Because resources are scarce amidst the community—money, food, etc.—and the needs of the community are always there, many resources get used up quickly. But because more resources become available quickly, even daily, there is an expectation that resources can be gotten and so they are used up. In the homeless community, resources are not to be saved or reserved, but used. This is connected with the low-level fatalism in the homeless community, for what happens tomorrow is in the hands of fate and what happens is what will happen.
This idea is also given because of the nature of the items the homeless obtain. That which is given to the homeless, or obtained through inexpensive or free means is low quality and is not meant to last over the long term. Food is on the edge of going bad, the socks they are given are cheap, and even tarps and blankets are usually inexpensive and some are even unable to be washed. This only firms up the idea that what one gets is for today, not necessarily tomorrow.
This also adds to one’s ability to give to others. If resources are not for the morrow, then they can freely share with others what they have today.
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