# How to handle homelessness

When you have less than a month's worth of expenses left, start planning to move:

- The only alternative will be to incur [debts](money-2_debt.md) for unpaid rent, which [will make your life more difficult later](image-modern.md).
- Try to sell as many possessions as you can, then give away anything that's relatively valueless to reduce your "footprint".
- Make sure you're *extremely* [organized](organization.md) to cut down on the stress of [moving](home-moving.md).

To survive, you must be able to sleep, eat, and hold things:

- [Sleeping](sleep.md) simply requires a flat enough surface that's moderately soft and warm enough that you won't freeze to death, though you can adapt to *anything* within a few weeks.
- [Eating](body-2_diet.md) requires getting [enough nutrients](body-4_health.md), though storing and preparing food can often be challenging with limited access to electricity.
- Storage will be your worst challenge, though measurably less if you're located in the same region for a while.

Your success will be determined by how [creative](mind-creativity.md) you can be.

- Other people are often willing to be generous, but only to a point.
  - When you rely on others, *always* expect it to be a temporary expectation, and they'll expect that you regain your footing soon.

How far you downsize and where you move depends on a few limits:

1. How many people are you providing for?
   - If you're by yourself, you can do anything, but supporting a spouse or small children vastly cuts your options.
2. How much stuff do you have?
   - More specifically, you must specify which items can go to storage and which items must stay readily available.
3. Who can you rely on, and for what?
   - Even if someone won't let you spend the night, they're often willing to hold on to your things temporarily.
   - But, since you're asking a favor, make plans to repay them later or [lose their friendship](people-4_friends.md).

You'll want to find a "safe" place to gather yourself in case you need privacy or have to wait:

- The place should be reasonably safe, and open during a broad range of hours.
- It will vary by each person, but it can include shopping malls, 24-hour diners, coffee shops, libraries, book stores, and large gym chains.
- If you can, look up the choices on a map before you need to.
- You should have somewhere comfortable to sit quietly for a few hours, preferably with free internet and a power outlet.
- It should be accessible by a convenient form of transit, even when your phone is dead.
- The public restrooms should be relatively clean.
- The people who work or visit there should be friendly enough that they'll give you directions or assistance.

The easiest way to go homeless is to [live out of an RV](home-rv.md).

- The lifestyle is so easy, in fact, that many people *choose* the lifestyle during retirement!

The most versatile (and second-easiest) is living in your car or a tent:

- You will still meet *all* your needs, but not in one place.
- If you get to choose your car, pick an inconspicuous earth tone color with as roomy a model as you can get.
- For your fixed address with others, use a PO box coupled with a storage unit.
  - Ask a friend to take your mail and as the address for any background checks.
  - If you can't afford a PO box, use "General Delivery" as the address, and the post office will still take it in your name.
- If you plan to use electricity, you'll either need to frequently replace your car battery or get a generator.
- [Cooking](cooking.md) requires creativity.
  - Shape aluminum foil and cook on the exhaust manifold.
  - Boil water with a heat source, then store it in a high-quality thermos all day.
  - Unless you get a generator, any electric cooking will be *very* low-powered.
- Stay [hygienic](people-2_image.md).
  - Use a chain-store gym.
  - Swim at a beach or lake.
  - Use truck stop showers.
  - Keep a pack of unscented baby wipes available.
- [Sleep](sleep.md) in your car or a tent.
  - Keep everything [well organized](organization.md) to use every cubic inch.
  - Adjust your seat and steering wheel for maximum comfort.
  - Though lumbar support helps long-term driving, it can make sleeping uncomfortable.
  - Consider padding or seat cushions.
  - Since the airbags can activate, don't set your feet on the dashboard.
  - Since you're dealing with limited insulation, stay warm by keeping *tons* of extra blankets and socks.
- Always have enough clothes to last a day and a half.
  - Seven pairs of socks, two outfits, a hooded rain jacket, and extra underwear.
  - Since you're probably still [job-seeking](jobs-1_why.md), keep your [interview outfit](jobs-5_interview.md) hanging unwrinkled in storage.
- Use public internet from fast-food restaurants, coffee shops, hotels, retail stores, office supply stores, and public libraries.
  - If you can, use a VPN to stay safe.
  - Look on social media to find Wi-Fi passwords.
  - Most companies keep their Wi-Fi on after closing time.
  - Copy-paste a blocked URL into [Google Translate](https://translate.google.com/) to use it as a proxy.
- In your car, keep moving around to avoid alarming residents or store owners.
  - If you can, adapt [your sleep cycle](sleep-cycles.md) to never sleep more than 4 hours at a time.
  - Sleep in parking lots in middle-class areas without private patrols.
  - Aim for common parking areas used by multiple companies (e.g., strip malls).
  - Stay in a bank parking lot to have cameras safely watching you.
  - Try to avoid anywhere that would draw attention.
  - Ironically, your car is most suspicious in a parking lot if it's by itself, so park with other cars if possible.
- In a tent, aim for campgrounds and areas away from main highways.
  - Most police officers simply drive on main roads, but won't see you if you're obscured from view.
  - However, since you're likely on private property, try to leave no trace that you've been there.

Living on the streets is about as difficult as it gets:

- Sleep uninterrupted during the day at parks or beaches.
- If you don't have access to a computer or phone, use a public library.
- Never stop [job-seeking](jobs-3_image.md).
- If you must beg, offer to work and take them up on their offer.

Many churches and homeless shelters offer food and shelter, but be careful.

- Some churches require membership there, and it's not worth [lying](people-lying.md) to get food if you can help it.
- Other transients with you in shelters can often steal from you when you're sleeping, so don't keep valuables out.

The 1889 Hobo Code of Conduct is applicable to anyone in a transient situation:

1. Decide your life; don't let another person run or rule you.
2. When in town, always respect the local law and officials, and try to be a gentleman at all times.
3. Don't take advantage of someone in a vulnerable situation, locals or other hobos.
4. Continually try to find work, even if temporary, and always seek jobs nobody wants. By doing so, you not only help a business along but ensure employment should you return to that town again.
5. When you can't find employment, create work by using your added talents at crafts.
6. Don't allow yourself to become a stupid drunk and set a bad example for locals' treatment of other hobos.
7. When camping in town, respect handouts, do not wear them out, another hobo will be coming along who will need them as much, if not worse than you.
8. Always respect nature, do not leave garbage where you are camping.
9. If in a community camp, always pitch in and help.
10. Try to stay clean, and wash up wherever possible.
11. When traveling, ride your train respectfully, take no personal risks, cause no problems with the operating crew or host railroad, act like an extra crew member.
12. Don't cause issues in a train yard; another hobo will be coming along who will need passage through that yard.
13. Don't allow other hobos to molest children; expose all molesters to authorities. They are the worst garbage to infest any society.
14. Help all runaway children, and try to inspire them to return home.
15. Help your fellow hobos whenever and wherever needed, you may need their help someday.

Never regard your homelessness as a disability:

- If you want to, your "home" can be as small as you want.
- You have the advantage of being *incredibly* mobile, which means you can plant yourself where you can thrive the most.
- Your freedom is so unlimited that many people deliberately make transience a lifestyle, including many [religious leaders](religion.md).
- One of the advantages of homelessness is that you don't have to pay rent, which means it's *very* easy to [save money](money-saving.md).

For social reasons, never speak like you live nowhere, and always have a mailing address available to give to people.