This is because, believe it or not, many of the people who read this blog are either homeless now, or may find themselves facing a similar situation in the future. I know this because every single time I have performed my stage play or publicized my homeless ventures in any way, I always have people contacting me to tell me about their own personal situation that no one knows about.
Some are currently living in their car, as I did. Some, staying with their kids in a hotel. Others are crashing on a friends couch. The list goes on...I guess it's because seeing someone else open up about their struggles makes people feel like they finally have someone they can talk to--who can relate--so that they can finally get this load off their chest.
I don't mind it at all. In fact, I'm honored to be able to assist someone in relieving such a heavy burden. Especially since I know first hand how difficult that burden can be to bear.
My hope is to encourage and hopefully make life a little easier during your struggle. I'd like to consider my blog somewhat of a handbook, in many ways, to help people better survive and cope with being homeless because I often think, "how nice it would have been to have a handbook for this".
Even if you aren't able to find the information I post useful, you may come across someone else who would benefit from it and you can simply pass it on to them. Hence making the world a better place in your own way.
So let's get down to what tonight's post is really about.
Have you ever come across something that made you say "if only I knew about this when..."
With all the constant inventions, new apps, and even things that have been around for a while but are just now becoming popular, there's bound to be a "hindsight moment" for us all.
One of those "new things" is an app called Air B&B.
For those of you who have no idea what that is, it's an app you can download on your smart phone which allows you to either become a host (offering a room, couch, air mattress, etc. for someone to rent), or a traveler (the person renting).
So the idea is to be able to find a place to stay for significantly less than getting a hotel room, and often more comfortably.
I myself have been a host with Air B&B for about 2 years now and I absolutely love it!
Not only am I able to make extra money every week with my spare room that's only otherwise used on the rare occasion when family visits, but I have an opportunity to meet some pretty amazing people. Each person that stays at my Bed & Breakfast, leaves their own lasting impression.
Being in the entertainment industry, I'm always looking for new ways to network, and with Air B&B I have met everyone from clothing designers to people who have worked on set of some major films. Most of my guests connect with me on social media and become a fan of my work. Some of them even give us nice gifts or share some of their fantastic traveling tales.
The thing is, had I known about Air B&B when we were living in our car, we could have had the opportunity to stay in a nice warm bed and take hot baths every once in a while when we had some extra money.
At one point, once we did have enough money to get a place, we weren't able to simply because we hadn't had any rental history for several years, so staying at an Air B&B would have been a great option for us because rental history doesn't matter.
There's a lot more to Air B&B than I can write about in one blog. You really just need to download it and check it out for yourself. Depending on what area you are in, there are all kinds of different places available to stay and you can search for one and filter them based on what you can afford.
So, whether you are currently in need of a place to stay, are traveling and want to find a place that won't break the bank like a hotel will, or you want to host and make some extra money yourself by renting out your space--Air B&B is an app I advise everyone to check out!
If you like this post, please share & comment below! Feel free to ask questions also and I'd be happy to answer them as best I can!
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