............wanna really help and make a diffrence?............get these fellow ATS members off the streets.............you got 80 odd million pounds thats almost 160 million dollas........build em a house.







[edit on 23-5-2008 by D/amigO]

Originally posted by jackinthebox
Here's a quick note I thought of last night when I was making dinner.

DON'T drain your canned veggies! All the vitamins are in the water. If you can't stomach drinking it, then perhaps do what I did last night. I put two packs of ramen noodles in a dish to be microwaved. Instead of adding all tap water, I drained the veggies over the ramen, and then topped it off with the tap water. But don't throw in the veggies until the ramen is done. They're already mushy enough. Throw them in after the ramen is done, and they'll be warm enough just sitting in the broth for a minute.


[edit on 5/23/0808 by jackinthebox]

Actually this doesnt sound to bad!!!
I'm going to try it and give my review as far as cuisine gos.
Good call, JITB!

I was reading another article and thought I would mention that if any of you find yourselves wayward, but you have only enough money to get by for a few months, consider moving to where the rent is cheaper.

I was reading an article about how apartments go for $1500 where this guy was homeless. If he were here in Dallas, Texas, apartments go for a lowball of around $600 an you can find cheaper if you look. Just poking about on craigslist I found several in the $400-$500 range. Not a 5 star but its nicer than a cardboard box.

Jackinthebox, how are you? I hope you're doing well. I tried your recipe for Ramen and the juice from a can along with the vegetables and I add a new ingredient every time. Todays add: beef jerky cut into bits. Wanna guess where I learned that from?