Computer Access a Digital Path to Independence

The thing that turned me from "adventurer" to homeless woman living in a van was lack of financial stability. I didn't have the money I needed to do what I wanted. I had an aging van that needed work, and a storage unit to pay for, and two animals and myself to feed. Housing was at the bottom of my list. My $11 an hour job didn't pay me enough to save for a security deposit and first month's rent, and my credit status sucked since I was working a temp job and had no residence. The one thing that saved me was computer access and a laptop.

Until I managed to enter a contest and win the laptop I relied on the public library and my one and sometimes two-hour-a-day access to the internet. That was not exactly enough time to do more than check email and Craigslist and scribble down possible job opportunities.

If I had known then what I know now, I doubt I would be writing for Change.org, or living in Virginia, or any of the dozen or more things I'm doing right now. I would have been able to travel, camp and make a living on the road and homelessness would never have been an issue for me.

What hurt me, what threw me into homelessness, was my restricted access to financial independence. What derailed me was my digital, social media and online entrepreneurial ignorance. I didn't know how to blog, didn't even know about blogs or how to set them up. I read them, but didn't make the connection to actually create my own. I didn't know about resources that I could have taken advantage of to create my own website — places like MoonFruit or Weebley.

I didn't know about Elance, Guru, sologig, Tischen or any of the other virtual assistant sites where I can make money and get paid daily or weekly at a rate I negotiate for myself. Now I do know. I currently charge from $25 to $125 an hour for online consulting, writing or graphic design — all things I already knew how to do. Don't get me wrong. I'm not working a 40-hour work week making that kind of money. There are plenty of weeks I eat a lot of peanut butter or tunafish. I don't have any savings or a safety net right  now, but I'm working on that. However, I am free to travel, to work when and where I want and can usually afford to keep gas in the van. (Yes, the same 1975 van I lived in when I was homeless in 2006-2007.)

I haven't worked a "real job" in more than two years. Yet, I'm making it and I'm essentially off the streets. Although I live in the van, this time it's by choice. I have a nice, air-conditioned office where I go to work and cook (microwave), and I have shower access. With some effort many more homeless people can too. Not everyone can or will make enough on the internet to survive. But I think there are thousands of unemployed but talented and hard-working people who can. Working hard at starting your own business, even though you're homeless, isn't any harder than sitting around broke, panhandling or applying for assistance.

If you're one of the more recently homeless you may already have a laptop or a computer. If not, you may have to buy one. Either way, know that getting a computer is the first step. Best option? Buy a Netbook, a smaller, simpler version of a laptop. They cost an average of $300. Almost all are WiFi ready, giving you free internet access wherever you can find it — in hospitals, libraries, coffee shops and so on. Which netbook is best? Reviewers consistently cite Acer Aspire One 521 ($349) as one of the best. It's not one of the most affordable, but the performance and features make it a great Netbook for anyone. If this is an option for you, as it was for me before I even knew it, you won't get rich overnight, but you will be able to start making money.

Photo credit: dmpop