I think that if you are in Europe it won’t be as shitty as in the US where the cops will detain you if you are sleeping in your car or something. I’d try to park in a place where there’s an outlet nearby and that’s kind of a public place but not so public so that the cars will wake you up in the morning. I don’t know how dangerous it is over there but try and be in a place where you won’t get robbed. If there’s public wifi that’s a big plus and try to get a laptop, I’d use the cell phone for socializing and the laptop to consume some media so that you can balance the battery usage of them. Having some pepper spray is a good idea just in case. Salads and sandwiches are some good meal ideas that could help you to not each the shittiest thing possible and will not require much cooking, you have a job too, so I guess you could try and eat out some time a least to a not so expensive place to compensate the not being able to cook.

Could you describe your situation a bit better in terms of general conditions? I have some knowledge but it is mostly relevant to the conditions in my country. Stuff like wheater, police attitude, crime, etc.

Anway, some things i suggest to the people i work with (i am a social worker, have experience with migrants who received little to no support) include:

• there are apps that allow you to buy leftover store products at a dirt cheap price. In my country it’s called “TooGoodToGo” and you can buy “closed boxes” of products for like 2 dollars. For example a bakery will throw in some croissants, some bread and a couple sandwiches. At least in Switzerland, with high living costs, it is by far the most efficient way to spend your money and getting stuff that’s ready to eat.

• Get to know the public spaces in your area. You can spend a lot of time in a nice and comfortable building if you care to look for places like libraries, public centers or clubs, and you’ll also mitigate one of the main dangers of homelessness: social isolation.

• Prioritize hygiene, washing your clothes and your car. You say you have a job so money shouldn’t be a giant issue - don’t be cheap on this stuff. It’s way more important than we think, both practically, socially and psychologically.

• Do anything in your power to maintain your network of friends and acquaintances. Being socially integrated negates most of the psychological challenges normally posed by homelessness.

• This is obvious, but in general keep yourself occupied. The more time you spend doing stuff in places, the less time you spend thinking about the feelings of instability and vulnerability that comes from not having a house.

Anyway, i feel like having a job and a car (assuming you are financially somewhat stable) puts you in a good situation. It will suck for a while, but you have all the cards to make it. Good luck comrade, let us know how it goes

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As another commenter said, library card is huge. Get a part time job to kill time. Sleep on cardboard, the ground sucks up the heat (even if it’s the summer). Food banks are great, so are other donation centers - it’s very locality dependent. If you don’t look too scruffy you can steal from grocery stores, but once you look the part, security will be on your case.

A big part of being homeless is getting your stuff robbed. If you have any friends, ask to store anything you don’t need at their place.

I always thought if I had to sleep in my car, I would drive to a somewhat remote forest road where there’s almost no chance of cops and little traffic and just sleep under a blanket in my car between the trees. Thankfully nice weather is coming up, I doubt cars are good insulators during the night.

How’s your protection from the elements? Warm clothing? Rain gear?

Also comrade, can you crash at someone’s place for the time being? Hotels and airbnbs are much, much more expensive than renting but you might even be able to find a temp roommate situation with college students. I know many of them look for their roommates on housing websites.

I’d advise against it.

Jokes aside, if you have a car you should sleep in it provided it doesn’t get too hot, especially if there’s a thunderstorm coming up because it’s a Faraday cage that protects you from lightning. Always make sure your parking brake is locked before you go to sleep or leave your car, and if you drive out into nature, don’t sleep anywhere near mountains, precipices, caves, rivers, moorland, or dunes

update: I have read into your recommendations and am taking them all to heart. I am not attempting to just drop this shitstorm that has become my life, ask for advice and then ignore it. It is sort of difficult to give this much thought beyond the bare necessity for getting through it without absolutely losing my mental. Thank you all and I will keep your advice and well wishes in mind.