Anybody ever have to live in their car?

[slamjoetry]

For a whole lot of reasons I won't get into, I've been pushed out of my apartment and have been living with my mom. But she's only letting me stay for two more weeks and then I'll have to sleep in my car for at least the next few months. Thankfully it's the summer, so I won't have to worry about it getting too cold. And I know some good places I'll be able to park and sleep without getting busted by the cops. But it's still not something I'm super excited about, lol. I'll get by, though. My dad had to do it when he was my age, and his dad before him, and so on. It comes with growing up in poverty.

Has anybody here done this, or are currently doing this? If so, what were your experiences, and do you have any advice?

 

[Angst Filled Fuck Up]

Get window deflectors for your car, and interior screens as well (the ones you can push into your windows from the inside to stop people from looking in). This will allow you privacy and to crack the window for air. If you have a sunroof, that's even better. You can then get a deflector for that and crack it up top, instead of a side window, for more security.

Other than that just the usual stuff like get a gym membership. Buy some power banks that you can charge up while you drive your car. Sleep in the Walmart, gym, library or airport parking lots. Get a pee bottle and a good sleeping bag.

Good luck.

 

[jarik]

No.. but I've often been thrown out of the house

 

[Cinnamorolls]

Your mother would rather you be homeless than living with her? That's unbelievably cruel of her... I'm sorry.

I think seeking out shelters would be a good first step. They probably have a limit on how long people can stay in one go, but at least it would shorten your time in the car by some amount. They help people clean up and find jobs as well if you would need that.

 

[dynastickitten]

Living out of your car is an extremely uncomfortable experience. It's only barely a step above having a tent in the park. Not being able to stretch out or lay completely flat and not having 24/7 access to toilets or running water on their own are both killer, especially if you get sick. And then you begin to take other things into account, like how everyone around you will treat you differently, how communities will seek to push you out for being unsightly, and much more.

I'm not trying to scare you. It's survivable. I technically live out of my car too, being nomadic.

As for advice, keep your space as absolutely clean as possible (be strict with waste management/personal hygiene. You want to look as non-homeless as possible with both yourself and your vehicle), strive to NEVER get sick, find some way to fully stretch out and lay as flat as possible (a good way to do this is to lay the back seats down and stick your legs in the trunk, and do not mention to people that you're homeless (could even change your relationship with existing friends. People will assume you want something from them, even if you absolutely do not).

Another piece of advice, depending on where you're at or if you're willing to travel, there may be jobs you can take that provide housing in exchange for services like landscaping. I'm a horse trainer, this is mostly how I find housing. If you have any horse experience at all, or know how to run farm machinery, landscaping equipment, etc, it really is worth looking into.

Good luck man. I really hope you get back on your feet.