The Escape Plan

Every person in an abusive situation needs an escape plan.  I ran a search for domestic abuse escape plans and I found many lacking.  Perhaps this is going under the assumption that the abuse is physical and life threatening, or that the victim is being held under such tight control that opportunities to escape are few and far between.  I am planning, and recommending, that if you are in a situation similar to mine you have an emergency plan and a long term escape plan.

So, what to pack?  This is what I keep in my purse:

• Driver's License
• Debit card
• Cash
• Social Security cards for myself and my son
• Birth certificates for myself and my son
• Insurance cards
• Public assistance card
• An extra key to the car
• Index card with medications and dosages listed.
• Small bag of jewelry to sell.

That is in case I am in such immediate danger, or I get kicked out of the house so suddenly that I don't have time to pack anything.  

My long term plan... This is something that I struggle with daily.  My goal is to be able to disappear one day when no one is home.  This is going to be incredibly hard to accomplish, but if I can pull it off it will be one of less conflict.  I would rather leave furniture behind because it's easily replaceable IF I have to leave stuff.  The priority is getting our clothing, sentimental items, children's things, and household items.  So here is my plan step by step.

1. Get a PO Box to keep the abusers from going through my mail.  Small amounts of privacy make me feel better.
2. Rent a storage unit near work so I can stash things that won't fit in my purse in case of an emergency.  Divorce and custody paperwork, clothing that is more than what we are wearing, sentimental things I would be upset if I never saw again, my old artwork, etc.  This would be significantly less expensive for someone else if they had a friend or family member with some storage space.  I don't know anyone here well enough to ask as I was just relocated.
3. Use services like Freelancer.com, oDesk.com, and Elancer.com to find online work that no one knows about and will allow me to save money.  List my website and services on Craigslist.  Work on CafePress store as well.  There is a lot of online money to be made, I just need to grab a piece of that pie and keep it well hidden.
4. Hide the money in a secret account.  I'm afraid of just stashing cash because my living spaces get snooped regularly.  I don't care if it's a secret bank account or a loadable debit card or PayPal as long as no one knows about it.
5. Procure a vehicle secretly.  It doesn't have to be anything expensive or great.  I'm ok with a beater car for a short time.  This is possibly more difficult than leaving the house in one day, what with registration and insurance.  The boyfriend might be able and willing to help with this process, physically if not financially.  This will be essential to my escape as the vehicle I'm driving belongs to the abusers.  The vehicle will have to be stored, so there is a cost but it is crucial.

Any progress towards the long term goal is still progress.  Having $500 saved is still $500 saved even if it's not my goal of $5000.  Any of my things stashed in storage is still something I don't have to worry about getting out later.  It's all a step in the right direction towards freedom.