Personal Finance Advice

Great post! I will admit to being one of those people who are uncomfortable with someone on the side of the road with a sign begging for money. I don’t live in a big city, but where I live I see a lot of people doing this. I used to work in a grocery store and would see a lot of beggars come in and purchase alcohol and cigarrettes with the money people gave them. Of course, there are people such as yourself you actually used the money for food or saved it to better themselves, and I did see regular customers who begged and spent it at least on food.

About ten years or so ago, I was on vacation with my husband in Washington D.C.. A woman came up to me and asked me for money so she could get her children something to eat. I offered to buy her some food as there was a fast food restaurant close by. She got upset with me at that point, even though I gave her $5 anyway. She walked off and said she needed a smoke!

I am glad to hear that you are willing to consider all options in order to get back on your feet. And I think legitimate panhandlers really do deserve sympathy and assistance.

That said, there are also professional panhandlers. People who, rather than attempting to get a job and truly become a positive contributor to oneself and society. They often time have no moral qualms taking advantage of people’s good will. Some are aggressive drunks and drug users who does not wish to rehabilitate. Some are also very aggressive, and is also not above petty crime if that’s what it takes to get money.

These people are out in specific roadsides all the time. My favorite one is this guy who is out with crutches and a cast, but when “lunch time” rolls around, he would take off his cast, and casually walk across to a nearby McDonald’s to take his break.

Professional panhandlers hurt everybody. It hurts society by fleecing them through their generosity, and it hurts those who genuinely deserves our sympathy and help. I hope that people will be careful with these con artists, but also be giving to those who need our help.

Reminds me, on of my small town relatives said to me once, “Of course you would give money to any beggar you saw.” Living in a big city I said, “I don’t think so!” I mean – you’d be broke. I couldn’t possibly give money to every beggar I saw, every day of my life.

But I agree with BA – what I primarily seen is professional panhandlers. Most the people who hold “will work for food” signs have no intention to work. & unfortunately that hurts people in true dire straits.

There are some truly homeless people who do hold up signs at the corner by my office and who do actually accept food. I never see very many people handing money over.

The other day there was someone standing at the freeway exit by home, with a sign. I saw THREE people hand this guy a wad of cash. Like every car in front of me. I was thinking the people by my work need to relocate! In a location where there are always panhandlers, I think people get used to it, or tired of it. In a “new location” people were very generous.

No doubt generous people can make all the difference in someone’s life. I just won’t be one of those generous people with all the scammers I have come across.

I don’t give money to beggars or homeless people becus the vast majority became that way becus they’re alcoholics (or druggies). They’ll use that money to buy a bottle of booze.

What a touch story. We all go through bad times from time to time. I can appreciate that you did what it took to get yourself back on track. Too many of us just give up.

I personally do not give them money but will stop by and give them something to eat. I even invited a homeless person to McD’s with me and encouraged him to order what he wanted. He seemed very appreciative. You are right in saying there are enough homeless people who say they will work but in reality will not. A lot want money for alcohol/drugs and a lot don’t seem motivated beyond those vices. I hear you can make pretty decent wages if you can get past the pride “thing.”

Good and sobering post. Ran into a well-dressed man carrying a suitcase at LAX over holidays whereupon he spun some sort of story about losing all his money. He carried a suitcase and asked me for five bucks to get to his hotel.

I suspect he wasn’t on the up and up. Great to hear you turned your life around.

Thanks for posting. I get uncomfortable too, not just for me but for the person there. I think that would be very humiliating. And then I wonder….is it for real, or just a “day job” that provides tax-free money? And then I think that it HAS to be for real, because otherwise why would anyone choose to do that?! And then I wonder…are there people that would choose that. And then I wonder some more…and then the light changes.

Glad to hear you used the money wisely and best of luck.

If you’re in a position financially now to help out, do you find you’re much more willing to than you were before? Or is it the same?

Great post.

I live in a city with a large homeless population. I give what I can and what I don’t judge. What the people do with the money is their business, not mine. My concern is how I feel at the end of the day.

As a woman, I would have been worried about work conditions. Just as there are scammers out there who will take money “for the kids” and buy booze, there are folks out there who would offer a job and then … well, you know. And it isn’t *just* targeted at women. I wish there was some legitimate day-labor pool (not just standing around at the street corner that “everyone knows about” or holding a sign on the side of the road).

That said, good for you — you have honesty, guts, and a good ethic.

I’ll usually offer food–often I keep a stash in the car, and I am always picking up can openers at garage sales or Freecycle and offering them with the food. What good is a can if you can’t get at the contents? The only people I give money to are the police or firefighters during their drives. Some of it is because I want my contribution to be meaningful, but a lot of it is that I just don’t carry cash; it is rare for me to have even $5 in my purse. All the same, I would rather give and be taken advantage of now and then if it means that I don’t turn away a legitimate need that I could meet just because I am afraid of being “taken.”

Very cool. I’m glad to know that a few of the people asking for money put it to good use. I enjoy helping when that’s the case.

I almost never have cash on me. Growing up one of the news stations did a story on the panhandlers in town. They spotted some professionals and followed them back to their 2 story home and nice cars. They then put up their pictures everywhere. Because of the story i
no longer give cash. I will drive em to Labor Ready if i have time.

There are day labor companies such as Labor Ready or Labor Finders. You might not make as much as standing on a corner and there might not be work everyday. Either way it is safer and more legit than standing on the corner.

There has only been once i wanted to give someone money. I once saw someone on a street corner in a suit. His sign said “No money – I want a job!” He heard Metallica playing from my car and asked me to turn it up. He did accept some food (it was lunch time). I did not have any money but i would not be surprised if he had turned it down.