Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

BoredPanda Add post form topAdd Post Search
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Homeless Teen Goes Viral With 19M Views After Showing How He Prepares His Food
User submission
217.2K

Homeless Teen Goes Viral With 19M Views After Showing How He Prepares His Food

ADVERTISEMENT

People become homeless for various reasons, but regardless of the motive, the need to survive is real. This homeless teenager decided to open a TikTok account and show how he cooks his meals and on how little a person can survive when in need. Calling himself @randomhomelessguy2, he now has nearly 580k followers for having only 3 videos.

His first TikTok was viewed more than 18.5m times. You can check out the cost-efficient meals he prepares using only a few things below and share your thoughts in the comments.

More info: TikTok

This homeless teenager shared a video that went viral overnight of how he cooks meals in a park

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

The hardship of being homeless is unfortunate, but this TikTok user decided to share how he prepares meals and actually does that with a very tight budget. The teenage @randomhomelessguy2 posted his first TikTok showing how he sets everything up for cooking in a local park that is equipped with power outlets and has drinking water fountains.

He uses water from drinking fountains and has bought an electric cooker, which he plugs into an outlet in a public park

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

He starts the video by plugging in his cooker, bought for 15 dollars at Walmart and fills up a $3 pot with water he got from a water fountain. He then chops up hot dogs with a plastic knife, adds noodles and pasta sauce—all 1 dollar each. Some of the users note that @randomhomelessguy2 cooks better than they do when he whips up a meal that cost him 3 bucks.

ADVERTISEMENT

He cuts up the hot dog sausages with a plastic knife

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

All of the ingredients he used for cooking in this video were $1 each

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

The comments were exploding with concerned people suggesting to set up a GoFundMe, CashApp, and Venmo for him and his mother in order to add some cash to his daily budget.

Although some people were feeling quite altruistic, some users suggested he should sell his phone in order to have more money and even questioned the authenticity of his homelessness as he can afford to have a cellphone.

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

No pasta is complete without a sauce

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

One TikTok user, @sovietman535, questioned how the teenager is homeless and is still making TikToks, to which @randomhomelessguy2 answered with another video. According to the homeless teenager, he has an iPhone 11 that his mom bought for him last year at the beginning of 2020 before becoming homeless—and it has been his most cherished item that he has ever owned. In the comments, he thanked everyone for the concern, but declined the financial help.

ADVERTISEMENT

And the meal is ready!

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

The TikTok video showing how the homeless teenager prepares his meals now has 19m views

@randomhomelessguy2##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##food ##homeless♬ Coffee for Your Head – Vinyll

In his second video, he shared that his budget that day was $1.25

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

The second video starts with him explaining that the budget of the day is $1.25—but luckily he has some ramen noodles for 50 cents each that he had in his backpack for about a week. He buys sourdough French bread that he shares with his mom, according to the video. He prepares the noodles using a park’s electric outlet, his electric stove and pot filled with water from drinking fountain. He seasons the noodles and stuffs them in the bread he bought at Walmart.

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

He used $0.50-a-pack ramen noodles he had in his backpack from the week before

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

Together with his mom, @randomhomelessguy2 are living in their car. They both have phones and their contract includes unlimited data; because of that, he is able to watch videos and make his own TikToks.

The teenager eats from the same pan he used to make the noodles

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

The bread bought for $1.25 he shared with his mom

Image credits: randomhomelessguy2

And here you can check out the full video made by @randomhomelessguy2

@randomhomelessguy2Thanks for 100 k guys 🔥💙👍🏽🙏🏽 ##fyp ##foryou ##foryoupage ##food ##homeless♬ Coffee for Your Head – Vinyll

In his recent TikTok, he expressed understanding of doubts from the online community questioning his situation and the teenager agrees that some accounts are often chasing after fame.

He thanked the viewers for support and their encouraging words. According to Homeless Children’s Education Fund, as many as 62% of youth experiencing homelessness have cell phones. In fact, they share that having a cellphone is a great way to locate resources that can help people to battle the hardship. Cellphones can also help with the isolation homeless people are facing—it helps them to connect with friends and family they might have and it’s also very important to be reachable in the process of job hunting.

ADVERTISEMENT

Many people expressed their surprise, concern, and support, as well as being impressed with the teenager’s resourcefulness

ADVERTISEMENT

217Kviews

Share on Facebook
Irmante Sungailaite

Irmante Sungailaite

Author, Community member

Read more »

After graduating Media and Photography in the United Kingdom, Irmante got drawn into the captivating world of travelling and spent most of the years on the road discovering cultures, learning languages and meeting the most fascinating people. If not writing articles for Bored Panda readers she can be found listening to jazz in Ethiopia, sipping flat whites in Australia or trekking Guatemalan jungles. Her likes include films by Wes Anderson, pseudoscientific practices and being obsessed with everything Mexico and Central America. Her friends mainly describe her as inquisitive, adventurous, and caring.

Read less »
Irmante Sungailaite

Irmante Sungailaite

Author, Community member

After graduating Media and Photography in the United Kingdom, Irmante got drawn into the captivating world of travelling and spent most of the years on the road discovering cultures, learning languages and meeting the most fascinating people. If not writing articles for Bored Panda readers she can be found listening to jazz in Ethiopia, sipping flat whites in Australia or trekking Guatemalan jungles. Her likes include films by Wes Anderson, pseudoscientific practices and being obsessed with everything Mexico and Central America. Her friends mainly describe her as inquisitive, adventurous, and caring.

Lukas Garnelis

Lukas Garnelis

Author, Community member

Read more »

Lukas is a photo editor at Bored Panda. 4th year in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University as a graphic designer. Can do whatever he sets his mind to.

Read less »

Lukas Garnelis

Lukas Garnelis

Author, Community member

Lukas is a photo editor at Bored Panda. 4th year in Vilnius Gediminas Technical University as a graphic designer. Can do whatever he sets his mind to.

Start the discussion
Add photo comments
POST
terybriggs avatar
Mama Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I escaped a sex trafficking ring when I was in my 20s and it caused me to be homeless for about 8 months. I didn't know anyone and I was a couple thousand miles from home. This was before cell phones were popular and the only people that owned them were the rich snobs. I did what I had to do to survive like dumpster diving before it was cool, slept in a cardboard box to protect myself from the weather, carried a handmade knife to protect myself and hustled pool when I got the chance. I learned a lot about myself and how naive I had been about people in general. For the most part, people are just downright judgemental and cruel. It was tough but I learned many valuable lessons during that time that I will never forget. To those here in the comments: Stop judging people until you walk in their shoes and then keep it to yourself! Show some kindness to others, it's the right thing to do.

ddpruitt7 avatar
DeeAnn Pruitt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I lived in a homeless shelter for 6 mths with my children, all while employed. All it takes is one bad decision, one lost paycheck, and you can experience it too. It was humbling and damned difficult, but we made it through. It changes your perspective, it changes your willingness to change things. This is reality for so many people.

christine-backbay avatar
Uncommon Boston
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A homeless man told me it is a lot of work to be homeless. One afternoon a week he could do laundry for free. A few days a week he could get a shower. To get a bed he had to be at the shelter before it opened. He had terrible dyslexia and despite years are trying, he couldn't read.

Load More Comments
terybriggs avatar
Mama Panda
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I escaped a sex trafficking ring when I was in my 20s and it caused me to be homeless for about 8 months. I didn't know anyone and I was a couple thousand miles from home. This was before cell phones were popular and the only people that owned them were the rich snobs. I did what I had to do to survive like dumpster diving before it was cool, slept in a cardboard box to protect myself from the weather, carried a handmade knife to protect myself and hustled pool when I got the chance. I learned a lot about myself and how naive I had been about people in general. For the most part, people are just downright judgemental and cruel. It was tough but I learned many valuable lessons during that time that I will never forget. To those here in the comments: Stop judging people until you walk in their shoes and then keep it to yourself! Show some kindness to others, it's the right thing to do.

ddpruitt7 avatar
DeeAnn Pruitt
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I lived in a homeless shelter for 6 mths with my children, all while employed. All it takes is one bad decision, one lost paycheck, and you can experience it too. It was humbling and damned difficult, but we made it through. It changes your perspective, it changes your willingness to change things. This is reality for so many people.

christine-backbay avatar
Uncommon Boston
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A homeless man told me it is a lot of work to be homeless. One afternoon a week he could do laundry for free. A few days a week he could get a shower. To get a bed he had to be at the shelter before it opened. He had terrible dyslexia and despite years are trying, he couldn't read.

Load More Comments
You May Like
Popular on Bored Panda
Popular on Bored Panda
Trending on Bored Panda
Also on Bored Panda