Possibly homeless by January. Any advice?

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Hi all. I have a bit of a problem coming up sooner rather than later. As I'm still a newbie here, it would probably behoove me to tell a little more of my situation. Particularly my economic position. Now, I've been poor all of my life, and am facing the sad fact that I most likely will be poverty stricken for the rest of my life. God bless America. Anyways, I'm going to school full time and working part time. As it is, I've been relying on my mom for financial support to help me by. That unfortunately, will be ending when she moves away with her new husband to Florida in January of next year. Meaning that I won't be able to afford even the roommate thing. I'm in the California SF Bay Area.

So my question is, is there any advice for being homeless. I mean, has anyone had any actual experiences with being homeless? I just don't want someone trying to give advice when they've never really had to deal with my situation. So I'd much rather have someone who has been more in my shoes to use a cliched metaphor. I am planning to transfer to a four year hopefully by then, but if not I'll have to suck it up until the Fall 2015 semester. Thanks.

My advice is don't even consider being homeless. It will affect your schooling and part time job. Try going cheaper accommodation. Look at boarding houses and shared accommodation such as YMCA. Maybe you could go to a bank or get a school loan to tide you over till you graduate and get a higher paid job.

This is good advice. Also, look to cut your expenses as much as you can bear (turn off cable television and Internet accounts, and heating/air-conditioning; use free WiFi when and where you can at libraries and cafes; visit local food banks for some of your groceries and learn to eat cheaply; stop going to bars, clubs, restaurants and theaters; listen to radio and go to free events; and recruit your family and friends to help out by letting you do your laundry at their homes). When you know that you can't afford next month's rent, look to vacate ASAP before the deadline so you don't incur late fees and other expenses. Try to sell some of your personal property like that old iPhone, or those CDs and DVDs that still work, but you haven't used in a year. Find the sillyest, entry-level job you never thought you would ever have, and put all the money that you earn from it into your savings; don't spend it.

The slogan for "green living" is "reduce, repurpose, recycle." That applies to living inexpensively, too. "Reduce" all your expenses except those that keep you independent, safe and healthy. "Repurpose" your family and friends into helpers who might not be able to finance you, but could help you get some of your needed chores done more quickly. "Recycle" your old clothes, computer items, music and movies, and books by selling them for cash.

I haven't been homeless in a big city, so my advice probably wouldn't be worth much. The hardest part is remaining flexible and taking opportunities as they come.
Sharing a room with three other girls for $25 a week, but, it only last for two months? I'm in. No working toilet? Gotcha, gotta work that into the daily plans.
As a child, we usually lived in our car. When I went through it in college, I had a car as well, but, you just have to find places to park that are safe, and won't get you routed out by the police (rural choices are better than suburban).

I know you're in school and have a job, but, personally, I would be tempted to move to an area with cheaper cost of living. Socially, it was hard for me to start over, but, in order to be okay long-term, I had to go where the higher paying jobs and cheaper rent were.

And, don't give up hope on dragging yourself out of poverty. It took a few years, and a narcissistic partner who nearly bankrupted me made it take a few more, but, I finally made it. Raising my kids in a pretty decent subdivision now, and they'll be homeless over my dead body (haha, well, not even then, because I've made provisions for that, too ). All the best, keep at it!

Thank you. No offense to others, but if you haven't known being homeless and coming from that background......you just don't understand.......you just dont. That's why I asked only for members who have gone through that before.

Honestly, I just need advice on safe places to crash while homeless. I have no real friends and staying with family isn't an option. I have recently accepted god into my life with jesus christ as my savior via prayer and the guidance of Mormon missionaries. Maybe I should ask them for help. Because I've realized as a longtime former atheist that secular services from the government are a joke. Or if you're a white male at least they are. Really I just need shelter from the thugs and cops who won't leave me alone being in that situation.

Yeah, unfortunately, my social skills are such that I couldn't even think about something like the places progaspie mentioned... strange procedures and people and their noises and the anxiety it would cause me... not something I wanted to put myself through, so I chose car and friends and coworkers.
There are probably many options out there that I know nothing about because of that, sorry.

Churches could be a good place to start, I guess... I had a friend back when I was in college, like me, he had a troubled home life and took off as soon as he graduated. When he found religion, he actually ended up living in his church's basement for a year while he got a fulltime job and on his feet.

Either way, best of luck.

I have never been homeless myself, so I have no practical first-hand advice to help you survive that if it happens. I could pass on what I've heard from a friend who was homeless, but I doubt it would be very useful.

All I can say is that if I were your friend or relative or anyone who knew you, I'd be helping you find a house sitting position or a live-in nanny position. I really hope you're OK.

Definitely speak to your church about your problem. Mormons take care of their own.

I second that completely.

I have had a few bouts of homelessness, once while finishing my degree. Although you shouldn't think negatively about it happening, you still should have some kind of options if it does.

Since you're working and going to school, try to use the resources there. Stay in the library as long as you can to use the internet, do homework, charge your phone, etc.

If you have access to the school's fitness facilities, you can use the showers there, maybe use the lockers if allowed. If you're school doesn't have a gym, you can get free passes to the local gyms. They usually give 3-7 day passes. I would print the free pass from one gym, take the tour, never tell them you won't join, etc. use their showers and lockers for the time being. When one expires, be prepared to do that at another gym, so on and so on.

I'm not sure how shelters work because I never been to one. I have had my stuff in storage units before. Depending on where you are, some have 24 hour access and some have cut off times. I used to buy my sandwich, water, etc., do everything that I had to for the day and be back in storage before the gate locked. I made a little area on top of my totes and slept in them. When the gate access unlocked in the morning, I went to the gym and took a shower.

I've utilized different methods to survive while being homeless and no one ever knew until I told them after the fact. I have more tips, but this is long winded as it is. PM if you need some others, but try to plan now to cut costs and save money, because you never know, something much better may come along without you having to go through this process.