Personal Finance Advice

I don’t think that most people have any idea what it is like to live on the streets or appreciate how lucky they are to have a home. I know exactly how this person feels as I do the same thing.

I totally agree. Though the problem is to tell if they are begging for what they need or for something they don’t. Drugs, cigarettes, you name it.

I think I may be a little more callous than I should be. It’s just so difficult to tell if the person is really in need or scamming. Maybe I should trust people a bit more than I do.

This is an interesting topic because we happen to know a few homeless people. I have no sympathy left really. Now the people we know account to only 4 but it gives us reasoning for our reactions to them. My personal resolve was to help whenever I could. I would also give when asked. I would feed when I could. Things change when you start to get to know some of the homeless.

My aunt and uncle live in SF. There is a homeless man asking for spare change on the block where she works. One day my aunt decides to befriend this man and take to lunch. After two years of friendship with this man, he starts to trust her and confide in her. As it turns out, this person relishes in the fact that he makes 50-70k a year, tax free and has been taking the BART outside of SF where he lives in a condo…with his wife. He also confided in her that he would never in his lifetime go back to work.

The others we have known have been personal friends who became beggers and/or homeless. One got into drugs and wasted his life away. He made decent money begging only to turn around and do drugs with it.

The other friend is more of a hippie. Just a weird guy. Hated paying taxes, hated police, hated possessions, loved pot. He lived his life being homeless and begging for money. There was no talking him out of it.

Now I know the vast majority of homeless don’t want to be there. Lost their job. Spouse died. Got into drugs. Etc. But do something about it. We just don’t see these people doing enough to help themselves. And if they can’t help themselves, how can we help them?

Let the flaming begin.

I give because I believe in Karma- I could be one on the street corner one day. You never know what the future has in store for you.

As a former Bay Area resident I know the begging techniques well. I will admit to have participated in them. I was a poor college kid who caught the BART into the city with my packed lunch back pack, collection hat, school books, and sign that read poor college student please help. I read dictated notes into my mini tape recorder and said my thank you to passer byes who drop some change.

I made far better money than I would have working any traditional job and I didn’t feel bad about it. I was honest about what I was doing when I was asked, even once to the man who claimed to be an IRS agent. I never lied about what I used the money for either. My college was paid for as was most of my room and board thanks to scholarships and student loans, this was always me money.

I made no bones about it either. My average day was $125 for six hours during the week or $350 - $500 (depending on the weather and location) a day on the weekends doing eight or 10 hours. I in theory probably could have kept doing this and going to school for a long time but I gave it up for a high tech job that moved me out of state. Now that I am married and once again very broke without ever having finished my college degree, I really do miss the days of sitting down by the wharf in my lawn chair listening to the sounds of the city while I read.

I have just come back from an amazing 5 week trip in Peru/South America. There was hardly a day where I did not share my Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner with the homeless ‘Streetkids’.

Before I even started eating, I split it in three portions (sometimes four) and shared it all. It became a ‘habit’ after a few days and I enjoyed watching the childrens appetite and their sparkling eyes as well as their Gratitude. Words weren’t needed.

I travelled through a number of places in South America, but if you ever travel through Iquitos, don’t hesitate to share your food (rather than your Soles, as they would just go for sweets)with the Orphaned Streetkids, as they really appreciate it.