Really Poor

Where does money come from? There is an old saying that it takes money to make money, and there is a truth to that indeed. Well meaning friends can say 'start your own business' or 'I know what you can do' but for those who have had to start over from scratch, this advice is useless. Starting a business involves filing and registration fees and licenses, product, investments, etc and even when you offer a service such as cleaning, phone answering or editing, the filing fees can be prohibitive if every penny you have goes into survival.

In dealing with today's reality, really poor is different than legally poor. You can make almost 19,000 a year and be legally poor. That really is 'poor', make no mistake, but a steady income, even if low is a hardship, but a base to grow in substance. 'Really poor' though includes the homeless, those consigned to an under 500/month income, or those starting over from scratch, without a job. In today's economy, even formerly well to do couples are finding themselves losing expensive mortgages, double incomes, and loading everything they have remaining and getting into an RV with the kids and driving away. Stuff happens. Even welfare isn't going to pay for an RV park registration for a month which at 30-40 dollars a night can be up to 1200 dollars a month! Some may visit relatives for awhile, but all in all the situation is extreme. One cannot get a job, unemployment benefits, welfare, or other benefits without a permanent address. It becomes a deadly cycle, mixed in with despair, crying children, fear and stress. The streets are no place for anyone much less families, as homelessness in our cruel society has become a field day for victimization and violence and even criminal enslavement. A home can mean every thing in the world to starting over, no matter how 'insufficient', but waiting lists on government apartments can be 2 years, even section 8, if one is willing to go that route. (I would not take government entitlements, because of my faith, but that is a personal decision). Even expedited lists in shelters can be 6-8 weeks, and shelters are filled with voracious social workers hungry to break up families, a tough reality. The 'newly homeless' dropping from very comfortable soccer and ballet neighborhoods to living in an RV or worse sees those 'realities' as an eternity.

Here are some base line ideas in the 'Really Poor Big Bang theory":

1. Many Walmarts allow overnight parking of RV's and so do some other restaurants, truck stops, and stopping at a library and using a computer can show you places where 'wild camping' or free campsites are available in every state for up to 2 weeks. That gives you time to think.

2. Register for day labor through such companies as Labor Ready, Volt, or local day labor places. Nothing is beneath your dignity when its that or nothing. Even women and children of a certain age can sign up, and while the pay is very low, often minimum wage, they pay at the end of the day. One parent can do that while the other may look for a 'cash flow' job such as waitressing or retail that will pay within a couple weeks. This should not be counted as something as a last resort, for some of these jobs can lead to work. Be cautious of temporary agencies, though, some are reputable and can get you back to work immediately, and others will use you to fill quotas and then end promising employment overnight. Grit your teeth: a few weeks, as horrible as it is, and you may be able to find at least an apartment with a low down payment, often through a private renter. Keep your circumstances quiet though, as many are hardly sympathetic.



There a couple of ways to get an address and phone # that will allay this but they cost money: one is to buy a post office box which at the USPO costs about 20/6months. Some will not allow P.O. Box addresses though in applications. Far more expensive is paying about that amount or more per month at a UPS Store (formerly mailboxes etc) which gives a street address most will not identify. Online you can set up a free fax line to receive on free fax a day: email addresses are also invaluable. I would never suggest lying because it always comes back to haunt, but one does not have to let employers or others know about how dire the circumstances are: the less information given another person the better.

3. Cash from nothing: A meal when there is no food and no money? Not impossible. Many states have aluminum recycling centers which pay as much as .05 a can which is why one sees so many collecting cans: 20 cans is a dollar. School yards after hours are a great place to pick up discarded aluminum. Trash bins near bus stops yield many, and using low cost recipes, at least it means you do not miss a meal. Some people have learned to hunt for coins, in places where coins are often used: bus stops, arcades, vending machine areas, pay phones etc. Construction sites may be willing to give several hours of random labor to general laborers such as clean up work, or non-skilled work. One can for small amounts of money pawn items you can easily replace or may never need again: these days there are reputable 'family oriented' pawn shops that will give fair prices but one cannot expect 'high' prices on used items.

4. At home options.
Those with homes can likewise hold garage sales or list for sale items on such free listings as Craigslist.com---sales will probably go more quickly if a photo is included of the item. This is not a permanent solution but can be a temporary fix, as can food banks, or even 'throw away' items at some grocery stores that discard bulk items even a day or two expiration dates (the food is usually safe for at least six weeks.)

Some bus lines will offer charity fares if you do not own or have access to a car. This may limit some job opportunities, but often, certain lower level jobs will meet you at, for example a cleaning service and take crews of persons by vans to the cleaning site. This is beneficial since a lot of those type of jobs are located outside city limits in corporate parks. While there, you can also take a look at jobs posted on bulletin boards that show entry level jobs, or even above that may suit your background and experience.

5. At home services and business startups

Beware the 'work at home' calls that lure from your newspaper or phone book: these seldom lead to real work. There are a few 'work at home' opportunities though that pay looking into. If you have a masters degree or above in an Educational field, you can make some money during the year (not full time) scoring SATs, ACTs or Proficiency exams online. They pay well, but the work is tedious and grueling, and you have to qualify for each project. Pearson Educational, and the ACT people hire for this real but limited income: for most it is in the fall or spring for a few weeks, although if you stay with them and become proficient, it can lead to more 'windows' or short periods of time when tests are scored. They pay from 12 to 17 dollars an hour, although one must have a secure computer, and mostly only online time scoring is counted.

There are other work at home opportunities that are real as well: companies that send out mailings, will pay piece work to stick labels on, and they pay by the box or quantity. When I homeschooled my children and could not find full time work, I was able to find some 'creative' sources of income: one was answering a phone for a pay phone company's error reporting---not too sophisticated but it was at home paid work. Another was writing postcards to first time visitors and community members for a church hoping to build up its membership. The important thing is to be an honest and efficient worker so that you are trusted and hired again. If you have a reasonable level of writing skills, you can prepare resumes, take orders and contract with printers or office copy stores to provide quality paper and product. For those who cannot afford a legal incorporation in the beginning, one can obtain in most places a DBA or 'doing business as' and report income as personal income until incorporation.

Women at home can garner an income by babysitting: you may have to have your house inspected and register with the county or state, including a background check, but high quality babysitting is at a premium: even 20 years ago, I paid between 250 and 400 a month per child, and ran into some real losers, and when I found quality persons to care for my children when I worked, I stayed with them. People are happy to find safe, clean, creative people who feed wholesome meals and provide more than TV watching and naps to children these days. Four children kept during business hours by a kind and disciplined mother is a win-win situation. One does have to love children though, so if runny noses and whining drive you to insanity, find another means.

School bus driving gives a small income with a lot of the day off. School systems will train you for your certification and driving, and the hours are usually around 6-8 in the morning and 2-4 in the evening with opportunities for other stints. Likewise, though low paying, you may find work through a school system for supervising free breakfasts, or being a crossing guard in the morning and afternoon.

One can get started with a 'skill' business by buying a DBA and advertising in the paper, unless there are union or licensure issues: e.g. a handyman can buy a $20 DBA and pay $12 to run an ad in the paper. One can put up signs in laundromats, schools, and make business cards at home and leave them with real estate agents. Lawn care is a similar idea, which can start with a lawn mower and trimmer, and add as the business grows. Those with a B.S. or above can tutor. Even when I was a teenager, I used to give guitar lessons, and some if proficient can train beginning piano or Suzuki.


These are a few ideas, though certainly not all. From time to time more will be included in this blog. The greatest thing to recall is not to give way to despair, and have faith in God. Mat 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Most poor people like myself, never consider that they could homeschool.   They are constantly focused on earning a living, or bringing in more money part time,  so the kids go to public school, signed up for government breakfasts and lunches and maybe free afterschool care.   For Christian parents this option is becoming less and less attractive,  and for all parents who want safe and educated and moral kids,   the alternatives are being sought more and more.

Now, if you want, you really can spend over 2000/year for state of the art homeschool curricula:  ABEKA, BJU, Christian Light/Alpha Omega and now Liberty offer very fine 'total approach' curricula with pre-made records, testing, report cards and even daily video teaching by experts in their area.   Some feel though that non stop videos stifle creativity and lead to the same drone of the modern classroom, even with quality materials: there is a very good side of teaching children 'discovery' and a delight in knowledge from even very early self-research. To the very, very poor though, whose focus is on making enough for dinner and to keep the lights on, here are a few tips to allow you to homeschool your children, without the large once a year bills of $500-$2500 a child.

1. Check the laws in your state. HSLD (Homeschool legal Defense) founded by Michael Farris and others ,who went on to found Patrick Henry College, (he also rose to Lt. Governor of Va) is a christian hero in my book for fighting hard for the freedom for quality homeschooling in all states.  Most states no longer require registration with a school system, quite rightly for public schools have no jurisdiction over private schools including homeschools.  (This is constitution law, confirmed over and over).  HSLD will send you a free list of laws in the various states. (You can for $10 or more dollars a month 'hire' them on retainer) That way if you are worried, you can rest assured that an attorney is a phone call away if there is an issue.

2. Materials: This is how we managed on so little money:
a. We bought used curriculum and books at the plethora of homeschool exchanges which occur in most average size cities twice or more a year. Some have consignment book stores in a homeschool mom's home!  If you are not too picky about getting shiny covers and pristine unmarked pages, you can pick up $35 texts for as low as $1! Used books are a god send.

b. Look for people quitting homeschooling: one lady quit 1.5 years after buying several years of curriculum: she donated two years of Christian Light materials to us. It was excellent material, and the only thing we had to do was erase some fill-ins, and smile at the Amish/Mennonite bonnets in the drawings. Those two years one of my children cost me $0 to buy curricula. God provides in mysterious ways.

c. Your local library is your universe. Can't afford globes, videos, documentaries,  reading books, etc? Your local library has all this and more and is the 'fun' point of a homeschool week: you will develop biceps bringing home 'all the books you can carry' unless there is a limit. Today's libraries have computer labs, audio books, checkout records and videos, and sometimes even odd resources like rocks, fossils, and other artifacts that can be checked out for free and taken home. Keep a record of your children's reading list: introduce them to the classics in Children's literature, and build up. A little healthy competition and love for reading kept my children going.

d. Make use of free community resources: museums, botanical gardens, natural resources, 'old house' museums, ; historical museums etc.

e:  Free home economics lab surrounds you in the home:  teaching cooking, measuring, sewing and clothing construction,  etc.  My daughter taught herself crocheting, knitting, cross-stitch and a variety of 'textile arts' at home with books from the library and ladies at church.  My son learned to fix a light socket, and do simple repairs:  one can apply food chemistry etc to showing why some 'substitutes' for recipes work.  All free, all helpful, all apart of the home you have anyway.

f. Take advantage of scholarships in your community for things like music or art training.  My son at 11 or 12 started on his own studying music theory and orchestration:  by 14 he obtained a one semester scholarship to a local university conservatory:  it was needs based,  but they trained where I could not.

g. Join a homeschool group.   The myth that homeschoolers do not get social interaction is patently absurd:  they get quality interaction.   Our groups provided free group physical education a couple times a week, science fairs, spelling bees and in high school, now, some provide football teams and band.   Nothing is loss, all is gain.

h. Church and for some, synagogue.   My children attended church three times a week, and for missions conferences, pot lucks,  'sings' etc:  often times church provides a lot of people with skills you don't have who might not mind teaching a little.  My daughter and I once hit a Saxon math problem neither of us could solve (I teach math so that shows it was a little tough)---and a fellow at church who used that kind of math all the time, solved it in an instant.   Churches also have choirs,  activities, outings, etc Just be sure of the church you choose.

i. The Computer.   My personal advice for the very young is to block chat rooms, unless it is a private chat room of children you know and trust:   predators prey on innocent and moral young people, and it is the one thing I wish I had been more restrictive on.   But with proper family blocks,  the computer can become an invaluable learning tool: just be careful.  YouTube.com can occasionally be either gross or lewd,  but if you put proper filters on your computer, it can also offer how to video clips on EVERYTHING.  There are clips on most geographical features and nations:  studying geography?   At the end of reading and evaluation, send them to find a video clip of the place or event they were studying:  it's fun, increases a love of learning and is so cool to visualize what you've been studying.   Godtube is another.  Poetry.com now under another name, used to have daily poetry writing contests etc, etc, etc.   The net is not the safest place to be, but it can be with supervision.   Can't afford a computer?   There are many donation programs,  and sometimes super deals.  For example,  in Wisconsin there is a central surplus bidding site for auctioning surplus from state buildings and universities or municipal or country excess.   You can pick up laptops from anywhere from 5$ up to 150.  If you can't afford even that, there is always the library computer bank for about an hour at a time.  Many universities allow non-university citizens to use their student labs.  Some have free workshops.  Some computer repair places will work with you on deals on old computers that no one picked up after a repair, and garage sales sometimes have at least useable computers, for typing lessons etc.

h. I laugh when I hear school systems clamouring for 8900.00 per pupil expenditures, because with all that money,  they can often not guarantee above an average of 25th percentile rankings on nationally normed tests.  8900 x 12 years=$106,800 ! excluding fees and transportation and special purchases.  I had two children, and next to no money when they were homeschooled:  I learned the issue was not money hardly at all, but the inspiration, direction and skill training to love to learn.   Now, if I had had $17,800 a year for the two just to spend on education, we could have had the university of homeschool!   New microscopes, periscopes, telescopes, and anti-Scopes. (a little homeschool humor).   We learned to bend with the breezes---at times it was a little too tight but we got by.

The result? Both children graduated high school one and two years early. Both were in the 95th and above percentile on testing, poor as church mice. Both were dean's list throughout college, winning scholarships, awards, and taking leadership roles. Sure, there was some innate ability, and I hold an advanced degree, but wisdom and cleverness compensates for a lot. We were consistent: we had a staid routine. It helped them know who they were. They were immersed in faith in God, and stayed daily in the Word of God. I cannot promise that your children will turn out exactly right or as you expect, because the world cruelly targets kids who succeed, but I do know that that impenetrable foundation always resurfaces, even if later some university tries to undo your work.

Got other ideas for 'free' homeschooling? Post comments.

This Week's Book (always check the used price):

Welcome to Really Poor:  I wanted to call it 'Very Poor' but that was already taken.   This blog will have one main objective:  the survival of the very poor.   Over the years, many of us have lived in various stages of poverty at some point in our lives.   Suggestions, tips, saving money,  defending oneself without status or money, recipes under $2,  cost-free or low cost house repairs, etc will be offered in this blog: feel free to share ideas by posting them at the bottom of each entry.

Poor does not mean 'ignorant' nor incompetent.   Many people live simply and poor out of choice, because they choose to do right, or for their faith, for environmental reasons, etc.  Whether one lives poor by choice or by circumstances,  this blog will provide non-governmental ways both to tolerate dire times,  and to get out of poverty  without wild-eyed scheming and illegal means.

Many things in life that people for which some pay a great deal of money, can be compensated for or found very inexpensively with the correct know-how.   We recently received an estimate for bathroom remodeling of 3-4000 dollars, far beyond our budget on a tiny home.  We did an acceptable job for under $200.   There was a time though, when we lived in even more oppressive circumstances:  we did not save money for remodeling,  we pinched pennies for dinner.   Though I hold an advanced degree, trying circumstances can often place people at unexpected places in life.  I first learned how to cope with advice from some old-timers who had been raised in the hills of Ohio who were neighbors who taught me how to make ultra-scratch biscuits,  hunt wild onions and garlic, and use substitutes for everything in recipes and still have edible filling food.   We learned how to homeschool for under $50 a YEAR-my children now grown were dean's list all through college.   I used sewing skills from school days to make and repair garments and learned the art of perusing thrift stores for perfect shape and even new name brand clothing.

Faith was the substance unseen:   the meadow with reverie.   Emily Dickinson once wrote:

To make a meadow it takes a bee
A bee, and reverie
Reverie alone will do when bees are few.

Little by little I will teach about bees, reverie, and getting by in 21st century life,  with almost nothing, so that one can live a righteous life and sing no one's song but their own.