Being evicted from my aunts apartment needing help/advice

[Dwade81]

I Actually have Rheumatoid Arthritis, and after being hit by a car 7 years ago and spent a few years learning how to walk, it has made the RA much harder to deal with at times. I do walk, Infact I used to walk 6 miles a day till I got ran over by a car. Now lucky if I can walk half a mile before my back gives out and my leg locks up on me.  I am taking fish oil pills, 1500mg a day. I can't stand the taste of seafood. as for processed food, I try to eat the lean meat if I can afford it, otherwise I stay away from junk food because of another reason I will not go into that is very personal. 

And no, I didn't take your comment as attacking me or anything, you are fine. I take vit d3, b12, iron, fish oil, vit C every day along with my thyroid and high blood pressure. 

And yes I have taken and do take over the counter meds for it but they only help so much.

 

[closeanuf]

I live on SS because I'm an old fart and made sure both of my ex-wives had good retirement plans. (another story for another day)
When I got on it at 62 there was a limit to how much I could make over a certain amount then I paid a penalty.  My question is:  are you able to get any sort of job where you could make a little money to ease your despair?  If you can then maybe we could help with ideas along those lines.  I know what it's like to live on $500-$600 a month and I lived thru it .

 

[Dgorila1]

if everything fails i thought of getting a bus ticket for the month riding the bus daily all day till they shut down then going to a gym during the night and early mornings for showers and then back on the bus the next day. It is what I have come up with if all else fails. I could try to do that for 6 to 10 months to get money saved to buy a car.

 I was actually going to recommend the health club membership a.k.a. planet fitness so you have a place to shower and hang out. The bus line ticket is a good idea to have an air-conditioned place to sit and travel throughout the day. I know the buses in our area also have Wi-Fi so that may be a possibility for Web access. Libraries may also be another place to hang out during the day and have web access, as well as being able to search for resources to help you and jobs.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

I Ate the Haggis The Gourds

[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Father used to tell me[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Don't go pissin on the apples[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]That have fallen from the tree[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Cause you'll see that when yer hungry[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]And yer backs against the wall[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]A fallen apple ain't so bad[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]To eat[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]I ate the haggis by and by[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Hallelujah.[/font]



My point is that when push comes to shove even haggis starts looking edible, hell even ground apples ain't half bad when times are tough.

You have fallen in a trap. It's closed around your ankle and you are making plans that amount to chewing off your foot. Short term thinking will end you, quickly. You're in it for the long haul and I'm sad to say you have a cinder block tied to one foot. It's time to start investing in tomorrow and letting today be what it is.

You have "food stamps", which I'm assuming is an EBT card. Find somewhere that you can start storing food. Buy rice, beans, canned goods, and staples in bulk. Yes, you may end up eating oatmeal and rice and beans EVERY.SINGLE.MEAL. for a while, but tis too will pass. You can use coupons with EBT. You can participate in all discount programs and specials. Take advantage of them. Yes, I have seen people with steaks and expensive food purchased with EBT but I have also seen mothers with shopping carts of staples and fist fulls of coupons doing math to make those EBT dollars go further. Many (all?) USDA sanctioned Farmers Market accept EBT for fresh fruits and veg. Go talk to the farmers and ask if you can buy some of their leftover product for a discount at the end of the day. It's amazing how much they will work with you. No need for BS and subterfuge, a simple "I'm having a tough time, I have EBT, and can make that money go further if you can give me a deal on produce that you can't sell". Lots of smaller grocery stores will work with you also. Dented cans, bruised produce, even out of date dairy. (sell by dates on milk are guarenteed for at least 1 week after that date.)

I asked about the meds 'cause it can make you a target in shelters. I've seen folks on shelter grounds living in vans and only really using the bathroom and showers inside. Once you find a vehicle this may become an option.

Get in with a shelter. They will let you use their address for things like an ID, drivers license, and mail. This is hugely important. If you can find one that will let you store personal effects and especially bulk food stuffs you are all but golden.

A gym membership is a good idea for several reasons, showers, shelter, even a place to exercise. Keep in mind that gyms are NOT homeless shelters and they will run you out if you're just hanging around sucking up their WiFi. Do you have a local YMCA? They may be a batter option. They ARE more accustomed to folks with very limited resources. You can often just walk up to the counter and ask if you can use the toilets and take a shower and they will often simply let you. Don't go jumping in the pool if they do though.

Public libraries are great resources. Shelter, books, water, bathrooms, internet access ... not a bad deal. Librarians are AWESOME and have Masters Degrees in research and resource management. They are incredibly useful, tend to be very friendly, and as a profession are there to help people access resources. Be nice to them. Offer to help around the place, shelving books, picking up trash, emptying trash cans etc.

When you have extra food share it. You may find that you have too much of something, offer it up. If you have 25 questionable tomatoes check with the folks around you, someone may have a pound or tewo os pasta ... or two bucks to go buy some. Someone else might have buck for an onion or two. Someone else may have a fiver to get a pound of ground beef ... or even some "day old meat" as my called it when I was growing up. Presto, you have spaghetti with marinara for 10 and you just made some friends who hopefully will share those ground apples when they find them.

Keep the faith brother. You CAN do this. Lots of us have been there. Some of us are there with you or looking it dead in the eyes.

[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]I ate the haggis by and by[/font]
[font=proxnov-reg, arial, sans-serif]Hallelujah.[/font]

 

[Dwade81]

Thanks for this, You actually gave me a few ideas, Yeah I didn't plan on hanging around the gym but to shower and jump on a tread mill and such for a few hours a  night late at night and then crash somewhere behind some building, maybe in the woods or something near by.  I was going to go with a 20 a month planet fitness incase I decide to jump to a bigger city later I have the black card I can access all planet fitness areas. I would have to do some research to find some farmers markets around the town I may do the bus dwelling if I have to. As for homeless shelters I been to many of them in my 20's and I refuse to go to one again ever. I rather literally cut my foot off and eat it and use the blood to shower with than go to another homeless shelter. I was in some bad ones in my early 20's that left a sour taste in my mouth for all of them.

 

[Dwade81]

 I was actually going to recommend the health club membership a.k.a. planet fitness so you have a place to shower and hang out. The bus line ticket is a good idea to have an air-conditioned place to sit and travel throughout the day. I know the buses in our area also have Wi-Fi so that may be a possibility for Web access. Libraries may also be another place to hang out during the day and have web access, as well as being able to search for resources to help you and jobs.

I would like a part time job, but I can only work so much before SS takes out of my check. after I earn 65 dollars working, they will take a dollar out of every dollar I earn after that. And If I work more than 4? maybe 6 months? I think it is 6 months part time they will cancel my disability and basically consider myself as self supporting. 

But finding a temp job I could do is the issue, limited to things I can do unless its manual labor which I can't do anymore. I am good at removing viruses and such on a computer, I just need the tools first. I can't do desk jobs, I have tried before.

 

[Wabbit]

...I would like a part time job, but I can only work so much before SS takes out of my check. after I earn 65 dollars working, they will take a dollar out of every dollar I earn after that. And If I work more than 4? maybe 6 months? I think it is 6 months part time they will cancel my disability and basically consider myself as self supporting...

You might want to double check this with Soc Sec, for me I can earn $700 a month and it doesn't affect my benefits. If I remember correctly I can also work 9 months making whatever amount before they consider me healed or whatever. I think there are different types of disability though, so my thoughts might not apply to you, be completely outdated, or just wrong.

 

[Dwade81]

You might want to double check this with Soc Sec, for me I can earn $700 a month and it doesn't affect my benefits. If I remember correctly I can also work 9 months making whatever amount before they consider me healed or whatever. I think there are different types of disability though, so my thoughts might not apply to you, be completely outdated, or just wrong.

I am on SSI, basically it is state funded for people who haven't worked or are physically handicap and under a certain age. SSD goes off what you have worked and paid into taxes before you got on it. You get more leeway with SSD than you do SSI. With SSI in texas I am only allowed to make my first 65 dollars is free, the next 65 dollars they will deduct 1.50ish or so out of my SSI check from that second 65. 

I am on SSD but pulling it from my dad, but I don't get the say benefits as most do on SSD. 
Basically I was on SSI before both my parents passed away, after my parents passed away in my mind 20's, they told me I had to be put on SSD because of a survivors benefits? I think they called it. and which ever parent made more paying into taxes from working is the parent I draw from. which happened to be my father. 

But I am on SSI for myself and is where 90% of my income falls from so I have to go by their rules with working. 

I honestly don't really understand the whole survivor thing they tried explaining it to me many times but I don't get it. 

I know I get a check for 626ish on the 1st and on the third for a 125ish. around there. to  a total of $755.00 USD

 

[ganto]

I have tried that and no one will do it. but you given me an idea maybe I could make a post in the forum on here to see if someone has one or knows someone who would work with me on payments. whats your idea on that?

my idea on that it dosen't hurt to try now right every step counts. what's the worse some one can say is no right. if they say no then just move on and keep trying

 

[sephiro499]

California also has the benefit that you can use EBT in restaurants like Jack in the Box, etc.  Have you looked for a car on eBay?  At least then, you can arrange shipping through the website if you don't currently have transportation.  Are you tech savvy?  I would start streaming on youtube or twitch and explain your situation to people.  You might even get some donations to help you get from point A to point B.

 

[CoolBlueDude]

Z,

There is a LOT of very good information in your post.  I use to volunteer for a cold weather shelter for 5 seasons and you see all types of people who have no other options.  We helped get bus tickets to destinations over a thousand miles away, found stable jobs and homes for every single person who wanted it.  We paid immediate bills and even paid cellphone bills because it was necessary and we did it with joy in our hearts and love for our neighbors. I never knew that I would be in a situation where I would be on the other end of things but I found out how good it feels when you give something of yourself for others not expecting anything in return. I also met some really great people that I am proud to have called them my friend.

Dwade, you can try volunteering at shelters or places where you live and can be a positive impact on others and who knows, you may meet others that can help you in return.  Giving when you think you have nothing to give will change the way you think and can help change your world around you for the good of everyone.

Just a thought and I hope I made sense. :huh:

 

[Dwade81]

California also has the benefit that you can use EBT in restaurants like Jack in the Box, etc.  Have you looked for a car on eBay?  At least then, you can arrange shipping through the website if you don't currently have transportation.  Are you tech savvy?  I would start streaming on youtube or twitch and explain your situation to people.  You might even get some donations to help you get from point A to point B.

I am tech savvy to a point, I can remove viruses and such using a Linux OS from a usb and run it live from the usb to remove viruses and such with the tools they have for it. I can reinstall operating systems, I can remove stuff that people cant remove with just an uninstaller. I can remove trojans, which I guess falls under viruses. I can put in new hard drives with a fresh new copy of an OS, I can even add memory to a computer. Other than that, I am not really tech savvy. 

As for streaming, I made a gofundme, but I never got anything and only like 1 or 2 visitors out of 2 years of having it, because I have no one to spread it around or give word of mouth, as for twitch or streaming live, I tried something like that once, but it wasn't really live. and all I got was torn into how it would be good for me to be homeless, I will lose weight and other negative comments. I am obese and struggled with it since childhood, even when I walked 6 miles a day I barely lost anything mostly just water weight.

 

[Dwade81]

Z,

There is a LOT of very good information in your post.  I use to volunteer for a cold weather shelter for 5 seasons and you see all types of people who have no other options.  We helped get bus tickets to destinations over a thousand miles away, found stable jobs and homes for every single person who wanted it.  We paid immediate bills and even paid cellphone bills because it was necessary and we did it with joy in our hearts and love for our neighbors. I never knew that I would be in a situation where I would be on the other end of things but I found out how good it feels when you give something of yourself for others not expecting anything in return. I also met some really great people that I am proud to have called them my friend.

Dwade, you can try volunteering at shelters or places where you live and can be a positive impact on others and who knows, you may meet others that can help you in return.  Giving when you think you have nothing to give will change the way you think and can help change your world around you for the good of everyone.

Just a thought and I hope I made sense. :huh:

I actually never thought about Volunteering anywhere during the days to keep me busy. If I get to a bigger city or town I will contact some of the shelters and see about volunteering there.  Thank you for that option.

 

[Zizzer_Zazzer_Zuz]

If you're booting a Live Linux kernel off of USB sticks you might as well be performing black magic as far as most folks are concerned. So ...




You obviously have access to some form of computing device. What sort of devices do you have access to and how reliable is your Internet connection?

You're in TX I believe. You're coming up on summer heat and rain. Be careful camping out. Stay out of culverts, washes, and low lands. Keep an eye out for water lines and plastic bags caught in branches and the crocks of trees. You don't move fast so be careful in those places. Get a hat. No. Really. GET.A.HAT. Hitchhiking in the South East almost cooked my brain one summer. What did we all learn from Baz Luhrmann? Wear sunscreen. Long sleeve white shirts are you're friend.

Once you're out ... are you out yet? Forgive me if I get some details wrong.

So ... Once you're out will you be able to cook? Believe it or not, with EBT and access to a grocery store this might be the best thing that ever happens to your diet. Honest. That may seem totally oddball but you can eat real food, cooked by you, hobo style, and be healthy. Alcohol stoves are easy to build and burn. They're good for heating up a cup of water or even a can of soup. Basic cooking stuff is available all over the place. If you find yourself pan handling put "need a pan to cook with" on it. Someone that lives near by might just bring you one. Five bucks, a small sauce pan, and plastic spoon and you open a whole new world of possible.

If you find yourself on the street your things become a target. It's truly sad that the people that are most likely to be victoms of crime are those that are the poorest and most vulnerable. Since you are in the midst of society but also trying to hide from it in some ways stuff gets in the way. Carrying a sleeping bag and cook kit around on the bus? Yeah, yer homeless. Sitting at the corner cafe with your logo covered insulated mug and your messenger or gym bag with your yoga mat however you disappear. You can sit for long periods glued to your phone or tablet. You can order tea and fill that mug with hot water 2 or three times to cook a pack of oatmeal, boil and egg, cook some ramen or a cup of soup, oh and have a cup of tea with organic cane sugar and a serving of milk. Plug in your charger and visit the restroom 2 or three times. Once before you order, once while killing time, and once more on the way out. A quick clean up with paper towels or even baby wipes is refreshing. Brush your teeth. Wash your hands and face. Multi task. Fill a water bottle. Don't do too much. You have two more visits to fill a couple of water bottles, and anything else you need to do. Shaving is a tough one. Takes too long and makes too much of a mess. Oh, and don't make a mess. Don't hog the facilities. Space it out. You're going to be there for an hour or more.

I wish you well. I'm not sure how else I can help. The resources here can easily be applied to urban homeless. It is a lesson in minimalism that most just won't ever understand. There are traps to poverty that are easy to fall for. 

You might spend some time with this Google search:
https://www.google.com/search?q=tip...rome..69i57.4887j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

These folks are pretty awesome also.
http://nationalhomeless.org/

 

[Dwade81]

SO Here is the UPDATE if anyone is curious. I called the local bus place here, they won't allow you to stay on the bus all day, but they will allow you to ride it from one place to another get off then wait till it comes back around then do the same thing again. People said in California my SSI would go up and they were right, I get right now 755 a month, in California my income would go to 899 per month.

I found a devotional company that works and does stuff for their god, ie god the bible and such like that. If I am approved I will stay with them sleep in a room with 25 other guys and then go to classes reading and studying the bible, I will not have a cell phone, internet, computer, no tv, and no music. I won't even be allowed to have my wallet or money. I will have to take my disability check and turn it over to them for them to put into one of their accounts with my name on it for safe keeping. I can have access to my money but they have to hold on to it.

As for medications I take, they will have to hold my meds and hand them out when I need them, which is fine, I take them once every day in the mornings. Their program lasts 12 months and during that 12 months I will be studying and learning the bible and doing volunteer work daily.

I found an apartment in Wisconsin where I am being pulled too for some reason every apartment or info I look for I tend to be pulled towards Wisconsin, I found an apt based 30% my income and I need a psychiatric Dr to give the landlord a written documentation stating I have mental disabilities to be accepted or approved and their waiting list is 6 months.

As for things in my area, there really is nothing or no options other than a homeless shelter which I refuse to live in. I am thinking of the missionary thing because free rent free food get to save my disability check to buy a car. Or thinking of the apartment in Wisconsin because Wisconsin and my heart is screaming Wisconsin, Wisconsin.

 

[cyndi]

Are you prepared for a Wisconsin winter?

I might choose that over the Bible option. This one smells cultish to me.

But, wouldn't give up looking for other options.

 

[Dwade81]

Eh, winter never bothered me, was in Colorado in the mid 90's and I couldn't get out of the snow. Coming from Texas and can't stand the heat. cold weather is good for me lol. Besides as you can see I am pretty big weight wise so I have insulation built in. 

Just something keeps pulling me to Wisconsin, I don't know what it is but something does. Even when I did have that car even for a few moments I was still more leaned on heading to WI, not sure why but my heart is screaming for going there. I will fill out an application see about finding a therapist to send them the list of mental issues I have and wait the 6 months see what happens.

Yeah the bible community one I found was more like a cult. They want to strip everything from you and everyone does the same thing every day with each other, working around the camp area, eating at the same time, studying at the same time and so on. Seems more like a cult, but you are free to leave but when you do leave before you finish the 1 year program of becoming a disciple, you aren't allowed back because you didn't complete it the first time.

 

[ganto]

oh boy

 

[Dwade81]

The 899 is even being homeless in California, I even asked if I got an apt or a room mate or something it would still be 899 even on the streets. 

And I can't get Wisconsin off my mind for the past year and half. has nothing to do with California's rent price range.

 

[XFILE36]

Just so you know, if you choose California, (even though your SSI will go up) it is outrageously expensive to live, so you won't really be gaining anything. Good luck with your choice.