# how much do you spend travelling by hitching?



## tinyrainbows (Jan 5, 2023)

im planning a trip this summer and wanna know what to expect. i intend to scrape some money together for when i go out hitching but i dont intend to spend a lot. ive seen a lot of people in threads on here saying you should bring a fair amount of money just in case for food and stuff, and also many people saying you can do it on $0. so im wondering what you guys think about this. i was mostly intending on stealing beans and shit from random grocery stores but that might not always be a viable option. what kinds of things do you usually need to spend money on?


----------



## TheUndeadPhoenix (Jan 5, 2023)

Just fly a sign at off ramps or the exits of drive thrus that says hungry

Edit: panhandling is legally protected speech, the only laws they can enforce is shit like blocking traffic, so if they run you off (they have to warn first), just find a place with foot traffic


----------



## croc (Tuesday at 5:29 PM)

I personally try to not be flat broke, especially bc I have a dogter to worry about. Makes u feel like shit when u have no money, there's no decent food in the trash, and ppl are standoffish bc they're sick of the homeless in the area and u gotta eat mayo packets from the gas station for dinner.

If u can bring a couple hundred as back up for when u can't steal, no good trash food, and strangers won't give u the time of day it'll make ur life a lot less miserable.

U should have the option to not spend money plenty of the time if ur willing to search for food n steal tho. Plus if ur sitting outside w a pack ppl will sometimes just give u money without u asking. Hopefully that can go toward new socks, fuel or other supplies, the inevitable "I'm so sick of standing on this on ramp for 3 days fuck this I'm taking a bus" etc.

A good idea is to bring pins/buttons/small drawings or other lightweight craft to sell when ur sitting outside "for a donation" or when ppl ask what u do for money (u will get this question from almost every car that picks u up). When I ask for a donation when asked how much something is ppl often give more than I wouldve charged for a button or whatever anyway.

TLDR: bring money if u can but it should be pretty easy to not spend much if u are serious about that n not lazy. Ppl will give u money for existing outside. Consider some kind of hustle.


----------



## mellowedout (Tuesday at 9:28 PM)

A hundred dollars could last me weeks if I want.

I could also get the same amount or more (or less, but it's honestly rare) in food items or just straight up donated cash by flying a sign that says I will work for food.


----------



## tinyrainbows (Tuesday at 9:28 PM)

croc said:


> I personally try to not be flat broke, especially bc I have a dogter to worry about. Makes u feel like shit when u have no money, there's no decent food in the trash, and ppl are standoffish bc they're sick of the homeless in the area and u gotta eat mayo packets from the gas station for dinner.
> 
> If u can bring a couple hundred as back up for when u can't steal, no good trash food, and strangers won't give u the time of day it'll make ur life a lot less miserable.
> 
> ...



omg i never thought of selling stuff on the road but thats such a good idea! thank you for tha tipz!


----------



## AnywhereMan (Wednesday at 11:34 AM)

Im a smoker and beer drinker. $30 a day has me comfortable, but if ya dumpster dove and offered to sweep up fast food parking lots (they hardly actually make ya do it) it could be free.


----------



## gnorts (Wednesday at 1:53 PM)

flying is a good way to make money, but takes more time. most people ignore you but sometimes you'll get a decent kickdown of a big bill or food.
crack spanging is the most time effective in my experience. nobody gets a pass. you're more likely to meet with nasty reactions from people, but the few who do give are worth it.
if you have a skill like playing an instrument, or anything to sell to people like patches, you'll be much more noticed. i sold random pages of my sketchbook to people walking by in Miami and made enough to have a decent time.


----------



## AnywhereMan (Wednesday at 2:07 PM)

gnorts said:


> flying is a good way to make money, but takes more time. most people ignore you but sometimes you'll get a decent kickdown of a big bill or food.
> crack spanging is the most time effective in my experience. nobody gets a pass. you're more likely to meet with nasty reactions from people, but the few who do give are worth it.
> if you have a skill like playing an instrument, or anything to sell to people like patches, you'll be much more noticed. i sold random pages of my sketchbook to people walking by in Miami and made enough to have a decent time.



Ive been busking a month, and theres definitely a huge difference in income and hospitality. I only get run off 90% of the time instead of 95% 😂


----------



## Scrubydon (Wednesday at 5:21 PM)

$20 a day is where I can be happy. Smokes, a few beers, a box of Mac N cheese to cook for dinner and still got change for a yogurt the next morning. I try not to be broke through. Having nothing in your pockets sucks.


----------



## sevedemanos (Wednesday at 6:51 PM)

as it happens only hitching ive ever done was when i was flat broke or close to it and stranded somewhere away from the rails. so not a whole lot. in general i spend a lot more on beer than food in a typical week.

a fourty of 211, 5 dollars
a sandwhich and some chips for after i drain the thing, 8 and some change in foodstamps

more to the point though theres usually a foodbank nearby, and flying a sign for a few hours at the offramps can be an ok plan c for when local cvs / dominoes / grocers have their food dumps all locked up like absolute savages. 

im not a people person though and hate begging, so rarely travel without a wad of savings these days. getting old and lazy ig


----------



## mellowedout (Wednesday at 11:10 PM)

Wanted to add to the instrument thing and flying a sign : 

I only ever flew a sign WITH a ukelele. I would set the sign up and jam my little heart out.

I 100% believe that a smile and a skill will set you so far apart from the average guy or gal holding a sign, as well as not looking like a fucking crackhead.

You don't have to know how to play, also; sometimes, when I was creatively sapped but needed to keep flying, I would just bar 3rd fret to 5th fret back and forth (so ez, you literally just hold down all the strings, or if lazy just the bottom string) and strum rhythmically.

Also, you can normally make enough money to buy a cheap ukelele from flying the sign. It's a pretty simple way to really stand out a bit with absolutely no skill at all. Just strum the damn thing, they're in a car anyways, they barely ever hear you.


----------

