Food and Health
Food.
You have to eat. Food is a necessity. If we did not need to eat, then I think you would not really need a job. But that's daydreaming, we do need food.
Places to get free food. Well start with charities. Most charities. will give you actual food or food vouchers if you can reasonably prove that you are in dire straights. Yes the questioning may be embarrassing. If you need the food though you pretty much have to put up with it. These agencies will probably also try to assist you in finding work, and possibly a place to stay as well. Accept what you need. If it is conditional, and the conditions are unreasonable then maybe you should look else where. Personally I hate patronising religious agencies that try to convince me to be converted or to listen to religious speeches etc before providing food. I have nothing against people practicing religion if that is their choice. I do have an issue with them pushing religion on to people though, especially where people are vulnerable and have a choice of starving or having to put up with a religion they may want no part of.
Buying cheap.
If you have the storage for it, buying bulk is cheaper than buying food in small lots. Food co-ops often sell food cheaper than most places. You can generally buy fruit and vegetables cheaper at a green grocer than a super market. Fruit shops and green grocers also often have discount trays for food which is starting to age. Food with little processing is generally the cheapest. I have seen brushed potatoes selling cheaper than dirt covered ones several times though.
Cheap eats.
Back when I was in uni I used to be broke a lot. About the cheapest meal around was chips. Yep, fried potato. That really wasn't healthy. Those fried noodles and chips may be cheap, but they are not very healthy for you.
Health.
Getting sick in a home is no joy. Being sick in your vehicle can be a lot worse. Imagine living in a car and having no toilet but getting gastro or the runs. Or having a head ache and being parked in a noisy area. No joy at all. There are some basic precautions to help you stay healthy.
Wash up after yourself, keep clean. Most people do not realise it but soap can kill a huge number of contagious illnesses. Plain old soap can kill the Aids virus, Hepatitis and a huge number of really harmful germs. You can drastically cut down your chances of getting sick by always washing your hands with soap after every time you go to the toilet, and before every time you eat or drink.
The food you eat can also have a huge affect on how healthy you are. Try to eat a variety of food. As soups and stews are easy to make, try to have a vegetable stew now and then as well as just meat. Fast food will generally make you ill if you eat it all the time. Avoid greasy food such as chips, pizza, hamburgers or anything fried. If you know that your diet leaves a lot to be desired, buy some multivitamin tablets and take them whenever your diet is lacking. I know they can be expensive $14-15 for about 100 tablets, but they will make a difference. You can some times pick up vitamin tablets as plain brand or store brand, and these can be a lot cheaper than some other brands.
Exercise.
Waking and bike riding are great ways to keep fit. Considering that when living in a vehicle fuel will be your greatest cost, you can save fuel by walking around and by riding a bike if you can fit one to a bike rack or on your roof rack or inside a van. Walking for 30 minutes a day will help keep you fit.
There are some exercises that can be done that will cost you nothing and in some circumstances can be done in a car or van.
