If You Were Penniless And Alone
 

So, you are dropped into an unfamilar city, with ZERO money, ZERO possessions, ZERO family or friends. Don’t know your way around, no phone or car, no place to live, not a single person in the world has ever heard of, or is related to, you. Also no history, like no-one can look you up on LinkedIn or the bar association or Equifax. And its not a La La Land full of loving sharing hippies, it’s like some ****ty part of some ****ty Rustbelt city in winter. You have the clothes you are wearing and shoes, and whatever is in your brain today.

Would you survive? What would you do right away? The next day? In one week, where would you be living? in a month? in a year? How long would it be until you are employed, have disposable income, own place, furniture, decent car, healthcare, basically back to a “normal” life?

Some of you have skills that, I wager, would make this more do-able. I wonder about me. What am I going do - walk into an investment shop and get hired on the spot?

Ask those who came to this strange land in the 1910 or the immigrants who come here without any education today. People like you and many of us have some knowledge of how things work (in this country anyway). Having Zero money or Zero place to live is difficult but somehow I would start lookinf for a job. Start with places that help with job placement. Once I get my feet on the ground, start looking for better wage with the skills or knowledge I have.

I don't think I can just go up to some firm and ask them to trust me with a 500,000 remodel or Ti work. I think it will have to start with washing dishes or some low level entry job to get a place with an address for better employment opportunities.

What I usually do in this situation is go to a backpackers hotel and get a job there which provides free accommodation and meals. Then use it as a base to get a better job then a better place to live.

I'd walk to the nearest PRIVATELY OWNED cafe, burger joint or restaurant and ask about work (these places often pay in cash and don't ask questions). If they say no thanks I'd then walk to the next establishment on my list. If you keep doing that you'll find work (washing dishes in a busy restaurant would be a great start).

Once established I'd find out what's the local "water hole" and hang out there during my off hours. The people that typically frequent these places would know what's what and who to talk to in their town to get stuff done. Look for the people that gossip and just sit there sipping a drink eves dropping. Try not to bring any attention to yourself and later take notes of who does what and who's the bigger "players" are in that town.

The point is to gather as much intel of the town quickly but not obviously. You need connections to gain better employment etc. All you need to do is keep your mouth shut and listen. Try to stay clear of any Mob owned or connected establishments.

Find a crap job and use some of the money to buy a nice suit at a thrift shop, then crash wedding receptions on the weekends for quality food and business contacts.

_

At my current age, it would be pretty hard.

When I was in my mid 20s I moved to Oklahoma City. I did already have a job lined up to go to on Monday. And I used the last of my money to get into a $90 a month apartment. I had less than 10 bucks in my checking account when I went to work on Monday. I made it until Friday, payday and started over.

I will admit I had one advantage, my grandparents were here. I knew if I went over and hung out on Sunday afternoon, grandma would ask if I could stay for dinner. The answer was always YES!!!

I liven of rice, beans, and potatoes. I went for weeks on nothing much more than rice and on Fridays I could splurge and pour a can of soup on top of the rice. About 25 cents per day for food gets old, but way better than hunger.

Was there, almost.

I did have pocket change and a job in a town with which I was familiar. Had to beg a guy to wait a week (payday) for the deposit to rent a motel room.

Went from there. Having already been homeless twice (age 6, age 22) I knew the routine. Save, save, save.

Still do that. Can't shake the habit. It still gets in the way to this very day.

Me and Glen grew up together a 1000 miles apart and never having met.

John, you would be cooking at a nice restaurant the day after you got in town. In a year you would open your own restaurant I'd wager.

I would think the language barrier would be the hardest to overcome . How do you ask for work if you don't speak the language ? Eventually you will learn but you have to eat and survive until then .

Having said that people have survived and thrived so it can be done . But it is a difficult path .

Find a library for the computers and find a church to ask for help. Getting a job and shelter are the two biggest priorities, and those two institutions would be my jump off point.

I don't think you guys are understanding how dire of a situation he is describing.
First thing is to keep from freezing and starving to death.
I'd find a soup kitchen and then see where others eat, sleep and ****.
You are dirty and stinky so I doubt you can walk into a restaurant and ask for a job. Maybe.
My point is you are at the bottom and have to start at the bottom.
After that I'd find a way to get to a better town.

My parents were not wealthy at all, but I was rich in that I had two wonderful loving parents that taught me to earn my way at an early age. I was mowing yards for cash when I was in the 6th grade on. I had a warm bed to sleep in and food on the table growing up. They only way I can imagine your story happening is really bad or no parents at all and trying to survive.

I worked three jobs at once to get ahead and never had to start at the point you are describing. I have never spent one cent on recreational drugs, as I worked too had for my money to waste it on drugs. I did buy cheap beer however.

So no I can't imagine getting so low as to be in that situation.

What's your point to the question?

I live in Portland and I see the dire straits daily. And my answer stands. I would immediately look for the nearest library and the nearest church because these are two places that I think I have a good chance of finding "a hand up"; there is absolutely no way that the situation described will be resolved without some assistance. Obviously, it will be up to me to work hard and to prove that I deserve help. That's a given.

He got to that point with bad decisions he made. The vast majority of homeless got there from a lifetime of bad decisions. Stop making bad choices in life.

My first thought was wondering if you were trying to sell a reality TV concept...

Immediate needs by doing almost whatever is needed, then work on getting back to the south east preferrably someplace not too big and close to gulf, use natures bounty to help me make it

I think there was a show with a similar premise a few years back, can’t recall the name. IIRC, they took successful business people and gave them something like $500, dropped them in a relatively low income area and they had to start a business or earn $$ in a couple weeks time, something like that. It was pretty interesting….

EDIT: found the show. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8417266/#

A reality show I might actually watch.

But, back to the question.

I am pretty crafty and scrappy. I could get some sort of gig and a safe place to sleep. Not sure, probably work for cash as said above. From there, it is a strategy, patience and saving game.

This makes me think of my Great Grandfather Karl Ehlenburger, whom I never met. Straight off the boat from Germany. Never had a knack speaking English. My Grandma said he would have starved had he not met up with the Oddfellows in Ohio. I suspect there is truth to this. He never worked anything more than menial labor. May not have ever owned a car. Died in the 1950’s.