Is it possible to live on your own without job or any other way to get money?

It’s hard to see how it would be possible unless you rely on soup kitchens and food pantries but even then you would need some money for laundry and sundry purchases and transportation. What’s at the root of the question since this seems obvious?

I was asking to get some place to live in the city, but my mother responded with “It’s too expencive”, so I was trying to find some solution.

Think you do need to have a job or a source of support.

“Some way to get money” is basically necessary in modern society, but you don’t have to have a job to do that.

An apartment in the city has benefits and drawbacks over a house with land. At least with a house with land you can build a fire to cook on and grow vegetables and have a chicken coop with reasonably small investment. However, the city has public locations for wifi, which can help with internet-based hustling.

I won’t say it’s impossible to live without having a steady income, but it will certainly be difficult. You will need some income, though, even if it’s from cruising rummage sales and selling the things you get for more money on Craigslist and eBay.

You don’t want to live that close to disaster all the time. What would happen if you got sick?

@Mariah As a student, I have it covered. There is a “student ambulance”, and even if I don’t go there, students in any hospital get the free treatment. So, that part is kinda covered, unless I end up having to have surgeries or something. Also, I don’t have any major health issues, fortunately.

addition to my previous answer: @janbb I am absolutely ready to live on soup kitchens and food pantries, and transportation would be free, because my legs are working excellently.

andother addition: I need a place to live in the city, because I live very far away, and have to travel to get to my college every day, which takes a lot of time. However, I don’t have money on my own. That is why I ask this, I am ready to live as minimalistic as possible, as long as it doesn’t take four hours to simply travel.

Sure. It is called welfare or public assistance or hand up or maybe something else depending upon where you live. .
I can probably find more than a few people existing on food stamps/EBT cards/ completely subsidized housing and a free cell phone. (All paid for by taxpayers like me, by the way.)
It is not a pleasant life.but it is doable.

Is it possible for you to find a roommate and rent out a room so you have some additional income? Before you take this step make sure you have some cash in reserve. It is dangerous living so close to the edge of disaster.

Your question has three parts: you ask if it is possible to live…
1. In the city
2. with no job
and
3. no other way to get money.

The short answer is no, at least not for long. You might be able to live with two out those three, but not all three.

Outside of the city, you can live off the land if you have the skills. In the city, you can live without a job as the homeless people do, but you will need to get at least a little money somehow to live in an urban area.

What city are we talking about? Can’t you get a part-time job? If you play an instrument, maybe you could busk.

Unless you have a lot, lot, lot of savings you can live off of.

Or public assistance as has been mentioned by others.

What about health insurance?

@LuckyGuy I have some people in mind. My cousin lives in the city during her studies, maybe the two of us can find some place. It would make the rent easier to pay as well. A room is more than enough for me.

@Zissou The city is Novi Sad, which is far, far away from any place I expect you to know about. The only money I can get is from my parents, which I ain’t keen on, considering they are already paying my studies, and by “money for the rent”, I refer to them too. I’m trying to make it easier for all three of us, and not milk more money from them than it is necessary.
I can’t play nor sing to save my life. As for the part time job, I’m not sure how it will affect my studies (and have no idea what or where to work).

Also, why do you call it “disaster”? It’s mentioned twice already.

Because if something bad or unexpected happens, with no financial stores, you could seriously be in for a really bad time.

Your appendix could decide to swell up at any time and require surgery. This happens to otherwise healthy, young people.

I want you to at least have a game plan for the worst case scenarios.

Be safe.

Get food, wash your own laundry?
What are these strange things to which you refer?
#wehavestaffforthat

@ucme You just gave me idea to ditch washing machine and significantly reduce my amount of clothes. No money wasting on washing laundry. Ha! (I need water though)

Your English is good. How is your math? Maybe you could earn a little money as a tutor for a few hours a week, which wouldn’t interfere with your studies too much. Sometimes it is possible to do this online.

It would be best to stay with your parents, study hard, and finish your schooling as soon as you can. Why throw money away by paying rent to a stranger? The city will still be there when you are done.

Why do I call it a disaster? Because just like the next earthquake to hit Japan, like it or not , it is going to happen. You won’t know when it will strike or the cause but odds are something will occur. You might lose your phone, your roommate might leave or invite someone over who robs you. A window breaks because you forgot your keys and were trying to get in, Your laundry is ruined because you left a pen in your pocket. You lose a shoe and need a new pair, your cable/internet bill is suddenly increased.
I can come up with 100 of these and at least one of them is very likely to happen.
Without ready cash, recovery is very difficult. And the potential of snowballing into something really serious, like: You can’t pay rent so the landlord starts legal action, you need an attorney, your prescription is not covered, you can’t pay the credit card bill for your clothes, etc., is always in the background.
A cash cushion covers you. Maybe your parents are willing to be that cushion. But do you want to be begging your parents for money?

@Sneki95 I’m nothing if not considerate to those less well off :D

It’s possible, but it’s hard and not everyone can do it. Of all of us here, @LuckyGuy probably possesses the skills for success in this endeavor. And @Mariah is right, you better be young and healthy, or you could die of something as simple as an injury resulting from tripping over a root on a dirt path. As to having a job, well, your job will be to continuously scavenge, build your habitat and survive. But some places are easier to do this than others.

There are places all over the world that have fair weather, adequate water and food sources where you could spend the rest of your life in peace and tranquility. Paradise. But it is not for everybody, by any means.

Here in the Caribbean, for example, there are plenty of uninhabited islands with fresh water sources and both adequate flora and fauna to healthfully feed oneself. In the Raggedy Islands in the southernmost part of the Bahama chain, there are rich fishing waters right offshore and even swimming pigs that will steal the bait off your hook and clamor at the side of your hull for scraps. Easy pickings. There are fresh streams, abandoned goats now in feral herds, abandoned fruit orchards, and wild vegetables for the taking. As they say here: Fish from the Sea, Fruit form the Trees.

But you would be hard pressed to find human companionship other than a passing yacht or the few misanthropic hermits, mostly old men, that have lived there for decades in self-imposed exile. If you own a nice boat, have a captain’s license, a divemaster’s license, keep your boat insured, clean and your equipment in good shape, you can supplement your living by earning hard currency from the tourists on the nearby populated islands.

But one little accident, one poisonous spider or snakebite, one infectious bite from those pigs, one minor scrape with a school of barracuda, on incident with a moray eel, one shark bite, one one sickness that causes you to become immobile for two weeks, or one serous bout with the flu—all things that are easily dealt with by dialing a simple emergency number back in the real world—- anything that could keep you from fending for yourself for a week or two, could me death by thirst or starvation.

As to living off the radar in an urban environment, I would think SmashTheState would be the closest thing to an expert on this, but he hasn’t been around for awhile. You might PM him. Back in the day, in the US and Western Europe, there were urban communes made up of students all around the universities that were dedicated to cheap living and pooled all their resources, often networked with other urban student communes. I’m not sure they still exist, but they were certainly an education in humanity that seamlessly went with one’s academic education. You might check this out.

dumpster diving for food, harvesting soap and toilet paper from public toilets, bathing and washing clothes in a river, snatching stray dogs and cats for the occasional treat.

If you’re saving 4 hours of travel time, you can use that same time to make money at a part-time job.

@ragingloli Cool, I love rivers.

@BellaB So, I’ll have to look for a part-time job that lasts four hours a day. I wonder if that is possible…

Here, part-time jobs run from 1 – 5 hours a day. There are all kinds of weird and wonderful part-time jobs out there. Right now, in our neighbourhood, a couple of schools are looking for people to be lunch monitors. Two hours a day, four or five days a week, $20/hour. Roughly $150/wk (after taxes) for a fairly simple job. Some stores look for people to be there at opening/closing or during specific busy periods. Hotels sometimes need people for short periods of time.

How often do you travel to school? weekly? daily?

People did it for thousands of years, it is call hunting and gathering.

No.

You get only the money to pay the rent.
That’s a lot more than homeless people get.

Is it possible to live like that?
Yes.

How to get food, or wash your laundry, or the rest that take money, besides the rent?
There are various ways to get free food. Use food banks, dumpster dive (grocery stores and restaurants and others throw away a lot of edible food), soup kitchens… Make friends who value your company enough to share food and possibly assist in other ways. Do you get water with your rent? Hot water?

Like, can you somehow get by?
Yes.

Is it possible to live alone in an apartment without having a job, even if you take it really low?
Yes. Again, there are people who survive with less, even if it’s not easy/pleasant, and can have consequences, some of which may be dangerous.

Not really, not with a rent payment to make. You could live without money if you lived on the beach as a beach comber or up in the mountains in a abandoned cabin, or a old mine tunnel/cave..

@kritiper “You get only the money to pay the rent.”

Many people would love to be able to not work and survive comfortably. I asked a question on here a few days ago about if you didn’t have to work and had enough money to live on, how would you spend your time? To have enough money to live and not have to spend 40 hours plus an hour commute each way would be a dream for me. However, it’s not reality. We need too many things and dumpster diving or applying for public assistance is not something I’m planning to do if I can avoid it.

@Sneki95 keep in mind that we come from different countries and conditions may be very different. That said, here in the US, many university students work part time (some work full time and study part time, but that would not be a good option for you). If students live within two hours of their parents’ home, they will often go home every week or two to do laundry. Most middle-class families in the US who live in suburban or rural areas own a washing machine.

BellaB makes a good point about working instead of commuting, but if you are spending two hours each way on a train or bus, that is time you can spend reading or maybe taking a nap. If travel time is the issue, then it still sounds like you would be better off staying with your family, unless you can find a part-time job that pays well enough to pay your basic living expenses (including rent—if you can’t pay it yourself, you should stay with your family until you can). If travel time is not really the main reason you want to move, then that’s another story.

You should talk to other students at your university who live in the city and see what they are doing. How are they getting by? Do most of them live with family in the city? If not, do they live on their own or with roommates? Do they come from wealthy families that can afford to pay their rent and other expenses as well as their tuition? Do they have jobs?

If you are going to college or university, the first thing you should do is see what services they offer for free. My university has what is basically a soup kitchen and feeds students who can’t afford food. They can also help students find jobs at the university, so that they don’t have to travel far to work (but of course, there is a lot of competition for that). There are all kinds of things on offer for people who are struggling with money while working on a degree. Your school probably has ways to help you that you haven’t thought of.

I will say, one of the difficult things things about living in poverty is that it costs time. You have to worry all the time about how to achieve things that are fast and easy when you have money, and you have to worry about the security of your stuff. This will eat into your study time and make it much harder for you to focus. Don’t forget to factor that in when you are making decisions.

Honestly it would actually be pretty easy where I live. Free food is all over be it harvesting wild edibles and critters or just taking advantage of coupons, deals and grabbing the food that gets thrown out at big box stores that has past expiration. There are materials and appliances free all over too but you need to be creative and handy. The rub is that it would sap away your time and as a student you’ll need to maximize it. This means getting the cheapest and most practical place you can as close as you can. You’ll find room mates can help cut down on cost but pick good ones. I spent a semester basically crashing at the University library that stayed open 24×7 because of a couple of bad room mates. You have to have money so this means one of two things a job or debt. Here is a hint: don’t pick debt. The best deal is usually to work for your university or a job that offers tuition assistance. I got my 2nd degree that way and did not have to live like a pauper. Don’t get in the habit of living broke on the raggety edge. It could become your lifestyle without you really realizing it. I have several friends that let this happen to them. They stay poor out of habit, by choice because they have simply never learned how to do otherwise. Thing is, they all started young doing almost exactly what you are thinking about doing.

No, it is not possible to live with no job and no way to secure any cash but it is possible to live in a creative rent exchange situation in some instances. I was wiped out in the recession a few years ago and lost it all. Work, home, plowed thorough my life savings trying to hang on while being unable to find any secure employment except temp jobs for almost 3 years. I hit the skids in a big way and am just now, in the last handful of months somewhat stable again.

I work as a pet/house sitter for a very busy women in her early 60’s with an out of town husband that is gone most weeks in exchange for a pool side apartment/guest cottage. The exchange is $500.00 a month and I also earn money doing extra personal asst. tasks, extra days of house/pet sitting and pet/house sit for other friends and neighbors around the bend here as well as babysit a little girl after school a few days a week. I am living on about ¼ of my previous income and yes, I am getting medical aide but surprisingly, short of a big emergency I am getting along alright.

At almost 60 and after enduring losing it all and having to file a bankruptcy last year, well…I am completely done with the great out there and don’t feel one bit guilty taking some medical assistance after paying into the system for the last 40 years. My ego doesn’t like it but fuck my ego. haha
I also plan on taking my S.S. at age 62 as well, I will need it and my benefit will be decent even if I forfeit a percentage for taking it early.
I won’t claim not to worry about an emergency such as a major car repair or vet bill for my pets but, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.

It takes me about a year to save a thousand dollars but I am still able to save a bit. If you can find a rent bartering or work exchange that is half the battle. Once your housing costs are met it’s surprising how little you can live on and still not feel deprived.

Maybe through the ERE method or homesteading but only after the initial investment.

@Zaku Then you’d die.

A university boyfriend housesat his way all the way through university. He and a couple of others took gigs living in professors’ houses while they were on one-year sabbaticals. It was pretty good til the year they lived in a house with a lot of plants. They ended up feeding and watering me for about 4 months in exchange for me reviving all the plants before the professor returned.

I am having a déjà vu.

@BellaB I am doing quite well with my 2 regular pet/house sitting clients.
One job pays a $100.00 for about 1 hour work and spending the night, free all the daytime hours.The other pays $50.00 for morning/evening pet chores and light tidying up after the dogs. I am also paid $15.00 an hour for babysitting with a $35.00 for 2 hours or less, min.
I usually make $40.00 for 2 hours and 15 minutes work. Having diverse sources of income can be quite lucrative.

This is a question for @SmashTheState .

I can say that when I was 30,I tore my ACL. Without government, and parental assistance, I’d certainly be homeless.

I pretty much couldn’t walk for 7 months. It took me a full year to be able to do simple things.

It was the worst thing that ever happened to me. It kind of ruined my life.

When I was 22 I had a DVT (deep vein thrombosis. )

$80,000 ,a week in the hospital, and 6 months of blood work. That ruined my life before my ACL almost ruined it…

Like it or not. It’s no fun having no emergency funds…

Let’s all bear in mind that the OP clearly has assistance from his parents should he not be able to make ends meet.

The OP’s parents are willing to pay for a downtown apartment so he doesn’t have to work.

I hardly think they’re going to let him shrivel up and die if he comes down with scurvy from eating too much ramen.

@Seek You are right about that. It doesn’t mean I should use that and let them papmer me, if there is a way to manage on my own somehow.

Also, I’m female.

@Sneki95 It’s not impossible. If your rent is taken care of, that is a big deal. Years ago, I was single, and had a situation where I was able to pay rent for six months in advance. I was busking in New Orleans, and the Mardi Gras season had been very lucrative for me. I knew the situation would be extremely seasonal, but I figured I could always come up with something to eat. I was not attending school, so I could take the occasional day-labor type job as it became available, and that way I could afford to keep a few groceries, or buy some beer on occasion.

I also had a small enterprise going with a neighbor of mine, also a busker. When I had the money, I invested in a modest quantity of a commodity that was very popular. (Specifically, it was marijuana, but I’m not suggesting you sell drugs, or do anything illegal.) We would buy a quantity, and sell individual joints (mostly to tourists) and then reinvest, and split the profit.

I understand that Novi Sad has a bit of tourism. Perhaps you could do something in that area, and do it in such a way that your schedule is flexible to your needs.

LOL. Busking and selling weed to the tourists. I remember you, man! You were the dude with the old 12-string with all the anti-war stickers on it in the middle of Jackson Square back in the winter of 71! You were the dude with the pea coat and hair down to your ass, right? Sometimes you teamed up with the guy with the dobro. Man, that was some shitty weed. What the hell did you guys cut it with?

That’s funny! In 79 I bought an old 12-string from the guy you describe! It cost me $25…$5 down and $5 a month! And I still have it to this day!

Bur the real point of the story is that if one’s rent is taken care of, a little enterprise can go a long way in keeping one fed.

I told you, man. I was there!

That is true about having rent taken care of. The two greatest expenses are rent and food. I’m able to live pretty good on a chartering business only because rent is covered by overseeing the operation of this plantation. And I defer most food costs by having a garden. I eat healthier than most people, too. Coloma is in the same boat.

@Sneki95 BTW, SmashTheState left his email address at the bottom of the details on his profile page. The guy knows everything there is about urban survival.

I know people that do it, and they say it isn’t difficult.

For food, they dumpster dive. They’re all in the know with where the best dumpsters are.
For living, they squat.
That’s about all I know regarding they’re personal lives.

I’ve read stories about people who get a decent living by simply asking other people for money. I see people standing on dozens of corners with signs asking for money. I assume it works.