Question: “As a homeless person, what is the most important thing you could tell someone who finds themselves homeless for the first time?”
I was on the street, penniless, sleeping behind bushes, on beaches, and ball fields several years back. I now have over $50 Grand. I would have even more right now if someone had laid this strategy out for me and I followed it. But I had to take the time to figure it out for myself the hard way. If you’re in the position of being homeless, this will save you time. Here’s my strategy:
1.) Enroll in online classes. Complete your FAFSA to get a student loan. You’ll need to get a bank account if you don’t have one. That can be difficult if you don’t have a mailing address. Apply for a virtual mailbox or mail service. Those can be better than PO Boxes because you’ll have an actual street address and this can make having a bank account, for instance, possible. You NEED an ADDRESS. I pay less than $10 a month for a virtual mailbox. I get an email when they receive mail on my behalf. Through the app, I can tell them to shred it, scan it, throw it out, schedule a pickup, or mail it to me. Also, get an affordable storage unit and throw everything you don’t need in there. Begin to manage that stuff: sell what you can, keep what you need, and get rid of what you don’t need.
2.) Take a portion of your student loan and purchase a reliable used van, preferably from a rental agency that is getting rid of old inventory. Rental agencies usually take better care of their vehicles than consumers. You want to get a van that won’t crap out on you. It should be a minivan because it saves on gas and blends into neighborhoods better than big cargo vans. Budget to spend as little as possible to turn it into a stealth camper: Blackout windows (curtains/cover), sleeping pad, milk crates for organizing shelves, etc. You must be a Ninja so you don’t draw attention and get ticketed/arrested for camping. Gravitate towards the nicer parts of town and focus on blending in (it’s important to consider this when purchasing van, don’t get a sore thumb junker), stay away from the bad parts of town where trouble finds you. Follow all laws. But, for instance, if van camping is against the law, make sure you don’t give the appearance of doing that.
3.) Get a gym membership so you can shower/unwind. One with a steam/dry sauna does wonders for the soul. Stay organized and clean. STAY AWAY from everyone else on the street and appear as a member of society. Forgive your family, stop expecting them to help you, move on with YOUR life. Attitude is everything. Speak to your Creator. BE GRATEFUL! Work on being a joyful person who values life. Take long walks. Don’t EVER let anyone see you are sleeping in a van. Put energy into your online classes so that you can learn and continue on the next semester. If you don’t have a computer, I recommend an iPad mini with a stand and Bluetooth keyboard so you can type your assignments. You’ll also need a reliable cellphone and plan. I recommend Visible Wireless. The $25/month plan has unlimited call/text/data. Don’t spend one cent on anything you don’t need. I spent more on food than anything else. Nutrition is important. Never eat fast food! Actually, learn what it means to put good things in your body. And that food is for energy. Avoid “eating out”. You can buy fruits, nuts, seeds, supplements, etc. There are ways to become more and more efficient with spending. Occasionally treat yourself to a meal or stay on Airbnb stays and build up great reviews so that you can do that more and more when the time comes that being in a van won’t cut it. I started staying months at a place. But look like a traveler, not a homeless person.
4.) Get a gig job like DoorDash, InstaCart, etc. focus on this job when not completing coursework. Set monetary goals (i.e. $100 or $200 a day, whatever is reasonable but requires hard work). Next… Study what the market is doing and learn how to make investments. If it’s a good time to buy Bitcoin, do it. If it’s a good time to buy AI stocks, do it. Take calculated risks. Start small and learn the investment game. Focus on who you can take investment cues from, perhaps someone on the X platform. But, be careful who you take investing advice from. It is a jungle and some influencers are trying to steer followers astray for their own gains. The most important thing you can do in this whole process is gain knowledge. Knowledge is the first step to any progress. Take time to read and stimulate your imagination. Learn to be content with your own company. Be patient with yourself. Be kind to yourself. Be humble. And know that you can do more than survive. You can thrive!
