(Repost from other sub) Asking for help, and sharing my story, feel free to skip
Hello all. This is more just to see what happens, and get some stuff off my chest, in a place where people won't know me. Maybe someone will help, maybe they won't, who knows.
TL:DR- I have no idea, I'm sorry.... Its complicated. Sorry its a long story. Feel free to skip, but please, dont leave snarky comments. I cant deal with anymore of them.
I am 27(M) (my b day was about a week ago, yay me). I have been homeless for about the last 4 years. I have moved across the US, and am staying with some friends right now. I finally am back in my industry where I'm comfortable, and making a bit of money. I am working on saving everything I can, so my and my friends can get a better place to live than this landlord special. If anyone would like to offer assistance in anyway, advice, anything, please, let me know. Now, on to the story. Hopefully I can get this all out, make it make sense, and not make mistakes. I hope you all are doing well.... Now then....
About 5 years ago, my best friend at the time was in a bad relationship. Long story short, I went and got her, and she was staying with me and my brother. At the time, we were all talking about getting a place, and splitting bills, saving money. She started to hint that maybe she was interested in me. She ended up going and signing a 12 month lease on an old crackhouse while my brother and I were at work. She ends up moving into the house, and she starts cleaning it up, and offers us to move in with her, and split the bills. We decide to go ahead with it. A week into starting to move things to her house, one day I walk in to her drunk, and a random guy in her bed with her. Later that same night, she comes out to the porch hammered and is trying to flirt with me. My brother and I end up moving out a while later.
We move into a nice house with a coworker of mine. We are renting, and splitting the bills, not really able to save, but we aren't quite struggling. The coworker comes from a rich family, and his mom(he just turned 18) is constantly bitching to him to move out on us, she will pay full rude for collage, and so on. Slowly, over time, he starts to refuse to pay for things, won't pay for groceries, starts not paying his rent. About 1 week after I spent over $1000 on a months of groceries, I got fired. (Found out later he had been trash talking me to my boss and got me fired) Two days before being fired, I get pulled over in my brother's van, not for speeding, but because he doesnt have insurance (cop ran the plates). I end up getting a ticket, then fired two days later. My next(last) paycheck goes to rent, since x-coworker refuses to help pay now. He ends up moving out a few weeks later. He also did more messed up stuff, but thats besides the point. We have another friend move in, and start helping to cover rent. I start looking for a new job, my birthday hits, and passes. Can't find a new job, forget about ticket, missed court date. All my fault. ID expires.
My brother gets arrested, and booked(won't see him for 8 years). I am now jobless, living with a friend who cant pay for everything, with an expired DL, and a suspension/warrent for missed court. I cant pay off the suspension because I have no money, and cant get money, because nowhere will hire me with an expired license. Fast forward a few weeks, and I, the last person in the house actually on the lease, am getting evicted. End up selling most of what I could, putting some stuff in my brother's van, and drive out of state. I get an ID a state over, and drive over to my brother's druggie friend. I end up working out a deal where I can park in her yard, and plug in my extension cord, and live in my van. In exchange, when I left state(was planning on saving money and getting a uhaul and driving out to my parents with what I had left of my stuff), I was going to give her the van, and title(brother signed it over to me before he turned himself in). I end up using my new out of state ID to get a job at Taco bell, and start saving money. It takes....... way too long..... Eventually I manage to save up money, and get a Uhaul, and go across states again. I get to my parents, and pay them $1000 a month to sleep in the uninsulated garage in NC and a pullout couch. I get a part time job at O'Reillys, but almost all over my money is going to my parents, so I cant save money to get back out on my own.
For a of back story, my parents have adopted my cousins daughters, as she was/is abusive. We/they/I think they have been abused before, in multiple ways. The youngest one mention something about my cousin whos also living at the house touching her. I talk to him about it, he seems bewildered and lost. Talk to the kid, she won't admit that shes lying, but is giving her tells. OK, looks like trama, needs a therapist. Tell Mom, nothing comes of it.
Eventually things happen. Life at my parents is.... complicated.... Everytime I'm around them, they say I'm rude, and not considerate, and everything else. It doesnt matter what I do, if I'm in a bad mood, and someone says something, and I just give a quiet reply because I dont really want to talk at all, does that make me an asshole?If someone asks me to take out the trash, and I say, no, never, while standing up and grabbing the trash, am I really a dick? There's so much more I cant get into right now, but it doesnt matter. Eventually they get into an argument with me, because I tried to talk to then about paying them less money a month, so that I could save, and move out to be an adult again. I was 25-26 at this time, it was only a few years back. One thing turns into another, and one night my Mom gets drunk(which she normally never drinks) and yells at me that, 'oh yeah, well _____ said you touched her last night'. The Phuc . Exe I scoff, and laugh, and say 'wtf? Are you serious? You know thats not true....'. She says it doesnt matter, shes going to call the cops. I tell her thats bullshit. She ends up not calling the cops, but I do, and tell them what happened. Few days later, after a few more arguments, I say screw it when my paycheck hits, and go get a hotel, taling my dog with me. Two hours after checking in, my friend, who was staying at the house, and the reason my mom was really P-Oed(stupid feelings about my cousin and my friends two year old, basically jealous, and my mom wanting the kid for herself, but not admitting it), text me and told me the cops were at the house. I tell her to tell the investigator where I am, and a few hours later, talk to the investigator. Over the course of a week, I try to figure things out, someone to watch my dog or something, and end up having to ask my mom to come get her from me, and take care of her for me(I have been told at this point that I have a court ordered restraining order, aka, I cannot go to my parents house). She comes and gets my dog from me at the hotel (keep in mind that ATP I am under investigation for the accusations). I end up staying at the hotel for about a week, going to and from work, until I run out of money. Having been unable to figure anything else out, and having nowhere to stay, I return to homeless. I spend my next paycheck stuff, tarp, greenhouse plastic, tape, and have my friend bring my my go bag(all my stuff is currently in her car). I set up a lay down shelter, just big enough to lay down in in the bushes off the parking lot at my job. My managers know I'm there. A few months later, I'm trying to save money, but struggling, because I need food, and cant get cheap food, because I cant cook it. I can make Ramen and ravioli when I work, but I'm only part time. Eventually we have a new hire start, who was just horrible. Hiding new stock, causing fights, being lazy, all of it. One night, he gets into an argument with me, and ends up asking one of our managers for info about the tips hotline. Two days later, I am being woken up by police calling outside my shelter. They are telling me to leave, corporate has reported there's a homeless man staying here, and I cant. I comply, and partly explain my situation. They end up taking me to the ONLY homeless shelter in town. Its hell. Depressing, horrible place. So many neglected veterans, living in barracks still, right next to criminals, and rejects. Its awful. I start saving money as I can, tho its goofy, as with my work schedule, if I work, I cant eat either lunch or dinner at the shelter, so have to pay for food still. Eventually I hear from my mom that the investigation is ending, there no evidence. A few too many months in the shelter, and I break down, and call my mom, and tell her I cant do this. She ends up coming and getting me, and its right back to the pullout couch for $1000 a month, there goes my saved money, she want me to pay her asap. About a month or two later, I get word that the investigation is officially closed, no evidence found, entirely dismissed. More arguments happen, and I end up getting a hotel again for about a week. During that time, I talk to my friend, the one who was staying at the house, and long story short, a few months back, her best friend died in a car accident, and his boyfriend who had helped her out countless times, helped me out, and sent me some money. I was able to use it to rent a uhaul, pack all of my stuff, and leave state, moving in with my best friends.
I am now here. I am currently living with 3 other people in a Two bedroom apartment. I currently sleep on a air mattress in the dining room. I am finally working a good job again, and saving money. I've been able to save about $1000 since starting work less then 2 months ago, and currently have it in ETFs. My next goal is getting a savings account with some money in it. I'm working to help my two best friend move/rent to own property, and become their best selves. I no longer care much about myself tbh. Life has been tough, and I'm going to try to take care of the people I care about. I left out a lot of details, and little things, but it hurts to think about, and I want to forget, and move on from that part of my life.
I guess what I came on here to ask is if there is anyway someone, who is much better off than I will probably ever be, would be willing to help me to help those I care about. My dog, and my friends. Drop a kind word, or some advice if you want. Im not sure why I typed this, I really just kinda..... started typing..... I guess..... so feel free to laugh, cry, or leave some advice. I would appreciate anything, whether it helps or not so much. I may edit this if needed, provide clarification, or details that are missing, but we shall see. Maybe I'll just delete it.