Depressme...
I too feel as you do...
I have my little modest house, but I really just exist paycheck to paycheck. I manage to pay my bills each month and then struggle to get to the next paycheck. I don't shop for clothes or other extravagances. Can't afford it, but i"m content in my little nest, with my teaching job and my independence.
A counselor once asked me, "What is most important to you?" to whch I answered without hesitation, "The ability to take care of myself."
That's what I strive to do, financially and emotionally.
Kudos to you for having lived on the street and "in a box!"
Love
Patty