Ah. You were bound to hear from me on this one Marion!
Step one is to get a good, reliable bus. Then kit it out for sleeping and eating the way you like it. It will pay for itself within the first few weeks. You may even be able to sell it afterwards. You will never see your bus and train fare money again. You will never see hotel/hostel money again. Even if you only take breakfast in your bus, it will save you a considerable amount of money within days. Public transport runs to suit the needs of the local citizenry rather than visiting buskers. Time is money as much to a busker as it is to any other self employed person. I have been on the road without a bus and I swear by all your gods that I will never do it again. The most important thing you should do when you get to a town is to play straight away. If you have to worry about finding a bed for the night or look for a place to eat nearby, you have already lost time. If the town proves unplayable, you get get on your way to the next buskable town. Bearing in mind that North America is far larger than the area where I busk, the logistics must be even tougher. I'll post more later. PM me by all means.