Living in a car is something no one would recommend doing. But if you get fired, or your emergency account is empty, or you get evicted and there is no one to help you, living in a car may be your only choice, especially if you don't feel safe in the local dorm. Unfortunately, living in a car is not only frowned upon but also illegal in many places. Read on for some helpful information on how to get by until you find something better.
Steps
Method 1 of 7: Getting started
Step 1. Find the suitable car
You can only manage to live in the car if the car works. If you can play in advance, get a van, more precisely one without windows, like those for deliveries. Many who have tried it would tell you that it is the only way to do it. You will have space under the floor to store things, you can install a ceiling window for air, a roof rack for more space, and look out when the window is open. An anonymous white van will not attract attention. If you don't have a new or almost new vehicle, you will need to be a good mechanic to live in an older car. If your machine is old, remember that you risk breakdowns at inopportune moments if you don't do proper maintenance.
Step 2. Before moving to live in the car, change your residence:
- Rent a post office box or post office. While it costs more, it allows you to receive packages, and some services will allow you to use an address that looks like an apartment, which is useful when someone asks you for a physical address.
- Join a gym (it can be expensive, and if your resources are limited, it could drain them).
- Renew documents requiring residency.
- Put your valuables in a bank safe.
- If you have friends or family members who can't - or don't want to - help you with your condition (or maybe you refuse their help), at least ask to be able to use their address.
Step 3. Always have your ID, driver's license and vehicle insurance on hand
Make sure you can reach them quickly in case of a police inspection.
Step 4. Buy a steering lock and use it
Why? Because if your car is stolen, your house is stolen, and that would be very serious trouble. It's not just property theft, like an apartment break-in would be - your survival is at stake! Buy a steering lock now: you can find them starting at around 20 euros.
Method 2 of 7: Finding a Safe and Discreet Place to Park
Step 1. Find safe and discreet parking
First, check if there are any organizations or businesses in your area (or nearby) that have parking spaces specifically for people in your condition. Some supermarkets may allow you to park at night in their forecourt. Some places are not only legal, but there are organizations that manage the places or reserve some places for women. If you can't find a place like this and you live in an urban area, look for streets with no sidewalk, no windows overlooking the street and near a wood. The area should be out of the way to avoid the curious, but inhabited enough so that the vehicle doesn't stand out. Shopping center car parks are fine because you can go in and use the bathroom and park in a controlled place, you just have to spend a couple of euros inside and not stay parked too often in the same place. However, parking lots can be noisy, particularly in the morning when trucks arrive to refuel the shops.
- Church parking lots are often quiet during the week. If you look around, you may find one church less frequented than the others. This might be a good place to park, and you might as well ask the church for assistance. You could also attend church to establish a relationship, but wait a while before telling people about your situation, and only tell those who seem trustworthy and willing to help you.
- Industrial buildings and commercial areas are often crowded during the day, but very quiet at night. Small ones near residential areas are best. They must be quiet at night. You might encounter night security in places like that, but if you're honest and say you're just sleeping in the car, they usually don't give a problem. Their role is to protect property.
- University car parks are fine if you are a student, less so if you are not part of the university. If asked for, get a parking permit.
- Campsites are another option, although they usually have time limits and some are as expensive as a hotel room. Some offer a shower for a flat fee. Some nature parks have longer parking limits.
- The piers are notoriously open areas, given the nature of the fishermen and boats, so the ports offer many services, such as hot showers and rental vehicles. If you are in the high season, larger boats will arrive from overseas and stay with their crew for months, even the one for hire, providing you with excellent coverage for you and your vehicle. They don't know your situation, they don't care, and if they do, they still don't care, being a little wild themselves. Take a weekend ride and find someone who needs to wash and wax the boat. That's enough, from there on you'll have the key to the showers, legally.
- If you don't have a bathroom, having a wood nearby will help you. Learn to do your outdoor business and build a latrine. A bucket with a lid and some lye for the smell will also do.
- Another option is a hospital car park. If a guard asks you what you are doing, you can say that you are waiting to visit a hospitalized relative.
- If you can establish a relationship with a shop or restaurant manager, they may let you stay the night without a problem, especially if they see your presence as a form of night security.
- When you find a place, try to arrive late at night, and leave before 7 am. Doing so will attract as little attention as possible.
Step 2. Purchase some ear plugs
Due to the noise you may need earplugs. The earplugs will block out most of the background noise and make them bearable. They are good for traffic, birds, animals, chatter and music. They will not eliminate loud or close noises, such as someone knocking on your car.
Method 3 of 7: Maintain Your Hygiene
Step 1. Find a place to shower
The most logical place is usually a gym - it will help keep you fit and give your mornings purpose. Don't stop at the first gym you find. If you look around, you may find semi-deserted gyms where you can wash and clean yourself completely without embarrassment. Remember: the people who can least afford the messy look of a homeless person are the homeless, so try not to look like that! Don't let go, because once the decline begins, it's hard to get up. Looking good can only help you maintain a positive image of yourself at a time when it will be severely tested.
- Gyms can be an expensive option. Most gyms cost between € 35 and € 55 a month - that's a lot for a shower. Many town halls, churches or organizations have free showers. Using the gym only for showers can be a false savings, especially if there are several ways to keep fit without the gym. Remember to use your slippers so as not to get fungus on your feet, and to let the towels dry in the car.
- Communities or recreation centers that have showers and a gym are an affordable alternative to other gyms. Annual passes to many shelters or recreation centers cost as much as a month in a gym, but are less secure for leaving items in custody.
- Another great choice is to go to an area equipped for motorhomes once or twice a week. You will have a place for your vehicle, you can do your laundry (usually for an additional cost), stock up on water, take a shower and even pitch a tent if you have one. They also have electricity, usually, so you can recharge the batteries or turn on a fan or heater.
- Another option, albeit perhaps more expensive, is to take a room in a budget motel or hostel once or twice a week and clean up completely there (if you can afford it).
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The pools have showers, and if they have single cabins instead of the open shower they can be a discreet place to wash.
Another option to consider when you can't wash yourself is to use unscented baby wipes to clean yourself or bathe in a public bathroom where you feel comfortable. Learn which local businesses have a single bathroom, and use it to wash your hair or face. Bring a towel to dry your head and sink and hurry. Alternate between one bath and another.
- At a truck service area you can request a voucher for a shower, if you don't mind letting others know you don't have a place to stay. Truck service areas are also a good place to sleep, but they can be noisy at night - you'll want to use earplugs.
- Some highways have large service areas with free showers for truckers. Being open 24 hours a day, they are also a good place to sleep.
- Check sports clubs, they don't always ask for documents and can be a shower alternative. Check their costs, sometimes you can take a course for a fixed cost, thus becoming a legitimate member of the club, with access to the gym, library and wi-fi.
Method 4 of 7: Keep a Low Profile
Step 1. Be discreet
Keeping your situation under wraps will minimize embarrassment and help keep you from becoming a target for cops and criminals.
- Alternate between different parking lots to avoid getting noticed.
- When moving around in the parked car, take it easy to avoid causing the car to wobble.
- Consider using a car cover. Not only will it keep your privacy (especially since condensation on the glass is a sign of your presence inside), but it will also keep you warm in the winter. Not a viable option when it's hot outside.
- When it's sunny, use a windshield cover.
- You may find that you need more privacy than glass can offer. You can do it in several ways. Blackout films on the rear and front windows help. Likewise, the blinds on the side windows work well. You can also buy cheap fabric and put it on the windows, with duct tape or with magnets. Black fabric is best for privacy and light blocking.
- If you can afford it, if the law provides for it and if it doesn't bother you, darken the windows as much as possible within the limits allowed. All of these things together will give you the privacy you need. If you hang a towel or fabric on clear glass you will be clearly homeless. If you put it on darkened glass it will be impossible to see inside and you will not attract attention.
- Keep the windows slightly open when you sleep, not so much that someone can put a hand inside, but enough to let in fresh air and reduce condensation on the windows.
Method 5 of 7: Gathering the Essentials
Step 1. Get the things you need
The essentials for living in the car are sheets, a pillow, a mattress or other stuffing. Due to the corners of the seats and the tight spaces, you may develop annoying back pain. If this happens, make sure you have some medicine on hand. When you have what you need to sleep, you will need a blanket to put over the rear and front seats to block out the view outside.
- An inexpensive fridge will make your life easier. The main feature it must have is to be watertight. Cold foods create condensation as the ice melts. You have to make sure your car doesn't get wet. A refrigerator will help you store perishable foods. It works best when full, so add water bottles when you take out food. If you decide to buy an electric fridge, it will need good ventilation to work - for this reason it should not be placed in the trunk. It is best to put it inside the car when it is turned on. Make sure it is turned on only when the car's engine is running, or use a low-voltage shutdown circuit, as explained below. Make sure the cooling fan grille is not touching anything, as hot air comes out of there which could ignite something.
- An essential item, if you can afford it, is a chemical bath. These items can really help you make life in the car better. They cost around 100 euros nowadays. If you can't afford it or don't have the space, you can pee into wide-necked bottles, like those from Gatorade, or build a makeshift toilet with a bucket.
Step 2. Buy an emergency starter combined with a compressor to start the car
Keep a spare tire and at least one pack of tire sealant. Make sure the sealant is removable.
Step 3. Find alternative ways of generating electricity
An inverter to attach to the cigarette lighter socket is an option. They are useful for powering small devices, under 100 watts, but if you plan to use your vehicle for cooking you will need to draw power directly from the battery or you will blow the cigarette lighter fuse. However, using electric stoves in the car is rather inconvenient without a double battery with an inverter. There are small 12 volt kettles and pans, but they are usually not very efficient. You will also need a much more expensive inverter if you want to use appliances that work at normal voltage. You may need to start the engine to use them, if you don't have a two battery system. But even if you have it, car alternators are not designed for this use and may fail to produce the energy you need.
- A good buy for those who live in a car is a low voltage power switch. This device protects your battery by cutting off the power once the battery reaches a voltage that still allows it to start the car, but it can no longer power electrical appliances. It is on sale for around 25-40 euros. It is a good investment for those who live in the car, because the constant current discharges ruin the battery and force you to spend money to change it, and not to be able to start the car.
- An alternative to electric stoves is to use gas ones, but don't do it inside the car for safety reasons. Cooking in the car is dangerous for several reasons: unstable surfaces, fire hazard, burns from hot metals or hot liquids, carbon monoxide poisoning, odors. You have to cook outside the car. If you have a van set up for the kitchen, then that's fine, as long as there is a fan.
Step 4. Get something portable to store items
Get some bags to fill with your soaps, clothes, phone etc. Keeping things tidy will save you a lot of trouble. A vehicle may seem like a small space, but losing things is very easy. Also, keeping clean will attract less attention from people passing by and looking in the car. You could hide the bed in the trunk. If you don't have room in the car for a week's changes, try dropping them off with a friend to keep them safe, so you may have a reason to come back and get offered a shower and a place to relax. When doing laundry, be sure to dry everything thoroughly so that you don't have damp clothes that get moldy and stinky in the car. When you're not in your car, leave the window just open and paper towels scattered around to smell good inside. Wash your sheets once a month, otherwise you will smell like homeless, making it obvious to everyone and being treated as such.
Step 5. Keep dirty clothes separated in plastic bags, so they don't leave the stench on clean ones
Step 6. Get a good flashlight
A good quality flashlight can be used for two purposes: lighting and safety. It is large enough to be used as a stick to defend yourself should the need arise.
Method 6 of 7: Eating
Step 1. Assess what you can eat
Butter, tuna, and crackers are good staples. Keep the food in a box so you don't crush it. Water cans are needed for several things, which will be limited by the lack of a fridge. Fast food is expensive if you have to live in it. With oat flakes, powdered milk, bottled water, plastic cups and chocolate, you always have everything you need for a snack on hand.
Method 7 of 7: Stay afloat
Step 1. Cheer up
Keep thinking that the situation is temporary. He spends his days looking for work nonstop. Use your local library not only to search for jobs, but also to increase your knowledge so that you can find a job. Search the internet for free voice services and / or get a cell phone with a prepaid card so employers can contact you. To save money, you can use coupons for food and social canteens. It is also important to talk to social workers and religious organizations who will sympathize with and understand you and try to help you.
Advice
- Listen to your instincts: if you don't like a parking lot, find another one.
- Make sure you have your car papers and insurance. Without these, you will have other problems.
- If you spend the night in your car and have been drinking, don't keep your keys in the starter, and if it's winter and you need to start the engine to warm up, get in the back seat. Otherwise you risk a drunk driving complaint even if you are stationary.
- Darken the windows - this works better than using tarpaulins because it allows you to see while others can't. This is important when you want to live in the car without getting noticed. Objects affixed to windows attract attention and reveal you, while tinted windows are common on many cars.
- Sleeping will likely be a challenge at first, as there is a good chance your mid-size isn't big enough to fully stretch. Find a position where you can sleep comfortably with your legs bent or on your chest. Alternatively, you can try sitting in the back seat by placing a cushion on the side of the car.
- Make the Aci card. It will be useful in case of breakdown or low battery.
- The garbage truck or other noises in the neighborhood can wake you up. You can use ear plugs.
- If the car allows it, install a bar for hanging items. This will give you a little more space and avoid wrinkling the clothes you need for job interviews.
- If you wear contact lenses, you will need hand sanitizer. Better to use glasses.
- If you have food coupons and can't afford deodorant, baking soda is a good substitute that you can buy with food coupons. Plus, hydrogen peroxide and baking soda together are a phenomenal toothpaste. If for some reason you can't wash for a day or two, baking soda can clean and degrease your hair.
- Using swimming pools to shower can be very convenient. A single entry costs around 5 euros and there are passes available at many public swimming pools.
- Some supermarkets allow you to sleep in parking lots.
- Keep in mind that carrying a firearm without authorization is a serious crime.
- If you are looking for food, try looking in the bins behind the restaurants. Look for intact food. Don't forget to boil it before consuming it, as boiling it will eliminate unwanted microorganisms.
- Thrift markets are a great place to buy things you need to live outside of a home on the cheap.
- Remember, you are not alone and have a car. Many people survived and even made money sleeping in their cars.
- Your main priority must always be personal safety. Keep the keys close to the starter (but not inside) so you can get out of there in no time. The knives you use to prepare food and the irons to change tires can be used as a weapon. Pepper spray is another option. You should find out about your country's laws regarding firearms and buy a pistol or other firearm if you don't have one. Criminals go in search of vulnerable people or lone travelers. Sometimes the sound of a loaded gun is enough to ward off a potential robber. In any case, know that if the police know you have a weapon, they can shoot you. The police generally do not have a good view of the homeless and there have been several unfortunate cases of shooting at homeless, even unarmed.
Warnings
- If you are using a car cover, do not start the engine and do not smoke while inside. You could easily choke or poison yourself with carbon monoxide. Also, don't use it in hot weather without proper ventilation.
- Don't drink alcohol. Don't even bring alcohol in the car. If cops find alcohol in your blood or in your car, you could be in serious trouble, even if you're not driving.
- Be careful who you trust you live in the car. If they won't help you, then don't worry, as you could get into trouble.
- Never sleep in the driver's seat if you can avoid it. Your body will soon associate it with sleep, putting you at risk while driving, especially when you are tired. Recline the passenger seat or recline in the back seat if there is room.
- If you sleep in the car regularly, avoid doing other things in the car. Don't read, eat, or do other things that make you spend more time in the car than necessary. The longer you stay in it, the more stinks it will build up.
- Keep in mind that having a gun in the car carries risks. If you suddenly wake up and point the gun at the wrong person (for example a policeman knocking you on the glass), you risk getting shot too.
- Drive as little as possible. While it doesn't hurt anyone, the police don't like people in uncomfortable situations. They could write a report to the DMV asking to have your license revoked.
