Where does money come from? There is an old saying that it takes money to make money, and there is a truth to that indeed. Well meaning friends can say ‘start your own business’ or ‘I know what you can do’ but for those who have had to start over from scratch, this advice is useless. Starting a business involves filing and registration fees and licenses, product, investments, etc and even when you offer a service such as cleaning, phone answering or editing, the filing fees can be prohibitive if every penny you have goes into survival.
In dealing with today’s reality, really poor is different than legally poor. You can make almost 19,000 a year and be legally poor. That really is ‘poor’, make no mistake, but a steady income, even if low is a hardship, but a base to grow in substance. ‘Really poor’ though includes the homeless, those consigned to an under 500/month income, or those starting over from scratch, without a job. In today’s economy, even formerly well to do couples are finding themselves losing expensive mortgages, double incomes, and loading everything they have remaining and getting into an RV with the kids and driving away. Stuff happens. Even welfare isn’t going to pay for an RV park registration for a month which at 30-40 dollars a night can be up to 1200 dollars a month! Some may visit relatives for awhile, but all in all the situation is extreme. One cannot get a job, unemployment benefits, welfare, or other benefits without a permanent address. It becomes a deadly cycle, mixed in with despair, crying children, fear and stress. The streets are no place for anyone much less families, as homelessness in our cruel society has become a field day for victimization and violence and even criminal enslavement. A home can mean every thing in the world to starting over, no matter how ‘insufficient’, but waiting lists on government apartments can be 2 years, even section 8, if one is willing to go that route. (I would not take government entitlements, because of my faith, but that is a personal decision). Even expedited lists in shelters can be 6-8 weeks, and shelters are filled with voracious social workers hungry to break up families, a tough reality. The ‘newly homeless’ dropping from very comfortable soccer and ballet neighborhoods to living in an RV or worse sees those ‘realities’ as an eternity.
Here are some base line ideas in the ‘Really Poor Big Bang theory”:
1. Many Walmarts allow overnight parking of RV’s and so do some other restaurants, truck stops, and stopping at a library and using a computer can show you places where ‘wild camping’ or free campsites are available in every state for up to 2 weeks. That gives you time to think.
2. Register for day labor through such companies as Labor Ready, Volt, or local day labor places. Nothing is beneath your dignity when its that or nothing. Even women and children of a certain age can sign up, and while the pay is very low, often minimum wage, they pay at the end of the day. One parent can do that while the other may look for a ‘cash flow’ job such as waitressing or retail that will pay within a couple weeks. This should not be counted as something as a last resort, for some of these jobs can lead to work. Be cautious of temporary agencies, though, some are reputable and can get you back to work immediately, and others will use you to fill quotas and then end promising employment overnight. Grit your teeth: a few weeks, as horrible as it is, and you may be able to find at least an apartment with a low down payment, often through a private renter. Keep your circumstances quiet though, as many are hardly sympathetic.
There a couple of ways to get an address and phone # that will allay this but they cost money: one is to buy a post office box which at the USPO costs about 20/6months. Some will not allow P.O. Box addresses though in applications. Far more expensive is paying about that amount or more per month at a UPS Store (formerly mailboxes etc) which gives a street address most will not identify. Online you can set up a free fax line to receive on free fax a day: email addresses are also invaluable. I would never suggest lying because it always comes back to haunt, but one does not have to let employers or others know about how dire the circumstances are: the less information given another person the better.
3. Cash from nothing: A meal when there is no food and no money? Not impossible. Many states have aluminum recycling centers which pay as much as .05 a can which is why one sees so many collecting cans: 20 cans is a dollar. School yards after hours are a great place to pick up discarded aluminum. Trash bins near bus stops yield many, and using low cost recipes, at least it means you do not miss a meal. Some people have learned to hunt for coins, in places where coins are often used: bus stops, arcades, vending machine areas, pay phones etc. Construction sites may be willing to give several hours of random labor to general laborers such as clean up work, or non-skilled work. One can for small amounts of money pawn items you can easily replace or may never need again: these days there are reputable ‘family oriented’ pawn shops that will give fair prices but one cannot expect ‘high’ prices on used items.
4. At home options.
Those with homes can likewise hold garage sales or list for sale items on such free listings as Craigslist.com—sales will probably go more quickly if a photo is included of the item. This is not a permanent solution but can be a temporary fix, as can food banks, or even ‘throw away’ items at some grocery stores that discard bulk items even a day or two expiration dates (the food is usually safe for at least six weeks.)
Some bus lines will offer charity fares if you do not own or have access to a car. This may limit some job opportunities, but often, certain lower level jobs will meet you at, for example a cleaning service and take crews of persons by vans to the cleaning site. This is beneficial since a lot of those type of jobs are located outside city limits in corporate parks. While there, you can also take a look at jobs posted on bulletin boards that show entry level jobs, or even above that may suit your background and experience.
5. At home services and business startups
Beware the ‘work at home’ calls that lure from your newspaper or phone book: these seldom lead to real work. There are a few ‘work at home’ opportunities though that pay looking into. If you have a masters degree or above in an Educational field, you can make some money during the year (not full time) scoring SATs, ACTs or Proficiency exams online. They pay well, but the work is tedious and grueling, and you have to qualify for each project. Pearson Educational, and the ACT people hire for this real but limited income: for most it is in the fall or spring for a few weeks, although if you stay with them and become proficient, it can lead to more ‘windows’ or short periods of time when tests are scored. They pay from 12 to 17 dollars an hour, although one must have a secure computer, and mostly only online time scoring is counted.
There are other work at home opportunities that are real as well: companies that send out mailings, will pay piece work to stick labels on, and they pay by the box or quantity. When I homeschooled my children and could not find full time work, I was able to find some ‘creative’ sources of income: one was answering a phone for a pay phone company’s error reporting—not too sophisticated but it was at home paid work. Another was writing postcards to first time visitors and community members for a church hoping to build up its membership. The important thing is to be an honest and efficient worker so that you are trusted and hired again. If you have a reasonable level of writing skills, you can prepare resumes, take orders and contract with printers or office copy stores to provide quality paper and product. For those who cannot afford a legal incorporation in the beginning, one can obtain in most places a DBA or ‘doing business as’ and report income as personal income until incorporation.
Women at home can garner an income by babysitting: you may have to have your house inspected and register with the county or state, including a background check, but high quality babysitting is at a premium: even 20 years ago, I paid between 250 and 400 a month per child, and ran into some real losers, and when I found quality persons to care for my children when I worked, I stayed with them. People are happy to find safe, clean, creative people who feed wholesome meals and provide more than TV watching and naps to children these days. Four children kept during business hours by a kind and disciplined mother is a win-win situation. One does have to love children though, so if runny noses and whining drive you to insanity, find another means.
School bus driving gives a small income with a lot of the day off. School systems will train you for your certification and driving, and the hours are usually around 6-8 in the morning and 2-4 in the evening with opportunities for other stints. Likewise, though low paying, you may find work through a school system for supervising free breakfasts, or being a crossing guard in the morning and afternoon.
One can get started with a ‘skill’ business by buying a DBA and advertising in the paper, unless there are union or licensure issues: e.g. a handyman can buy a $20 DBA and pay $12 to run an ad in the paper. One can put up signs in laundromats, schools, and make business cards at home and leave them with real estate agents. Lawn care is a similar idea, which can start with a lawn mower and trimmer, and add as the business grows. Those with a B.S. or above can tutor. Even when I was a teenager, I used to give guitar lessons, and some if proficient can train beginning piano or Suzuki.
These are a few ideas, though certainly not all. From time to time more will be included in this blog. The greatest thing to recall is not to give way to despair, and have faith in God. Mat 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
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In dealing with today’s reality, really poor is different than legally poor. You can make almost 19,000 a year and be legally poor. That really is ‘poor’, make no mistake, but a steady income, even if low is a hardship, but a base to grow in substance. ‘Really poor’ though includes the homeless, those consigned to an under 500/month income, or those starting over from scratch, without a job. In today’s economy, even formerly well to do couples are finding themselves losing expensive mortgages, double incomes, and loading everything they have remaining and getting into an RV with the kids and driving away. Stuff happens. Even welfare isn’t going to pay for an RV park registration for a month which at 30-40 dollars a night can be up to 1200 dollars a month! Some may visit relatives for awhile, but all in all the situation is extreme. One cannot get a job, unemployment benefits, welfare, or other benefits without a permanent address. It becomes a deadly cycle, mixed in with despair, crying children, fear and stress. The streets are no place for anyone much less families, as homelessness in our cruel society has become a field day for victimization and violence and even criminal enslavement. A home can mean every thing in the world to starting over, no matter how ‘insufficient’, but waiting lists on government apartments can be 2 years, even section 8, if one is willing to go that route. (I would not take government entitlements, because of my faith, but that is a personal decision). Even expedited lists in shelters can be 6-8 weeks, and shelters are filled with voracious social workers hungry to break up families, a tough reality. The ‘newly homeless’ dropping from very comfortable soccer and ballet neighborhoods to living in an RV or worse sees those ‘realities’ as an eternity.
Here are some base line ideas in the ‘Really Poor Big Bang theory”:
1. Many Walmarts allow overnight parking of RV’s and so do some other restaurants, truck stops, and stopping at a library and using a computer can show you places where ‘wild camping’ or free campsites are available in every state for up to 2 weeks. That gives you time to think.
2. Register for day labor through such companies as Labor Ready, Volt, or local day labor places. Nothing is beneath your dignity when its that or nothing. Even women and children of a certain age can sign up, and while the pay is very low, often minimum wage, they pay at the end of the day. One parent can do that while the other may look for a ‘cash flow’ job such as waitressing or retail that will pay within a couple weeks. This should not be counted as something as a last resort, for some of these jobs can lead to work. Be cautious of temporary agencies, though, some are reputable and can get you back to work immediately, and others will use you to fill quotas and then end promising employment overnight. Grit your teeth: a few weeks, as horrible as it is, and you may be able to find at least an apartment with a low down payment, often through a private renter. Keep your circumstances quiet though, as many are hardly sympathetic.
There a couple of ways to get an address and phone # that will allay this but they cost money: one is to buy a post office box which at the USPO costs about 20/6months. Some will not allow P.O. Box addresses though in applications. Far more expensive is paying about that amount or more per month at a UPS Store (formerly mailboxes etc) which gives a street address most will not identify. Online you can set up a free fax line to receive on free fax a day: email addresses are also invaluable. I would never suggest lying because it always comes back to haunt, but one does not have to let employers or others know about how dire the circumstances are: the less information given another person the better.
3. Cash from nothing: A meal when there is no food and no money? Not impossible. Many states have aluminum recycling centers which pay as much as .05 a can which is why one sees so many collecting cans: 20 cans is a dollar. School yards after hours are a great place to pick up discarded aluminum. Trash bins near bus stops yield many, and using low cost recipes, at least it means you do not miss a meal. Some people have learned to hunt for coins, in places where coins are often used: bus stops, arcades, vending machine areas, pay phones etc. Construction sites may be willing to give several hours of random labor to general laborers such as clean up work, or non-skilled work. One can for small amounts of money pawn items you can easily replace or may never need again: these days there are reputable ‘family oriented’ pawn shops that will give fair prices but one cannot expect ‘high’ prices on used items.
4. At home options.
Those with homes can likewise hold garage sales or list for sale items on such free listings as Craigslist.com—sales will probably go more quickly if a photo is included of the item. This is not a permanent solution but can be a temporary fix, as can food banks, or even ‘throw away’ items at some grocery stores that discard bulk items even a day or two expiration dates (the food is usually safe for at least six weeks.)
Some bus lines will offer charity fares if you do not own or have access to a car. This may limit some job opportunities, but often, certain lower level jobs will meet you at, for example a cleaning service and take crews of persons by vans to the cleaning site. This is beneficial since a lot of those type of jobs are located outside city limits in corporate parks. While there, you can also take a look at jobs posted on bulletin boards that show entry level jobs, or even above that may suit your background and experience.
5. At home services and business startups
Beware the ‘work at home’ calls that lure from your newspaper or phone book: these seldom lead to real work. There are a few ‘work at home’ opportunities though that pay looking into. If you have a masters degree or above in an Educational field, you can make some money during the year (not full time) scoring SATs, ACTs or Proficiency exams online. They pay well, but the work is tedious and grueling, and you have to qualify for each project. Pearson Educational, and the ACT people hire for this real but limited income: for most it is in the fall or spring for a few weeks, although if you stay with them and become proficient, it can lead to more ‘windows’ or short periods of time when tests are scored. They pay from 12 to 17 dollars an hour, although one must have a secure computer, and mostly only online time scoring is counted.
There are other work at home opportunities that are real as well: companies that send out mailings, will pay piece work to stick labels on, and they pay by the box or quantity. When I homeschooled my children and could not find full time work, I was able to find some ‘creative’ sources of income: one was answering a phone for a pay phone company’s error reporting—not too sophisticated but it was at home paid work. Another was writing postcards to first time visitors and community members for a church hoping to build up its membership. The important thing is to be an honest and efficient worker so that you are trusted and hired again. If you have a reasonable level of writing skills, you can prepare resumes, take orders and contract with printers or office copy stores to provide quality paper and product. For those who cannot afford a legal incorporation in the beginning, one can obtain in most places a DBA or ‘doing business as’ and report income as personal income until incorporation.
Women at home can garner an income by babysitting: you may have to have your house inspected and register with the county or state, including a background check, but high quality babysitting is at a premium: even 20 years ago, I paid between 250 and 400 a month per child, and ran into some real losers, and when I found quality persons to care for my children when I worked, I stayed with them. People are happy to find safe, clean, creative people who feed wholesome meals and provide more than TV watching and naps to children these days. Four children kept during business hours by a kind and disciplined mother is a win-win situation. One does have to love children though, so if runny noses and whining drive you to insanity, find another means.
School bus driving gives a small income with a lot of the day off. School systems will train you for your certification and driving, and the hours are usually around 6-8 in the morning and 2-4 in the evening with opportunities for other stints. Likewise, though low paying, you may find work through a school system for supervising free breakfasts, or being a crossing guard in the morning and afternoon.
One can get started with a ‘skill’ business by buying a DBA and advertising in the paper, unless there are union or licensure issues: e.g. a handyman can buy a $20 DBA and pay $12 to run an ad in the paper. One can put up signs in laundromats, schools, and make business cards at home and leave them with real estate agents. Lawn care is a similar idea, which can start with a lawn mower and trimmer, and add as the business grows. Those with a B.S. or above can tutor. Even when I was a teenager, I used to give guitar lessons, and some if proficient can train beginning piano or Suzuki.
These are a few ideas, though certainly not all. From time to time more will be included in this blog. The greatest thing to recall is not to give way to despair, and have faith in God. Mat 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
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