What to do when you lose your job and house

[DesertShark]

Hey I need some practical advice about what to do when I lose my job and apartment next week. I don't think I can file for unemployment because I didn't work at the job long enough. I don't really have anywhere to go once I move out, I still have my car though gas is expensive and I don't know how long I'll be able to afford driving it. And I don't know how long I can effectively live out my car, the weather turned cold again today (welcome spring :rolleyes:).

Anyone else been in a similar situation? If so, what did you do?

[MarxSchmarx]

Several years ago this happened to me, I moved in to a family member's abode for a few months until I found another job.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Yeah, once I had to crash on people's couches and live out of my car for a few weeks and another time I was in debt and lost my apartment because one of my roommates skipped out and so I had to live with my dad for three months.

If you have some money saved and can't move your things with your relatives, you can get a storage space to store things and then maybe see if you can stay with some friends while you look for work and a new apartment.

[Bitter Ashes]

Hostels. They're horrible, but it's got to be done if you've got nowhere else to go.

[entfaltend]

Were I in that sort of situation, I think I'd sell my car (if it was worth a couple k) and any other high dollar items, and buy a cheap work van or camper conversion, and a good sleeping bag. Then sock the rest of the cash away and use it only for necessities (food, other provisions, keeping the vehicle legal and running).

Then I'd try to find a sympathetic friend who could lend a parking spot, or if that's not gonna happen, locate a storage lot that allows trailers and RVs (I know of a couple in Beaverton, I'm sure they exist elsewhere too. Or just bounce around between Wal-Mart and other camping friendly stores, or camp sites that have a minimal or no nightly fee.

Might also look into getting a one-man camper of some sort that your car can tow, or if you've got a truck one of the type that sits in the bed. I know someone who got away with living out of a pickup camper for months parked in the same spot in Anchorage.

[Lynx]

I lived in my car for awhile in 2008 (May to July), but had my mail held by Canada Post, which cost 7 dollars a week. Depending on the jurisdiction, having no fixed address disqualifies you from social assistance or being able to have a vehicle legally registered.
Living in a car = uncomfortable, dangerous existence

[danyboy27]

Hey I need some practical advice about what to do when I lose my job and apartment next week. I don't think I can file for unemployment because I didn't work at the job long enough. I don't really have anywhere to go once I move out, I still have my car though gas is expensive and I don't know how long I'll be able to afford driving it. And I don't know how long I can effectively live out my car, the weather turned cold again today (welcome spring :rolleyes:).

Anyone else been in a similar situation? If so, what did you do?

find a temporary job and a smaller appartement or even a single room.
worked fine for one of my relatives.

once the situation have been stabilized, find a better job and move into a better appartement.
Unless you live in downtown keep the car, might be handy to move to another city if unemployerment is too high where u live.

[danyboy27]

I lived in my car for awhile in 2008 (May to July), but had my mail held by Canada Post, which cost 7 dollars a week. Depending on the jurisdiction, having no fixed address disqualifies you from social assistance or being able to have a vehicle legally registered.
Living in a car = uncomfortable, dangerous existence

Renting a PO box somewhere could do the trick for the adress.

[Dr Mindbender]

Do you have family you can go to?

If you can live without the car it might be worth selling for a downpayment on a new place and/or some emergency money to tide you over depending how much you can get.

Either way i'd advise you to stop paying for more petrol because the money could be used for other things (food and rent).


Renting a PO box somewhere could do the trick for the adress.

pffft. If he's lost his source of income he may have problems coming up even with that. Besides which its a waste of money, whatever he pays could have fed him that week.

Friends or family should be his first recourse.

[Lynx]

Renting a PO box somewhere could do the trick for the adress.
It could, it depends on provincial regulations. A post office box, a room in a motel or a boarding house may not always qualify as a legal address. It may also qualify for one government service but not another.

[Dr Mindbender]

dont assume anything.

If youre going to rent a po box for this purpose check with the authorities to make sure its kosher to avoid fuck ups later on.

If you need state security or to apply for a job later you dont want to give them any excuse to screw you over.

[Lynx]

Knowing your rights and what government services you are entitled to is important. This includes the myriad rules and regulations.

[ellipsis]

I left vermont with my gf after christmas and we stayed with friends and family as we drove across country and once we got to california. I thought that I was going to be able to camp in my friends' backyard but they kicked me out after like a week and a half. We stayed with other people after that, rented a camp site for the weekend and pitched a tent, stayed with friends some more and luckily found jobs and an apartment.

If you think that you will be homeless for a while, try and get a tent and camping gear. If you live in a rural enough area, finding a discreet squat spot shouldn't be too hard. Even if it is cold where you are, cheap military surplus sleeping bags go a long way. I met a guy travelling you would sleep underneath bridges in the US midwest in sub-zero degree weather, but because he was inside a super warm sleeping bag, was sweating.

For food, it shouldn't be too hard to find a list a food pantries and hot meal/brownbag lunch in your area.

Find a safe and free place to park your car and use it as little as possible.

[Dr Mindbender]

For food, it shouldn't be too hard to find a list a food pantries and hot meal/brownbag lunch in your area

Ready made food delicatessens in supermarkets are an excellent source of free meat.

Just eat your purchase before you leave, dispose of the evidence and no one is any the wiser.

Of course it does involve you having to avoid shop staff metal gear solid style.

[Bitter Ashes]

I'm reliably informed that te easiest way to shoplift was to pick up a basket and put a few things in it that I needed, but were small like meat, cheese, etc and smuggle then, away from the cameras, smuggle them into your bag while you're "looking for your purse" (guess that doesnt work too well for guys). You then go to the checkout with a basket with something too big to fit in my bag, but cheap, like a loaf of bread or a box of cornflakes, pay for that and leave with about 5-10 times more than you'd actualy paid for. It works in pretty much any store, because even if you get unlucky and somebody spots you on the camera putting things in your bag, they'll also see you going to the checkout and getting a recipet.

Do be poliete with the staff. They're getting robbed by thier employers just as much as we are. Obviously, try not to target small independant shops. The owners may not have the heartache of bieng workers, but at least they're not dictating our entire lives like the corporations do, so don't deserve to suffer as much as the corporations.

Remember. It's not theft to take stuff that belongs to us, the working class, anyway.

[DesertShark]

Were I in that sort of situation, I think I'd sell my car (if it was worth a couple k) and any other high dollar items, and buy a cheap work van or camper conversion, and a good sleeping bag. Then sock the rest of the cash away and use it only for necessities (food, other provisions, keeping the vehicle legal and running).

Then I'd try to find a sympathetic friend who could lend a parking spot, or if that's not gonna happen, locate a storage lot that allows trailers and RVs (I know of a couple in Beaverton, I'm sure they exist elsewhere too. Or just bounce around between Wal-Mart and other camping friendly stores, or camp sites that have a minimal or no nightly fee.

Might also look into getting a one-man camper of some sort that your car can tow, or if you've got a truck one of the type that sits in the bed. I know someone who got away with living out of a pickup camper for months parked in the same spot in Anchorage.


Do you have family you can go to?

If you can live without the car it might be worth selling for a downpayment on a new place and/or some emergency money to tide you over depending how much you can get.

Either way i'd advise you to stop paying for more petrol because the money could be used for other things (food and rent).



pffft. If he's lost his source of income he may have problems coming up even with that. Besides which its a waste of money, whatever he pays could have fed him that week.

Friends or family should be his first recourse.
I'd be lucky to get $500 for my car. The blue book for my car (in excellent condition) is $700. Its the most expensive thing I own and technically its not even mine. I have camping gear so I'm set for that. Although I have slept in my sleeping bag, which is supposed to be ok in 0F, at 32F and had to go searching for blankets because I couldn't feel my feet.

Part of the problem is, even temporary jobs are scarce. Literally no business in the city or surrounding cities are hiring. I also live somewhere where everything is spread out, so its at least a few miles to get any where.

I have been talking to some family about staying with them for a month until I can leave to head out for the desert (I've had good luck finding jobs out there for room & board, but then I'm not making money so I can't save anything to leave).

I don't know. I am sure everything will work out, it'll just take a little time. Thanks everyone for you ideas. I hope if anyone else is in a similar situation they will benefit from your ideas as well. As sad as it was to hear other people having experienced this, it was comforting to know I'm not alone.

[ellipsis]

I'm reliably informed that te easiest way to shoplift was to pick up a basket and put a few things in it that I needed, but were small like meat, cheese, etc and smuggle then, away from the cameras, smuggle them into your bag while you're "looking for your purse" (guess that doesnt work too well for guys). You then go to the checkout with a basket with something too big to fit in my bag, but cheap, like a loaf of bread or a box of cornflakes, pay for that and leave with about 5-10 times more than you'd actualy paid for. It works in pretty much any store, because even if you get unlucky and somebody spots you on the camera putting things in your bag, they'll also see you going to the checkout and getting a recipet.

I have never really done this but I know that all major stores in the U.S. have what are called "no-chase policies" and are regulated by many other rules surrounding shoplifting. Basically they have to see what you steal, where you put it and watch you the entire time in the store. If you head for they exit they can try and stop you and make you come back in but if you just run they will not chase you due to liabilities i.e. you could run into traffic, etc. So bring a reusable shopping bag and fill it with stuff and then JUST WALK AWAY.

Also eating food in stores works too. It talks some cajones.

[ellipsis]

There was a similar thread a while back kinda that you might learn something from

http://www.revleft.com/vb/help-please-love-t125957/index.html