My dad once had a client who was Lebanese. Drug dealer, I think. (Dad was a defense lawyer). He was one of those guys who took one look around the federal pen and said, "you call this a prison?? In my country, this is a fking country club!"

Anyhow, my dad said that you could drop this guy in any city in the world, naked, and without knowing the language he would figure out a way to survive and then thrive in very short order. That this particular culture was very adept at capitalism, though he used slightly different language to say that. :)

I've been hungry and broke before. One time I had enough money to either feed myself or my dog till payday. I made ketchup soup for supper for 3 days.

Beside the Immigration problem, the IRS problem and the 104 lbs dog problem the first thing I'd do is look for a temp agency. They pay slightly above minimum wage and usually will pay everyday. This solves the immediate cash flow problem ($20 would feed you for two days if your careful).

Next is shelter. Assuming your not dumping me in a city like here where it hits -50C or a place where there are no social service's I'd look for a Salvation Army or a hostel. Sally Ann would make you sing for your supper but they would feed you and give you a place to stay. Depends on where you are there might be a limit to how long you could stay at either place. Next full time employment.

As I have a drivers licence and I can drive any tandem axel truck, crawlers or loaders I'd look for a job driving a dump truck or like equipment. Next a home.

As home is where it feels good to hang your hat I'd look for rooms to rent. As you would have money from working temp for the first week you might be able to rent one for a month. Two weeks driving a dump truck and you would have your $500 goal.

I had a guy stop by my house in Florida once who was mowing lawns at 1/4 the going rate. The only catch was he didn't have a mower so he had to use mine. IIRC, he did most of the block this way. $10 to mow my yard in the FL summer, I'd pay that everytime. Let's say he did 8 houses per day, he'd have $500 and a new lawn mower in 8 days, and start charging $20 and grow from there. He'd have a full on business in a month.

I would go dwn to the nearest ship yard, freight yard and go to work.
Or drive a truck,
It would not be much of a show at all.
simple

Was not this the premise of the very first reality show? I believe it was of Japanese origin.

This problem is too easy. There are too many social services available in cities in the US.

To make this a true reality experiment, you'd have to give us a drug addiction or a mental health problem, or both. Heap that misfortune on our shoulders and you'd have yourself a challenge that more accurately reflects what I think you're going for.

But I think the real problem is that you cannot artificially create the despair inherent in such a living situation. We know we can give up on the challenge. That is quite a bit different from not ever seeing an end in sight.

Simple... Go to the nearest library and post an add on CL for misc handyman services. Take your cash to pawn shop, HF etc and buy pliers, a hammer and a few screwdrivers. Take any job you can get that will pay. Also start cruising adds for help wanted in any of the trades...

Of course you need to have some skills, but I could have a place to live and a few hundred in a week or two easily.

This. ^^^

You did such a good job of exposing the inherent BS of this "challenge" that I now feel bad for my semi-joking response.

Sorry man, but gotta agree with Speeder, et. al

It's just too easy for a fully functional, intelligent, experienced person with a solid job history and marketable skills.

The first few hours, or at most first few days, might be mildly interesting. But after a week IMO anyone here would be set up and then it would be a monotonous, boring process of saving up $500.

A clean, reasonably dressed, intelligent person dropped in a city with the only task being to find a place to ride it out temporarily while trying to accumulate $500 simply isn't going to experience any significant "real world strife and struggle" for you to show, IMO.

$500 ain't nothin. Some women make that in an hour or less ;)

Twenty Dollars! Man, I only need about tree fiddy.;)

That would make for a quick show, now wouldn't it?

Might actually make it worth watching though. ;)

I own a 911

It needs valve guides BAD.

Did I mention the valve guides?

you would have to get to the job site - so reserve bus fare - assuming it is ON a bus route

you would not have any evidence of that experience or solid job history under the rules of the OP

you would need to survive until you got paid - and you might just get stiffed out of your pay too (ask any employment lawyer)

also, social services vary from city to city, AND are prioritized with women and children getting beds first, single men at the very last

but I do think a healthy young male could survive and make it for several months, even as a homeless person - I don't see them getting a rental as it would be hard to accumulate the 1st, last & deposit in that time (here it would be at least $1,500 up front; more like $2,000) while still getting food & etc. to live on

With a happy ending...

It's impossible to erase that evidence from a person.

you are welcome to wander in and talk to an employer about how good a record and experience you have after you wake up from sleeping on the curb for a few nights

- good luck

How about a harder experiment?

Take a homeless person and get him a job and a safe place to stay.

Most won't stay in a large shelter because they are unsafe and or the shelters won't allow them to abuse substances while there. So you would need to find him a place that will take him and is safe. Clean him up and help get him a job.

Keep him clean and sober for a period of 3 months.

Your reward: satisfaction you helped a fellow human being