Advice for the Homeless From an Old Pro: How to Get Money
Odd Jobs and Strange Strategies for Survival
Try going door-to-door in lower middle class to upper middle class neighborhoods.
Follow your nose - if you smell poop there's probably a yard full of dog crap somewhere nearby. Listen for barking - dog feces usually come from dogs. Approach the stinky yarded home and knock on the door. Offer to pick up all the dog manure in their yard for a few dollars. If they say they have nowhere to put it, offer to bury it in their yard for another few bucks.
After you run out of dog droppings to clean up in your territory look for houses with dirty windows, unkempt lawns, clogged gutters, or yards or porches full of rubbish. Using the same approach knock on the doors of those homes and offer to fix their issue for a few dollars.
Once you've mastered these noble trades you can move onto more genteel occupations.
Find the elderly part of town. Just look for lots of old people. Ask if you can help them carry in groceries when you see them carrying them. Don't ask for payment for this. Then ask if they have any disagreeable tasks such as cleaning the cat box, scrubbing the toilet, taking out garbage, shopping, washing dishes, dusting, cleaning, moving furniture or anything else unpleasant or strenuous they'd rather not do. Offer to do these chores for a few dollars. Old people are great, especially crazy cat ladies. Sometimes you'll find one that offers to feed you and let you clean up. You may even get to sleep on someone's porch or in a garage sometime.
In states that have can and bottle deposit/redemption laws - pick up cans and bottles. Check any cigarette packages you see for money, especially near bars and clubs.
You can also sell what are called "street papers." These publications are created with you in mind. They are a way to earn money with minimal skills. You should be able to find someone selling these in any major city. The instructions for getting some to sell yourself can usually be found inside the paper or a friendly seller might tell you how to do it himself. With many such papers your initial supply is available free of charge.
By all means, please go to your local library to access sites such as Craig's List on the Internet to look for odd jobs or gigs in your geographical region.
To increase the likelihood of being hired at any job interview you need to present as tidy and odor-free an appearance as possible. Do your best to wash up in public restrooms, keep your hair short and brushed, don't drink, and if you are a man - for God's sake shave!
I hope you've found this article helpful. Good luck on your job search!
Published by Kylyssa Shay
Kylyssa Shay spent 18 years as a professional floral designer and has aquacultured marine life for fun and profit. Ms. Shay is a freelance writer, an atheist and an avid life-long learner with unusual life e... View profile
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29 Comments
Post a CommentDear Mar, don't give up. Please remember that you are a worthy human being who doesn't deserve homelessness. Have you applied for emergency assistance at your local Department of Human Services? Your local homeless shelters may have lists of resources you can use so you should check those out if you haven't already. You are in my thoughts.
i had so much problems i aply for jobs n look for help in agencies but they denied me cause i had no phone number n no adress i try using my old adress but since my apartment burnt i coulnt stay there n i had to keep movin looking for shelter i coulnt keep comin back to see if some one send me a mail
very interesting ur article u give good ideas but it is more harder when having babys n been alone n sadly many people see u n treat u like ur nobody n people of companys dont even want to look at u n let alone hire u
I was homeless before, and I am never more than two paychecks away from being homeless right now. As a homeless woman, I found that it was safer and cleaner to say that I had been in a domestic violence situation than to say I needed shelter. I'm not proud of what I had to do to get by...but I got by long enough to get my own place. I plan to give back to DV shelters and help homeless women and families when I get myself to a place where I am financially secure.
I think this is a great topic. My family and I have been at the way bottom before. I remember digging in the Mcdonalds trash at 2am ever morning. That was about 15 years ago now and things are better now for me and my family. I would like to say to anyone that is homeless. You can't wait for someone to make a change in your life for you. You have to want to do better for yourself. And be stubborn every day. These days my wife and I own a small discount store to help people that don't have much money. And we always take food to the homeless shelters about once every two weeks or so. God blessed me with a wonderful family who pulled together through those bad times and now we work together as family in our store to help people through these tough times. God bless all of you. And thank you Kylyssa for bringing this up it doesn't come up very much any more.
I am homeless right now due to being laid off my job. I tried to get another job but I could not find one and there are not to many people that want to hire a person without an address. I make money holding a sign on the freeway though and that gets me enough money to eat and even go to the movies once in a while. I reall liked this article and I think that I will put this advice to use thanks
you are awesome
Ms. Shay;
I too was homeless for a few months, and it isn't fun at all. Yes, I learned more about human nature and who your friends really are than perhaps I actually wanted to, but my life has been crammed with Experiences, and maybe I could have done without that one.
My mother advised me not to sleep under any bridges. One "friend" charged me $25 to sleep at her house on the hard floor in a room with no heat (in the middle of winter)-- a dismal time. Other "friends" used my lack of social power/position to abuse me psychologically in ways that were actually quite ingenious, albeit cruel. I shudder and turn away in revulsion when I try to imagine what kind of psyche one has to possess to spend his time devising such complicated tortures for someone who had never done him any harm. I would warn anyone who is freshly turned out of their home to be very careful who you trust. Your instincts are your best friend; if you are beginning to feel paranoid or slighted, there really are people
Another place to shower is truck stops. Here in New Mexico the many State Parks also have showers, and there is no fee if you are a "walk in" camper.
an element of truth, witty and dry. well done