so, what is less wasteful, in terms of utilizing time - going to work to pay for a nicer apartment, or backpacking around the province looking for somewhere to set back up again?

i mean, if i'm wasting all of my time looking for somewhere to stay anyways, why not just get a job?

the difference is that the backpacking is short term. i could very well waste far more of my time looking for an apartment in the short run than i would if i just got a job, but at least there's an end point to it. so, short-term homelessness provides a level of hope that long-term employment cannot provide for.

it is consequently preferable to be homeless in the short run than it is to be employed in the long run.