Freedomain Radio

I plan on leaving my family for a number of reasons by June, regardless of whether or not I have a job or my own place. I've already done a lot of research into surviving homelessness and have packed a well-prepared bail bag, but what I am missing is more options on where to go. I have a friend who is willing to pick me up when he himself gets his own place, and a have a few friends who might take me in if I trek to Arizona or some other state.

I currently live in El Paso, Texas, and I'm hoping for someone relatively nearby to go to, if only for a few days rest.

Also, sorry if this is a misplaced thread.

so how does one survive while being homeless, are there actual websites outthere on just such a thing?

Things have to be pretty bad for this to be the more attractive option, so first please accept my sympathies. May I ask how old you are? How are you set up financially for such a move?

I personally feel that it would be wise to put almost all your energy into finding a place to stay first & foremost, either 'extended temporarily' or a new place to call home. I think employment would be very hard to find while not having a residence.

Dave Bockman:

Things have to be pretty bad for this to be the more attractive option, so first please accept my sympathies. May I ask how old you are? How are you set up financially for such a move?

I personally feel that it would be wise to put almost all your energy into finding a place to stay first & foremost, either 'extended temporarily' or a new place to call home. I think employment would be very hard to find while not having a residence.

I am 23, and my family is actively opposed to me finding a job, so as it stands I have no usable phone number nor mailing address. I am starting out with $20 and a few months to "gather" supplies and educate myself (it is surprising how much you can learn about surviving homelessness just by looking it up online; plenty of ex-homeless willing to share their story and advice). Here are a few such resources that offer advice:

http://theprohobo.blogspot.com/2011/09/maintaining-hygiene.html

http://www.donrearic.com/homeless.htm

http://www.foragingtexas.com/2006/12/cats-ear.html

My bail bag is only a few items short of being complete (with everything from food to medicine), and I still have a few months to finish preparing; as it stands, I'm fairly confident in my odds. At teh moment I'm also trying to learn how to get "under the table" work to supplement my current amount of money.

 Hey, I'm currently "homeless"!

But I have an rv, and have been boondocking till an incident recently.

I've been looking into "workamping" which usually requires an rv, but not always.

One thing you could do is look for people wanting live-in property keepers for their vacation or part time residences, especially if you're handy with tools. Or post job wanted on craigslist or workamper zine for a job like this. (do get yourself a cell phone or a magicjack which will put voicemails in your email)

When the time comes, contact me and see if I got one of these workamper jobs.

I might be able to let you visit, and see what it's like.

blondie:

 Hey, I'm currently "homeless"!

But I have an rv, and have been boondocking till an incident recently.

I've been looking into "workamping" which usually requires an rv, but not always.

One thing you could do is look for people wanting live-in property keepers for their vacation or part time residences, especially if you're handy with tools. Or post job wanted on craigslist or workamper zine for a job like this. (do get yourself a cell phone or a magicjack which will put voicemails in your email)

When the time comes, contact me and see if I got one of these workamper jobs.

I might be able to let you visit, and see what it's like.

Thank you for the advice. I don't have a car though, and I might only have a bike if I steal the one in my family's garage. So...I might have some difficulty getting to a specific job (currently my plan is to do odd jobs as I wander near them; still need to work on my ability to get these temporary jobs).

But yeah...I've been meaning to ask someone...how effective is offering "under the table" work by selling the idea of paying less due to me not being officially employed?

 I remember when I left my FOO at age 18, with my bike, and some few clothes. I did start with a place to go, but soon ended up homeless, and it really wasn't fun. It was doable, but draining.

Could you explain how your family discourages you from working? Do you have any supportive family or friends nearby? Was the bike supposed to be yours or? Riding a bike to work is actually a good idea, depending on how roads are laid out where you are.

It looks like there are general labor listings on craigslist in your area that do not require experience, but if you have some talent or ability, check with these even if they are asking for experience. For example,If you have younger siblings you have been caring for, apply as a manny. (What we call male nannies here, My son and his wife had one at one time.)

Look for a farm or ranch job, if that would suit your talents and/or personality. (These suggestions would possibly give you a place to live, too.)

Advertise yourself for a position wanted, and keep on top of it,with an email address for contact, and try to check email a minimum of once a day. Really try to think of something you could possibly sell or do to get a cheap cell phone.

Now these suggestions are only suggestions. If you like any of them use them, but they are really just to get you started brainstorming for what will suit you. You kinda posted an ad here, so expand on it, bump it up occasionally,sell yourself, and don't forget to advertise in multiple venues.

I'm really curious about why your family is trying to deter you from getting a job. Do you know why?

Could you explain how your family discourages you from working? Do you have any supportive family or friends nearby? Was the bike supposed to be yours or? Riding a bike to work is actually a good idea, depending on how roads are laid out where you are.

I am also interested in the answers to these questions.

Do you think you could get a job in your area, even if it's minimum wage?

Let's say you didn't have to worry about your family discouraging you.  You had your own apartment.  Could you find a job then?

Lowe:

Could you explain how your family discourages you from working? Do you have any supportive family or friends nearby? Was the bike supposed to be yours or? Riding a bike to work is actually a good idea, depending on how roads are laid out where you are.

I am also interested in the answers to these questions.

Do you think you could get a job in your area, even if it's minimum wage?

Let's say you didn't have to worry about your family discouraging you.  You had your own apartment.  Could you find a job then?

 

If I had my own address and phone number, I could probably get a job somewhere.

My parents do not wish me to have a job because they think it will interfere with my academic progress (in truth, it is thier own machinations that is causing me to passive-aggressively resist), and when they finally said it outright, I could not have been angrier with them. Sure, they tried to reword it after I had disappeared for 7 hours, but I know that it was only a reaction to prior events, not an actual changing of stance. That event has numbed my efforts to get a job, and I recently realized why: they control both the mailing address and phone number, and I know that they will kill my job prospects if employers used them.

I am a bit worried that how I am wording this is not properly emphisizing what I mean.

I desperately need to get out of this house; I have almost nothing in terms of prospects for escape; I know nobody nearby, a have little in terms of transportation, I don't even have a working phone. I only really exist on the internet, and this laptop is my portal to the world. If I stay here, this emotional environment will eventually destroy me.

I should also mention that I have some things on my side.

I have a few friends who live in states that are relatively close, and one of my online friends has extensive experience in the migrant worker culture and has connections in a network of railroad-riding hobos.

I could be mistaken in my impression, but you almost seem enthusiastic about the idea of being homeless.

Would one of your nearby friends let you sleep on the couch, or the floor, while you got a job in that town?

Lowe:

I could be mistaken in my impression, but you almost seem enthusiastic about the idea of being homeless.

Would one of your nearby friends let you sleep on the couch, or the floor, while you got a job in that town?

My family environment makes any escape look appealing. I'm sure that if I made my way to where they lived, they'd let me stay there. And I have a friend who is willing to come pick me up from wherever I am as soon as he was his own stuff in order (will still take a while before that happens though).

When my dad left for his military thing overseas, a feeling of dread I had lived with for so long that I no longer noticed was lifted; I can barely imagine the giddy feeling of freedom that even homelessness would grant me. Besides, I am well prepared, and confident that I will do fairly well.

If you'd like to help, my current focus is learning how to get odd jobs; I need to learn enough about how to ask for one before I can confidently try to get one. I am trying to practice these things before I leave.

 How is your academic progress? Are you about to get a degree or technical certification? Depending on what you want to or can do would have some effect on ways to go about getting odd jobs.

You could be an independant or 'unofficial' contractor. Post flyers in places that pertain to your talents around where you live with tear strips with your email. This could also work when you are traveling as long as you have internet access(libraries- internet cafes- Starbucks&MickeyD's if you have your own laptop) to pick up your emails. You can move around without changing that.

If you just want day work, and you look healthy and strong, you could just show up at a 'bigbox' hardware or home improvement store with your lunch, and look ready to work, and hope to get picked. Some immigrants start in business this way.

Again, read and/or post to craigslist. If the friend you want to live with will back you up, and you can receive calls from them, use their address and phone number when applying for jobs, just make sure to set it up in advance with them. If need be, he could probably forward mail to general delivery where you live, or scan and email your mail to you, and take phone messages for you. Also, I think you can get a phone number from google for free that will take voicemail. If you have a gmail address, check out google voice, I think you can even make calls within the US for free.

I was sorry to hear that your family is using your education as an excuse to discourage your being employed. Do you think this would continue when you are finished with this phase of your education? I'm not suggesting you stay, I'm just wondering if they are going to be as obstructing if you are applying for post school jobs.

blondie:

 How is your academic progress? Are you about to get a degree or technical certification? Depending on what you want to or can do would have some effect on ways to go about getting odd jobs.

You could be an independant or 'unofficial' contractor. Post flyers in places that pertain to your talents around where you live with tear strips with your email. This could also work when you are traveling as long as you have internet access(libraries- internet cafes- Starbucks&MickeyD's if you have your own laptop) to pick up your emails. You can move around without changing that.

If you just want day work, and you look healthy and strong, you could just show up at a 'bigbox' hardware or home improvement store with your lunch, and look ready to work, and hope to get picked. Some immigrants start in business this way.

Again, read and/or post to craigslist. If the friend you want to live with will back you up, and you can receive calls from them, use their address and phone number when applying for jobs, just make sure to set it up in advance with them. If need be, he could probably forward mail to general delivery where you live, or scan and email your mail to you, and take phone messages for you. Also, I think you can get a phone number from google for free that will take voicemail. If you have a gmail address, check out google voice, I think you can even make calls within the US for free.

I was sorry to hear that your family is using your education as an excuse to discourage your being employed. Do you think this would continue when you are finished with this phase of your education? I'm not suggesting you stay, I'm just wondering if they are going to be as obstructing if you are applying for post school jobs.

One of the frustrating things is that I am two month's worth of classes away from graduating with a degree in Network Management, but my academic ability has been degrading to the point where I cannot pass a single class. It has a lot to do with them knowing what I wanted out of college (they asked explicitly), and putting me in something that had little to do with it (the longer it went on, the more I realized something wasn't right, and the less intrinsic motivation I had to finish school).

It's the principle of the thing; I can't bring myself to complete it knowing it is according to my parent's machinations. They've been pulling strings behind the scenes all my life. I've contacted my school coach for prospects of changing majors in the hopes that it might help, but I may not be able to pay for it.

Krof_Gninut:

 

One of the frustrating things is that I am two month's worth of classes away from graduating with a degree in Network Management, but my academic ability has been degrading to the point where I cannot pass a single class. It has a lot to do with them knowing what I wanted out of college (they asked explicitly), and putting me in something that had little to do with it (the longer it went on, the more I realized something wasn't right, and the less intrinsic motivation I had to finish school).

It's the principle of the thing; I can't bring myself to complete it knowing it is according to my parent's machinations. They've been pulling strings behind the scenes all my life. I've contacted my school coach for prospects of changing majors in the hopes that it might help, but I may not be able to pay for it.

I think it's great that you have made peace with the idea of leaving home. This means that your family holds nothing over you. Every moment that you continue living with them is by choice, and if it ever gets too unbearable, you can leave. I imagine this could be very empowering for you -- it could give you a chance to practice assertiveness.

I'm much less sure that it's a good idea to tank your education on principle, or to leave home with nowhere else to go. I may be biased because I am working in a similar field, but there is a whole world of exciting jobs in the IT/network management/development realm. As long as you have some sort of degree, employers are much more interested in practical experience and technical capability (which you can gain on your own through side projects) than they are in the specifics of your studies. And once you get your foot in the door of a company, there is room for sideways mobility to other jobs that interest you more. Not having a degree, however, could close some doors. I should ask, though: what is it you're interested in doing with your life, career-wise?

By the way, I just read this article, which you might find inspirational: http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2012/02/homeless-on-purpose/