Living in My car In a Church Parking Lot...

[Elskidor]

My only experience of being homeless was when two girls and I ran away from home at 15 years old. We made it twelve hours away before the car started having serious issues. We stayed in a hotel parking lot living on day old donuts, free breakfast from multiple hotels where we pretended like we were actual guests and hotel shampoo mini bottles.

I was hired at McDonald's after two days. One of the other girls ended up getting hired by the 5th day at another McDonald's and the last girl was hired at Taco Bell a couple days after that. I guess the only difference was that we didn't consider ourselves homeless and three jobs was going to get our car fixed up and eventually we'd make it to California.

Maybe we got lucky or maybe it was the 90's, but we did pretty well for ourselves for being teenagers on the streets of Dallas.

[Ami529]

I was never asking anyone to help with personal debt. When I was able to afford it, I was going to declare bankruptcy for that. I just wanted to go back to school. They will not let me requalify for financial aid until I pay off loan debt. At minimum wage, this would take longer than my lifespan. When I'm back in school, and I finish, I'll hopefully have a job opportunity that helps me pay the debt back at a reasonable rate, but at least I'll be finished with school. I worked very hard for all of my credits and giving up at least a couple of semesters of them, credits that I'm already so far in debt for, that's the kind of hole that you just don't get out of. In Tennessee, I have the opportunity to finish school where I left off if I can get help with the money to get back in. In New Jersey I lose a lot of my credits if I get help with the money to get back in. Either way, it costs the same amount of money to requalify for Financial Aid.

This isn't any different than someone who creates a college fundraiser and THEN goes to college after they raise the money. I've already been going to college. I need help with the tuition costs to requalify for Financial Aid. If you don't believe people should ask for help for tuition, that's fine. But I don't really think it is THAT much out of the ordinary to do so. People need help with tuition all the time. Sometimes they get Scholarships. Sometimes they fundraise. Sometimes they take only a couple of classes a semester and pay out of pocket. Why is getting tuition help so terrible to you?

[Elskidor]

I don't know you well enough to vouch for you, but you can keep up the posting at a variety of websites and probably gather a few bucks for every dozen or so you join, but I'd recommend you applying for multiple jobs, and hit up Walmart. Every time I've ever been in a bind financially I apply to a Walmart and I'm hired immediately. I hate Walmart but they have helped me get back on my feet three times until I find something better. It may not be ideal, but it is better than fast food and almost a guaranteed quick hire.

[downbeatplumb]

Maybe getting a job would be a good method of "raising funds"

Yeah, I'm sure they just hand out jobs to homeless people.

For some reason I read that as "hand jobs" and thought that was your money making idea.

[Jaysyn]

The part-time minimum wage work I have gotten has only helped me buy enough to do my laundry or the occasional motel stay so I can take a real shower.

I don't have much to add except that I've read that while homeless, a cheap gym membership may be a less expensive way to keep clean than a cheap motel.

[Elskidor]

The part-time minimum wage work I have gotten has only helped me buy enough to do my laundry or the occasional motel stay so I can take a real shower.

I don't have much to add except that I've read that while homeless, a cheap gym membership may be a less expensive way to keep clean than a cheap motel.

A truck stop would be cheap for showering. I wouldn't waste money at hotels. 40 hours at minimum wage should be like a gold mine without having to worry about rent, electricity or many other things. Just spend it carefully and don't waste money on hotels. .. shit, that will be insanely expensive.

[Losty]

A lot of times you can get a whole month for the price of one night in a hotel. That's a daily shower and someplace warm to hang out in the winter.

[Jaysyn]

A lot of times you can get a whole month for the price of one night in a hotel. That's a daily shower and someplace warm to hang out in the winter.

Yeah, much better idea than a truckstop, both are better ideas than a motel though.

So Ami, if you are married, where is your wife? Also, do your parents know you are living in a car?

[Losty]

Funny I assumed she was married to a man.

And yea truck stops just seem more dangerous to me.

How do you cook your food?

[Mystical]

Yep she sure knows how to duck, dodge, dip, dive, and Duck.




Ohhh she's a gamer. ThaT's what she do do, every day. Makes sense.

Too bad you can't get paid to do that for a living.. Oh wait.