Has anyone ever been homeless with no money? How did you / would you survive?

Just a few question really:

Say your situation suddenly changed and you found yourself without much money, without means of transport and few job opportunities as well as no home, how would you survive?

Would you steal or beg to survive? Would you try and busk or hustle or would you still try and maintain a clean image and apply for jobs (how would that work without a mailing address?)

Would you apply for a hostel, or rely on friends?

What and how would you eat? drink?

Thoughts?

Simple i would just steal probably kill some people too

reply to post by mr-lizard


Don't live beyond your means and prepare for such instances and they will never happen. I have a very old computer held together with duct tape for a reason.

reply to post by mr-lizard


Greetings Mr Lizard. You raise some interesting questions.

I experienced homelessness when I was young and I worked for some years with homeless people later in hostels, probation hostels and night shelters.

Homeless hostels are very difficult because there are problems of drug and alcohol abuse and violence.

I believe they are the safest bet though as there are staff that do care and try and maintain some order and who liase and represent their clients; helping to find accomodation.

In UK we still have very good welfare and you can get help very quickly no matter who you are. A sign of functioning CIVILIZATION in my opinion.

well im a musician so i would just take my acoustic and try to do some busking in a busy place and then try to land small solo gigs or try to find a buddy to do music whith

and as well i would go staight to the nearest homles shelter and stay ther that way i could at least get a shower evryday. I think when your homeless being clean is a priority as to not be labed as a misfit or a "typical homeless" person.
Most urban areas have a lot of decent soup kitchens

reply to post by mr-lizard

Couch surfing can be a decent way to begin, as long as one remembers not too float very long in the same area. While surfing, continual movement is necessary.

Aside from that, it is impossible to directly answer your questions, due to the vague details. There are many important details needed, to be factored into the equation.

'Who, What, When, How, and Where', and many many other variables.

reply to post by BrokenCircles


Well i'm trying to keep it ambiguous to avoid any end of the world type scenarios, i'm just meaning what if you become homeless right now - what would you do and what skills would you employ in staying warm, fed and alive?

this could refer to both urban and rural environments..

Never, but if that would happen to me, I would turn to family for help.

Interesting question, I've never really thought about it. Firstly, I personally would rely on friends and family to help me get back on my feet.

But if for some reason that was not an option, I suppose I would rely on social services. I'd sign up for everything I could think of, eat in soup kitchens, stay in shelters and junk until I could find housing and an income.

What would you do, Mr. L?

reply to post by Molimo

Simple i would just steal probably kill some people too

You lie!



reply to post by kro32

Don't live beyond your means and prepare for such instances and they will never happen.

It is always good to be prepared, but never say never. Unfortunate events and circumstances can (and do) happen to anyone at anytime.

reply to post by mr-lizard


Yes, I have been homeless several times, once just me, myself, once with my son, who was an adult, and once our whole family was homeless. One survives with their wits alone. I never stole anything, unless taking thrown out food from a McDonald's stealing, and water from a gas station tap to wash in. When our family was homeless, I went to many agencies for help, and received none. Local churches would not help us, we were not Christians. Welfare would not help, we had a car. Friends, however, do help. It's good to have friends you can count on. I would not wish to be homeless in today's world. Our family lived in a 1974 Chevy Impala for two weeks, with nine dollars to live on. We parked at a truck stop, so we had rest room facilities and some security.

27 years ago I became homeless with my 2 young sons, I was in las vegas, had just come out of a real bad relationship and it came down to homeless was better then being with him. First I found a homeless shelter, showers and one meal a day available. Being in las vegas made it easier on me. First I could walk up to anyone and ask for change and get it, looking at the boys sends empathy to the hardest soul. Second I went into the casinos and looked at the machines no one was playing, many many people walk away from the credits, credits equal dollars. Once I had $20,00 I would go to freemont street where I could get a coupon book to which one specific coupon would give me $40,00 in play for $20,00 in cash, I put the $40,00 in play into the machine then immediately cashed it out. I would do this a few times and quickly salvaged enough money to get a weekly motel rental some food. Then I went and found a job at a fast food establishment, eventually saving enough to get into a small studio apartment, This all took about a month to get off the streets completely....it all worked out in the end.

reply to post by autowrench


That must have been tough for you, especially with family - as I understand and respect that being homeless alone is one thing, but caring for family is another. Thanks for sharing and i'm glad you're on track and happy now.

When I got out of the Army I was homeless for about two months.
I got lucky and found 40 dollars in a walmart parking lot. Needless to say I was a jerk and didn't turn it in.

Lived out of my Mitsubishi montero Sport loaded to the gills with all my crap.
Tried to sell things I had at pawn shops for gas money, and 7 eleven nachos.

Attempted to sleep in the city park a few times but some pervert was trying to get into my car at night.
Stopped going there after the first night. Then I wound up living in the walmart parking lot in my car as they had a sigh that said RV friendly. They tend to let people camp in their lots and use the 24 hour facilities.

My cousin was a cop, and helped me get on at the local Sheriff's Dept. where I got a job as a jailer.
After that I found this slum lord who gave me an apartment next to several crack addicts, one killed himself, the other drove his car through the wall, not mine thankfully.

Finally got out of that place and got a decent apartment.

Long story short, I'm 34 now and retired as an ex patriot in an Asian country so I guess things work themselves out. Thank God.

reply to post by mr-lizard


In my country you can go to the church charities once or twice a fortnight and get a food parcel. They do these in low income areas though, but if you live there you can actually survive on what they so generously give you and I have many many times in the past when things have been very tight. Moving out of the city can also be an idea, fruit picking is not a hard job to find if you leave the city and there are many ways to earn some food on shelter on farms in rural areas. If you need to stay in the city then use what the city has to offer in terms of charities and other community services. It really helps.

Originally posted by lbndhr
27 years ago I became homeless with my 2 young sons, I was in las vegas, had just come out of a real bad relationship and it came down to homeless was better then being with him. First I found a homeless shelter, showers and one meal a day available. Being in las vegas made it easier on me. First I could walk up to anyone and ask for change and get it, looking at the boys sends empathy to the hardest soul. Second I went into the casinos and looked at the machines no one was playing, many many people walk away from the credits, credits equal dollars. Once I had $20,00 I would go to freemont street where I could get a coupon book to which one specific coupon would give me $40,00 in play for $20,00 in cash, I put the $40,00 in play into the machine then immediately cashed it out. I would do this a few times and quickly salvaged enough money to get a weekly motel rental some food. Then I went and found a job at a fast food establishment, eventually saving enough to get into a small studio apartment, This all took about a month to get off the streets completely....it all worked out in the end.

Very clever. I like the way you made the best out of your environment, like a few other members have mentioned - you did the best you could with what you had. Good stuff.

Hey matey Im from Nottingham UK, i ended up homeless in 2000 after a drugs raid on my rented property, they didnt find anything but the landlord turned up with the police, i was away in London at the time so the landlord changed the locks and took out an exclusion order on me saying that if i was seen within 500 yards of the property i could be arrested as they feared reprisals for taking back their property - i believe this was civil law not criminal. Anyway when i returned from London and found my door all boarded up i tried to gain entry and was arrested for breaking and entry. The cop arresting me was reasonable when i explained who i was and actually went into the property and fetched my passport and driving license that were stashed safely, so at least i had my ID. but i lost everything, all i had was the clothes i was wearing and wallet.

My whole world had collapsed, i ended up at a mates for a few days but this was a nightmare as i felt i was imposing, One of my mates explained that i could squat reasonably easy, so i moved out and into a disused warehouse. I claimed squatters rights under section 6 and took legal possesion of the building until the real landlord went to court to obtain a repossesion order, this didn't happen for 10 and a half months in which time we had turned this warehouse into an unofficial community center downstairs with local artists and musicians using the space for band practice and music workshops for the local inner city youths, the courtyard was used for fixing cars,vans and motor homes whilst upstairs housed 6 of us in the end - furnished with all things we had found, begged borrowed or stole (Never from peoples homes) and was really comfortable, more so than many of my mates at the time.

During this time i fed myself by shoplifting on top of freeganing and my giro (Social security money), you would be amazed at the stuff supermarkets throw away just because they have reached their used by/best before dates. I wouldn't wish this on anyone but in todays throw away society it is easier than you think.

I am homeless and without money my friend. It is a chosen lifestyle. I survive by going house to house doing handyman work for what ever is offered as payment (usually food, shelter, and good conversation). I do not accept money myself, but if it is offered, I give the name of someone who still needs money who will receive it for my work.

Been living this way for a year and would never look back.

With Love,

Your Brother

Just a bit of advice, but it will not apply to everyone: go to another country and become an English teacher there. If you are a native English speaker, there will always be language schools willing to take you in.

You see, even with hardly any special skills you can still earn an honest living and be respectable.

Creativity is the key word here.

Originally posted by Blastoff
Just a bit of advice, but it will not apply to everyone: go to another country and become an English teacher there. If you are a native English speaker, there will always be language schools willing to take you in.

You see, even with hardly any special skills you can still earn an honest living and be respectable.

Creativity is the key word here.

If a person is homeless or on the verge of being homeless how will they get the funds to go over sees to get this english speaking teaching job?
How will they survive until they get there first check if they even managed to get the thousands it would take to get to this job?