Homeless Survival Kit

Maybe you are sitting in a library reading this blog because you are homeless. Maybe you are thinking about becoming homeless. Maybe you are wondering what you can do for someone that is homeless.

In this post I will discuss how to prepare for life on the streets in such a way that you can stay safe as possible and maximize your chances of getting back to a normal life.

Most people will never get the chance to prepare to become homeless. Usually when it happens it blindsides most people. Some people will see it coming weeks, months, or even years before it happens but they don't prepare because they don't think it can happen to them. If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.

Having a little cash and knowing how to spend it right can really make a huge difference how you spend your time on the streets and how long you stay there. Let's face it, say you found $200 on the street, how would you spend it? Most people that are homeless will go rent a cheap motel room for a few nights. Some might cave in to their addictions and blow the money on drugs or alcohol.

The first thing you should buy when you become homeless is a backpack. A backpack is probably the single most important item you can buy for your homeless survival kit.

A backpack allows you to carry all your belongings with you at all times. Unattended items will usually get stolen or vandalized when you are homeless, so everything you absolutely need must come with you wherever you go. Sleep with your backpack on. I used to reverse mine and wear it on my front when I slept.

You can buy a cheap backpack at Walmart or Target. You can even find them really cheap used at thrift stores. Don't worry about how it looks, if it has cartoon characters on it or whatever, only concern yourself with whether it is tough and will hold up with lots of use.

Don't buy anything too fancy or it might get stolen. Keep this in mind if you are buying a backpack for someone else, too.


The next thing you should buy is a cheap sleeping bag or blanket. I buy sleeping bags at Walmart for $10. This isn't the greatest sleeping bag but it worked for Southern California weather most of the time and as long as it isn't freezing in Seattle it gets me by. I think it's rated for 40 degrees. You can always layer up inside of the sleeping bag. If you are homeless in a cold weather environment you should look into getting a warmer sleeping bag. You don't want to be cold at night, you'll be miserable.

Just like picking out a backpack, don't spend a lot of money on a sleeping bag or worry about what it looks like. I've had several sleeping bags stolen or ruined by weather throughout the years.

You can also buy an emergency Mylar blanket. These are small, compact, and cheap but can keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You can find these blankets in emergency kits or at stores like Target or Walgreens.

Face it, when you are homeless you won't always have access to a shower. Sometimes you are just going to have to make due. The last thing you want is people looking at you funny because you smell bad. You can minimize this by buying a cheap bar of soap and some deodorant. If you can find a clean bathroom you can give yourself a quick birdbath.

I cannot stress enough how important a toothbrush and toothpaste is. I am just now dealing with teeth and gum problems from years of neglect. When you are homeless the last thing you may be thinking about is brushing your teeth but it's so important. I thought I was taking pretty good care of my teeth but I didn't get around to brushing every day. Now I'm having all sorts of trouble with my teeth. I can barely chew some foods. I really believe this is why you see so many homeless people with dental problems.

Clean clothes are really important when you are homeless. I would suggest at least 3 shirts, 3 pairs of pants, and 3 -t-shirts. You will also want at least 3 pairs of underwear and buy yourself a 6-pack of socks. Your feet take a beating when you are homeless. You're going to go through a lot of socks.

Buy clothes that are easy to maintain. I wouldn't suggest buying the cheapest clothes because they will just shrink or get ruined fast. Buy clothes that are sturdy and clothes that will easily fold up without getting too wrinkled. I usually avoid places like Target or Walmart when I'm buying clothes, (except for socks and underwear.) I have found you can buy really nice clothes that are out of season at places like Macy's for 70% off in the clearance racks and the clothes end up being cheaper than what the discount stores have to offer, yet they last so much longer.

Another thing you will want to carry around is a tarp or plastic drop cloth. These can be found at stores like Walmart or almost any hardware store. There are going to be nights when it rains and you'll be glad you had it. You can use it to shelter yourself from the wind and rain or lay it down on the ground. The ground can be very cold and damp. I also recommend buying a cheap sleeping pad or egg crate foam. Buy something you can roll up and easily carrying around. I have spent countless nights sleeping on the cold, hard, ground or cement. Trust me, you want something underneath you.

No matter what climate you are homeless in you'll want to buy some hats and gloves. Even when I was homeless in Southern California, I always carried a beanie around with me. At night it can still get a little cold and a beanie not only keeps your head warm but you can also use it to pull over your eyes to keep light out and it also protects your hair from dirt and whatnot when you are sleeping outdoors. I even use one in the summer.

I also bought some longjohns for the winter and I always have a pair of gloves on me. I figure I can shed the extra clothes during the day when it gets warmer. You can even find beanies and gloves at the dollar store.

As crazy as it may seem you will need a cellphone to survive on the streets these days. Yes, even the homeless have cellphones now!

A cellphone is an important tool for any homeless person. You can use your cellphone as an alarm clock to wake you up in the morning. This is very important if you are sleeping somewhere that you have to get up really early so you can remain undetected.

Cellphones are also good to have in case of an emergency. Even if you have run of of minutes you can still use your cellphone to call 911. You can also give out your number to family members or friends who may need to reach you or leave a message. If you are looking for a job a cellphone is a must-have.

Cellphones are really cheap nowadays. Even without credit you can pick up a prepaid one for less than $20. Just watch your minutes and it shouldn't cost you much to maintain. You can charge your phone at the local library while you're using the computer or find a working outlet someplace and don't tell anyone about it. I found one in a park once and used it for a long time until until someone else found it and abused it.

Why Lie?

Some people might wonder if all panhandlers lie. From personal experience I can tell you that most do. That doesn't mean everyone does, but most lie.

Do I lie? You better believe I do. Now before you judge me or get angry you might want to know why I lie. I have a life threatening disability. I have end stage kidney failure and I have to do dialysis treatments to stay alive. Most people would be more than happy to help out someone that is legitimately disabled or ill but that's the problem. Nobody would believe me if I told the truth anyways. I have tried, people just look at me like I'm lying. I don't look sick. I look pale but other than that I look healthy as anyone. Some people probably assume I'm a drug addict because I'm so pale. That's not the case but too many idiots have ruined it for those of us that really do need help.

Now for the most part it doesn't really matter what you write on your sign. You could simply write "have a nice day!" and people will give you money. A few years back cops in Seattle set up a sting to catch drivers that weren't wearing their seatbelts. They put an undercover officer posing as a homeless guy with a sign on a sidewalk and when he spotted a driver that wasn't wearing a seatbelt he would point to that car and a marked car would pull that driver over. The officer's sign simply said "Buckle Up." People kept trying to give him money!

Sometimes I get bored or I have to create a new sign because the cops confiscate mine. I have found it hardly matters what you write. Most people just want to help. There are homeless guys that will write "Why Lie, I Need a Beer." People give these guys money. My theory is maybe a different type of crowd gives that guy money and if I'm holding a sign saying "God Bless" maybe a more religious type crowd will give to me. In the end people are either going to give or they're not.

Out on the streets you see all types of guys. As I've talked about before, most panhandlers do lie. I have met panhandlers that aren't even homeless. I knew a guy that would write homeless on his sign but he had a house. He would take his earnings from panhandling and use it to go gamble at night. Another guy said he was an Iraq Veteran and he never served a day in the military. He had the military haircut and clothes to boot. He would take his money and go buy booze at night.

Then there were the two guys that would always give me a hard time when I was panhandling. They were always trying to take my spot. I had no problem sharing my spot but these clowns were scammers. One guy had a fake cast and everything. He even walked with a limp. His buddy would use a cane and hunch over while panhandling. He looked like he could be anyone's grandpa but as soon as he was done for the day he would tuck his cane under his arm, stand up straight, and walk to his car. Both these idiots had an expensive heroin habit. They also both made a lot of money because people felt sorry for them.

I'm sure there are many other scammers just like the ones I told you about. Bottom line is these people ruin it for everyone. Based on my experience alone, I would have to say 75% of the panhandlers you see aren't really homeless.

Do you have to lie to panhandle? I don't know. I guess it all depends. At the end of the day you are the one that has to live with yourself. I once put on my sign that I was a veteran and someone stopped and handed me a $20 bill and said, "Thanks for serving!" I felt like a complete ass. If I do lie I try to be as honest as possible. I don't say I have 5 kids to feed or any bullshit like that.

If you do give to panhandlers it never hurts to check out their story. Any guy that has served is going to be able to answer basic questions about his background. The ones that lie can't even do that. They are usually too stupid to have the correct answers.

How I Became Homeless

People that stumble upon this blog might wonder how I got to a point that I needed to start panhandling or how I ended up homeless in the first place. Some people might wonder why I just don't "get a job." I haven't really addressed how I became homeless in the first place so here's a little background about me.

I have a life threatening illness and I'm disabled. I have End Stage Renal Failure, my kidney is so bad I now have to do dialysis treatments to stay alive. I only had one kidney to begin with. My left kidney was removed when I was an infant. My right kidney was saved but very damaged from an obstruction. I had several surgeries when I was a kid, my last major surgery when I was 8 years old.

Being born with an obstruction really isn't that uncommon. If treated most babies will recover well and both kidneys will recover. I was very sick until I was 8 months old. My birth mother didn't get me to the hospital until it was too late to save my left kidney. My right kidney was very damaged. To this day she will not apologize or even acknowledge that she was a shitty mother and that her actions and disregard for my health cost me a lifetime of medical problems. If she ever did I could probably forgive her but that will never happen. She happens to be a very cold-hearted person. She is the kind of mother you read about in the news and you just have to shake your head. Not only did she not get me prompt medical treatment but she used to let my biological father beat me and mentally abuse me. What kind of mother does that? 

So that's how my medical problems started. After my last surgery when I was 8 I seemed to be doing OK. My kidney was holding up pretty well but I still was spilling a lot of protein in my urine which was a sign my kidney wasn't 100%. In my early 20's my kidney function declined but I was still able to get by. A person can live fairly well with just 25% function of a solitary kidney believe it or not. Anything under 25% and a person doesn't do too well. At 15% function it's time to start considering dialysis or a kidney transplant.

In my early 30's my kidney function declined further to around 49% which isn't too bad. Just 2 years ago it was at 12% and I had to start thinking seriously about dialysis. I have another blockage but my kidney is so damaged my doctors don't even want to try and fix it this time. Just 2 years before I found this out I had a doctor misdiagnose me at a hospital. I remember the ultrasound tech telling me she saw fluid backing up into my kidney. This is very bad. the condition is called hydronephoris.

Normally I would be able to file a lawsuit against the hospital and the doctor but in the state of Idaho where this happened the statue of limitations is only 2 years on medical malpractice lawsuits. I just missed the cutoff. Bottom line, the doctor should have known there was a problem given my history and the evaluation of the ultrasound technician. I could have had surgery to save my kidney. At that point I still had about 25% kidney function which amazingly enough we can do pretty well with just 25% of one kidney. Anything under 15% function and dialysis is the next step. My kidney function right now is just 7%.

That's my medical background in a nutshell. Being on dialysis isn't easy. Even if I wanted to go back to work it would be difficult right now. I'm not supposed to lift anything over 10lbs and I have to do four dialysis treatments every day. There are people on dialysis that do work, I'm just not in a position that I can right now.

Because I'm young I get a very small Social Security check every month. I get less than $750. In my area that wouldn't even cover rent for a room let alone a studio or 1 bedroom apartment. I still need money to buy my medications (Most are covered but I have to pay copays of as much as $30 and I currently have about 12 prescriptions, not including my dialysis solution.

When the kidneys fail so many other things go wrong. Blood pressure increases because you can't remove excess fluid and sodium as easily. Kidney patients get anemia. I have to take a hormone shot once a week to boost my hemoglobin count. Anemia makes me pale, tired, cold, and weak. Loss of kidney function also puts me at risk for heart attack and stroke. I also have to be careful because I'm at a high risk for sudden bone fractures. Kidney disease sucks. I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemy.

Some people live OK for a long time on dialysis but a lot don't. The sad reality is 25% of dialysis patients don't make it 5 years. Me being in my 30's, this scares me. Now I know there are a lot of older people on dialysis and very sick people so this skews the numbers a bit. Even still I belong to a kidney support group and I know members that have passed away that are younger than me. My best option would be a kidney transplant. I'm working on that as I write this. It's not a simple process.

I'm not blaming kidney disease for making me homeless. It was a combination of several things. But I want to clear one thing up, I don't do drugs, I don't smoke, I don't even drink anymore. I had just got out of a relationship, I wasn't getting along with my family, and I had no job, so I moved to Southern California. Except one important thing, I had no money!

Laguna Beach Sunset

I thought I could just live on the beach for a few weeks until I got on my feet. This was in 2007 and I was still somewhat healthy but the recession kicked in and Southern California got hit hard. I might have picked the wrong place at the wrong time. I slept in a park my first night on the wet grass. The next night was Christmas Eve 2007 and I found a homeless shelter in Laguna Beach. This shelter was one of the nicer ones in the area. They used a gym in a church to house the local homeless. The only problem was they only ran the shelter on nights when it got under 45 degrees or it rained. The other nights you had to sleep outside somewhere.

That Christmas Eve was rough. Just one month before my grandparents passed away. I was really close to them. They died within 3 weeks of one another. Everything was crashing down on me hard. My grandma always made Christmas so special. Now I just wanted to forget it was even Christmas.

My Grandma and Grandpa

Once you become homeless it's really tough to get back on your feet. It's not for the faint of heart. I don't really recommend it. You kind of get sucked in. That's what happened to me. My health kept getting worse and my family didn't care. Even when I found out I would need dialysis soon, my own mother told me I couldn't stay with her. She's so fucking heartless she wouldn't even let me store my dialysis supplies at her house. I swear I could be dying on her porch and she would just step right over me like I didn't even exist.

I've always had a bad relationship with my family. My mom left my alcoholic father when I was 13. He wasn't just a drunk, he was mean. He mentally and physically abused me. I ended up running away from home several times. I pretty much grew up on the streets or living with friends or my grandparents. It's a wonder that I didn't get caught up in drugs or worse. It's also a big reason why I knew I could make it in Southern California with no place to go. I've always been a free spirit. That's just the kind of guy I am.

So that's pretty much how I ended up on the streets the first time. Everyone has their own story. I'm not really blaming anyone. It was a lot of things combined that got me there. Did I make some mistakes along the way that may have contributed to my situation? Sure. But I didn't do anything to ask for my kidney disease. It was the hand that I was dealt. Most people end up homeless due to drug abuse, alcohol abuse, mental illness, bad health, or a combination of all four things. When you have a family that doesn't give a shit, then it's the perfect storm.

I've made mistakes along the way but I've also been put in situations where I had to make tough choices. This past year my marriage was failing. I think my health problems put a lot of strain on our marriage. My wife was much younger than me and I couldn't give her everything she needed. We also had a lot of financial problems because I wasn't bringing in much money. Everything was on her shoulders. Do I blame her? No. She loved me and we tried to make it work.

In the end I probably stayed longer than I should have because of my health. I knew I had to make a change. I knew I had to go home even if that meant I might end up homeless. I just didn't have many options. I thought I might be able to stay with a friend but that didn't pan out. I asked my family for help but as usual they could careless. My best friend is going through his own tough times, his mom recently passed away and he's been out of work and he has to take care of his kids. I couldn't bring myself to ask him to help me. That leaves me homeless but not hopeless.

My Humble Abode

Since shelters don't work you better learn to fend for yourself if you're going to survive the streets. It isn't easy. I do have a few tips but some of these may work in your area but some won't.

One cold, rainy, night in California I was searching for a place to sleep. I had to get out of the wind and rain. I broke one of my first rules about urban camping, never sleep in a business park.

That night I was desperate so I found some office buildings. I was hoping to just find a bench in a covered area but what I found instead was like hitting the jackpot. I was walking through a courtyard and spotted a hallway that I thought I could sleep in. I walked down the hallway and found another hallway that lead to some bathrooms. The bathrooms were locked of course but that didn't matter. The entire hallway was enclosed so it blocked any rain or wind. Later I also found working outlets in there as well and any homeless person knows finding a working outlet outdoors is like finding a goldmine.

My Sleeping Spot

As you can see in the above picture the hallway also had a light. The light was always turned off. I only turned it on so I could get a decent picture. I rarely ever used that light because i didn't want to give myself away. This place was a rare find. It was in a very safe area but the buildings around me were vacant because of the recession.

What was ironic was I slept within 100 feet of another building that was the office of Scott Boras. For those of you that don't know who the man is, he is probably the most powerful sports agent on the planet. He was signing mutli-million dollar deals with players as I slept 100 feet away! There would be nights when I arrived at my hideaway to find dozens of luxury cars in the parking lot. I had to sneak in without being seen. The next day I would read about the latest baseball player that he helped sign.

Most nights if I arrived at my spot by 10 everyone was gone for the night. It was rare that people were around. I had to be up and out of the area by 6am at the latest to avoid being detected. One morning I got lazy and slept in until 7 and I woke up to someone walking right by me, like they nearly tripped over my head! I have no idea if they saw me but I was scared to go back for a few nights. The amazing thing is there was little or no security. I never once got caught by the police and I probably slept there for nearly a year off and on. Sometimes I think people did know but they probably left me alone because I didn't leave a mess and always left really early.

The only trouble I really ever had in the spot was I put my sleeping bag in a bush near the offices one night and someone either stole it or threw it away. I also had a real issue one morning where I woke up with bad stomach problems. I knew I wouldn't make it to the nearest bathroom that was about two blocks away. Nature was calling so I had to do what I had to do, I sat in a planter and did my business. I had an old bus schedule so I tore out the pages for TP. It was a disaster. I was really scared that would also give me away. I wanted to come back and try to clean it up as best as I could but when I came back the next night it appeared a gardener had taken care of it. Poor guy.

I don't recommend camping out in business parks. Usually there's security. It worked out for me but it may not work out for you. Sometimes you find spots in the most unusual places that nobody else would think of. That's what happened to me. I got lucky.

When you are homeless you have to keep your eyes peeled at all times for that perfect sleeping spot. I call it scouting. During the day you should be doing this. At night you should hang out and see if there's a lot of traffic and whatnot. Scout it out for a few nights. Even if you have a spot now it's always good to have a couple of backup spots. I recommend at to have at least three go-to sleeping spots you can count on in your local area.

Where's my current spot? I can't share that with you otherwise I would give it away. At least you know a great spot to sleep if you're ever down and out in Orange County, CA.

Ted Williams 1 Year Later

The "Man With The Golden Voice" Ted Williams is now clean and sober and living in a condo. He has a girlfriend now and making a decent living with that great radio voice of his. He even has a book that recently came out. It's great to see him turn his life around. It's kind of scary how much this dude looks like Obama though...

My Homeless Rules

When I was homeless I came up with 30 rules to being homeless, or getting off the streets I should say. I lost the list of rules but I was going through some old emails and I found them. At some point maybe someone that is homeless might stumble upon this blog so I thought I should post these rules. Most of these things are common sense but you would be amazed that most of the time when you become homeless, common sense goes right out the window. I truly believe if you follow these simple rules that you will stay as safe as possible and get yourself off the streets.


1. Be careful who you associate with. Just because you are homeless does not mean you have to mingle with other homeless people all the time. It's not being judgemental, there's a lot of negative energy in this community and it's far too easy to get sucked into that mentality.

2. If you do mingle with the homeless, use them to get valuable information such as when and where you can get a meal, or where you can locate resources that are available to the homeless. Be careful though, some people will you give you the wrong information or lead you in the wrong direction. I don't know if it's just plain ignorance or they just want to mess with you. It's always best to ask more than one person just to be sure.

3. Reality: There are very few homeless people that really want to better themselves or get themselves off the streets. This I know from experience. Hang out with people that will better you, not bring you down. Do not hang with guys that sit around drinking all day and stay clear of anyone that does illegal drugs.

4. Find a safe, quiet place to sleep. This should be one of your first priorities when you become homeless. There are homeless shelters in some cities but don't count on them. Shelters have a lot of negative drawbacks and they are not for everyone. When you find your sleeping spot be sure not to tell anyone where it is unless you know beyond a doubt that you can trust them and that they won't screw up your spot. Keep a low profile. Get up early (before dawn is best) and clean up after yourself. Leave no trace that you were ever there. Pay close attention to the patterns and habits of people that reside or work in the area where you sleep so you can go undetected. Last but not least, make sure your spot is in an area that the local police don't patrol often.

5. This goes back to rule number 4, stay clear of homeless shelters if at all possible. They are notorious for being loud all night and it's really hard to sleep. You will have to follow strict curfews and very negative people. You will also leave yourself more venerable to illnesses. I believe that shelters are not the answer if you want to get off the streets.

6. Get at least 6 solid hours of sleep a night. More if possible. It's very important to get your rest. You will not be able to function properly without the right amount of rest and your mental and reasoning skills will decline rapidly.

7. If you can, get a dog. A dog can be a huge responsibility but it will protect you and wake you up at night if people or wild animals try to attack you while you sleep. A dog also makes a great companion. One major drawback is that the dog may bark at night and give you away.

8. Avoid eating fast food or eating at restaurants. This is a major expense and the food is not very healthy. Fast food will not only drain your wallet but also your energy. Try to buy small quantities of food and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. You want to maintain your health and keep your immune system as strong as possible.

9. As tempting as it might be, do not drink alcohol or do drugs of any kind. This should be common sense but most people can't avoid this pitfall on the streets. This isn't going to solve your problems and will only set you back even further. If you smoke, now is a great time to quit. You will feel much healthier, get sick less often, and save tons of cash.

10. If you don't have a car, buy a used bicycle. This is great exercise and can save you time and money getting from place to place.

11. Join a gym. Try a place like the YMCA or 24Hour Fitness. You will have a place to shower and you can get into shape. Maintain your hygiene. People will judge you based on your appearance and how well you groom yourself. Try to blend in and not appear homeless. This will help you get a job faster and at most gyms the cost comes out to about a buck or less a day.

12. Buy a cellphone. Even if your credit is bad you can at least get a prepaid phone or get on a pay-as-you-go plan. You need a phone so you can apply for jobs and so friends or family can contact you. Cellphones are great in case of an emergency and you don't need minutes to dial 911. Be careful of companies like Metro PCS though. You get what you pay for.

13. Get a PO Box or use a place like Mail Boxes Ect. for your mail. This is a valuable tool.

14. Rent a small storage unit so you don't have to lug all your belongings everywhere. This will help you not appear homeless and you don't have to worry about your stuff getting stolen.

15. If you can't afford a storage unit, find a safe, dry, hidden place for your belongings. Make sure nobody sees you stash your stuff and make sure you don't hide your stuff so well that you can't find it when you return!

16. Locate free or low-cost showers if you can. Try local swimming pools or the YMCA, they don't charge much for a shower. Always know where a clean bathroom with a mirror is. Stay clean. Try to shower at least every other day. Brush your teeth every day.

17. Look for a job every day. Try to spend at least an hour or two every day looking online and applying for jobs. If you are able to work, take whatever you can get. Restaurants jobs are usually easier to get because of the high turnover of employees and you can get great discounts on meals or sometimes even free food! This isn't the time to look for your dream job. Anything is better than drawing a blank.

18. If you must panhandle, then panhandle. Don't be afraid of rejection. Have no fear. Be polite and ask for change with a smile on your face. Make good eye contact. If they say no, still be polite and thank them anyways. Remember, nobody owes you anything. Be grateful for what you do get. Try holding a sign if you are willing.

19. Make friends with people that are not homeless. Hang out with people that have positive attitudes. Cut out anyone that is negative or that sucks the energy out of you. You are better off without them. Get rid of toxic friends. They are like a cancer.

20. Join a church even if you're not religious. Not only will make some good friends but it's good to have faith in a higher power when you are going through tough times. Try to pray every day and every night. You might feel better.

21. Join some websites such as meetup.com or couchsurfing.org. Make some friends that you have some common interests with.

22. The library is your friend. Use it. It is a warm, dry, safe place to hang out. Most have internet service for free. If you have a laptop, use their free wifi. While you are there you can search for jobs, look for local resources, or even just learn something new. They always have a copy of the local paper for free to look at. If nothing else, expand your mind. Read a good book, (the library is known to have books, who knew?) Remember, be respectful at the library and never sleep there.

23. Stay dry. There is nothing worse than being homeless and being soaking wet. Follow the weather and know what's coming so you can prepare.

24. Buy a cheap sleeping bag. Walmart has some (40 degree rating) that are just $9.99. Make sure you buy one that will work for the climate you're in.

25. Like Kenny Rogers said "Know when to fold 'em, know when to run." Sometimes you just have to cut your losses and move on. If what you are doing just isn't working out don't be afraid to try something new or travel to a new place if possible. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help.

26. Always try to stay positive. It's hard to do in tough times but it's probably the single most important trait you can have out there. Your attitude will make or break you. When shit hits the fan, turn off the fan. You have to want to get out of this situation bad enough.

27. Save money. I don't care what you make. Save at least 50% of everything you make. This shouldn't be that hard since you are homeless and don't have rent to pay. Don't touch your savings unless it's absolute emergency or it's for a permanent place to live.

28. Don't get too comfortable on the streets. It's easier to do than you think.

29. Set goals for yourself. It doesn't matter how big or small these goals are. Make daily goals as well as weekly goals. Set your sights on something ahead and aim for it.

30. Refer to these rules daily. You don't have to follow every rule I have here. Maybe you have some of your own that you want to add for yourself. Whatever you do, follow some sort of rules and pull yourself together. When you become homeless your confidence fades quickly. Don't sink too low.