In these tough economic times, no one likes the idea of being homeless, but there are ways to survive. It’s called “other people’s money”, or O.P.M. A lot of people lament, “If only I could move somewhere else where jobs are available, but I have no money to move.” That is not always true.

A person can travel from one coast of America to the other with very little money. Most towns with a population of over 10,000 people have either a Travelers Aid office, a police station, county office or Catholics Charities office that will give you a gas voucher. Some even provide food and motel rooms for a night so you can shower and sleep in a bed for a change during your move.  Shelters also abound throughout the USA and most will put you up for a night if you arrive prior to 5 p.m. A good rule of thumb is to plan out your route, estimate gas cost, figuring that if you’re traveling from west to east, gas will get cheaper as you go, and mark medium to major size towns on your map. Go to a library and get on their computer and research Traveler’s Aid and shelters along the route.

If you find yourself in a town rather than sleeping at a rest stop, Wal-Mart parking lots are excellent places to sleep in your car. Very seldom will anyone bother you if you stay near the outer edge of their parking lot. It also helps if you have some way to cover all your windows while you sleep. Being resourceful with all your surroundings is a key to survival.

Now some might ask, why is someone giving all this advice on what to do when you’re homeless, when most homeless people don’t have a computer? In these trying times, just going through foreclosure and having to move, does not mean you have to be a skid row bum with no possessions or just a shopping cart full of stuff. The homeless of 2009 usually have a computer or access to one.

And one last tip, most homeless people today finds it very helpful if they have God in their life.

Published on Examiner.com 9-30-09