How To Start A New Life With No Money

There are a number of reasons why people have to start over in life. As we all learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, there are some things that are simply outside of our control. If you find yourself in a place where you need to start a new life with few resources, there are some things you can do to ease the transition. 

Think outside the box when it comes to making money

The traditional process of looking through job postings, submitting your resume, and going to interviews can take a long time. Many positions require more than one interview before you get to the point of being hired. While there are a number of companies that are still hiring during Covid, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd because there is typically a lot of competition for positions that are listed on online job boards. If you are in a position where you need to start earning money quickly, it may not make sense to focus all of your efforts on finding a job through the traditional channels. Starting a new life is much more difficult when you do not have any money coming in to help you get the things you need. Fortunately, there are ways to start bringing in money quickly if you are willing to think outside the box. 

Become an independent contractor 

One of the quickest ways to start bringing in money is to find work as an independent contractor. This can mean a variety of things. For example, the people who drive for Uber are independent contractors. They are not employees in the traditional sense. As an independent contractor you are unlikely to have guaranteed hours or benefits such as a 401k. However, you can get started as an independent contractor much more quickly than you can for most traditional jobs. If you are looking for work that you can start quickly and get paid regularly, consider being an independent contractor. Examples include driving for Lyft or Uber, delivering meals and other items with DoorDash or Grubhub, and grocery shopping for others through InstaCart. Getting work through an employment agency is another way that you can be an independent contractor. During busy times of the year, delivery services such as FedEx and retail stores will hire seasonal, independent contractors. There are a number of options to consider – you should be able to find independent contracting work quickly to help you start your new life.    

Start your own business

Another quick way to start making money outside of the traditional job is to start your own business. It does not have to be expensive or take a long time to get a business set up. For example, you can start a business selling items you already own on eBay, Craigslist, or Facebook Marketplace. Or, if you are trained in an instrument, sport, art, or any other skill that others want to learn, you can start giving lessons with little to no startup costs. Think about the skills and resources you already have – is there a way that you can monetize those skills and/or resources? This does not have to be an elaborate setup – starting small can get some money in your pocket and help you get on with your new life.  

Use resources that are available to help with moving

The process of moving can be stressful, difficult, and expensive. If you are in a rough spot financially and/or personally, the difficulties of moving can feel even more acute. There are some resources that can help make moving easier.

Reach out to faith-based programs 

Faith-based programs such as the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities USA have programs designed to help people find/maintain stable housing. If you are in a position where your lack of finances are putting you at risk for not being able to make your move and secure housing, these places and others like them can help. 

Look into grant programs

There are a number of programs that offer grants to help people with housing related needs. This can include costs related to moving. ModestNeeds.org, the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Grant, and the Federal Relocation Assistance Program (for moving costs that are necessary because of a natural disaster) are all potential options if you need help with moving costs. Each option has different criteria for qualification so you will need to explore them carefully to determine which is best for you. 

Choose a place that offers incentives to move there

Some places are dealing with labor shortages in various industries. To combat this, they are offering incentives for people to choose a particular state, city, or town as their new home. These incentives range from tax breaks, student loan payoff, free land, to cash. The incentives vary from place to place and can change over time. If you are flexible about where you want to move and start your new life, take some time to search areas that are willing to provide some type of financial incentive if you move there. 

If you find yourself in a position where you need to start a new life with no money, there are options available. Getting creative with your money-earning options by being an independent contractor or starting your own business will help you get back to making money quickly so you can get back on your feet.  Simple steps like asking around for free moving boxes can save you on some of the upfront costs of moving that can add up. There are also a number of resources available to help you with moving costs and even get you set up with housing if necessary.