What would you do if you won the lottery?

[Nessa 23]

Gupt's thread about money gave me the idea for this thread. What would you do if you received a lot of money (talking millions) either lottery, someone just gave it to you or inherited.

I would keep my lifestyle, probably not move from this house but I'd redecorate and expand (swimming pool, getting rid of carpets, etc). I'd invest the money so hubby and I could live of the interest, take some classes, maybe go back to college and work for free doing something I love, like become a photographer and travel the world with my hubby. Maybe hubby would work less (I know he'd want to keep working). Anyway, what would you do?

[PlatyPius 5]

My lifestyle would remain about the same. I'd invest some so I could live off of the interest, etc. I'd help family and friends, as well as the Arbor Day Foundation, Nature Conservancy, and a few others. I'd stop working for other people. I would finish restoring/remodelling my house and then buy some old houses here in town, fix them up (restoration), then sell them.

I'd buy a cottage and as much land as I could get in Scotland. Sian tells me that the land around the lochs is getting developed now and the areas are losing their charm and "wild" bits. I'd buy as much as I could so there would still be such a place in the future.

[peejay 327]

My wife buys the scratch offs and plays the various lottos regularly. She dreams of winning millions. The odds against it though. Fortunately she doesn't spend a lot of $$$ on her addiction. No harm done. And if she wins I'm entitled to half as Texas is a community property state.

If she won? You can bet I'd never spend another miserable week working my a$$ off. I can only dream and keep on working.

[cbd2cai 0]

It depends on how much . . . $1,000,000 win doesn't go too far after you pay taxes. Hey, $100,000,000 would be good!

I'd definitely like to have enough to retire . . . but that would be sort of a moot point . . . I'd always have to do something, so I'd be using the money to maybe find something else to keep me busy or allow me to work a different type of job. Hard to say but I guess I better not speculate too much cause it will make me start moaning about how tired I am of the rat race, LOL.

[Otto 83]

I play fairly regularly and part of the fun of playing is I can stick that ticket in my wallet and dream a bit.

Of course I am well aware of the realities - although in an office I worked at a number of years ago, ten of us (together) won $100,000 once.. so it is possible...

Anyway..w/out going into all the dirty details..at least the Acceptance Speech (you know, the big-check ceremony on the evening news..) will begin like this....

"Id like the thank X, Y and Z and the following people can kiss my A** (longer list)"

[missjones 0]

If I won the lottery my lifestyle would probably remain the same. I would invest and save for college for my unborn child (I am 3 months preg.) I would pay off bills, student loans, and donate some to Amnesty International (I love what they do.) I would save some to pay for my master's degree and help deserving family and friends. But most importantly, I would contact USCIS and tell them to burn my petition with a cigarette lighter (especially that prison photo I submitted with my G-325A) and move back to JA to be with my hubby.

[~Chad~ 0]

I would definitely quit my job. Travel, Health & Fitness, and having fun!

[Cassie 8]

We amuse ourselves with this question all the time, and we have a good idea what we want to do with any sort of significant windfall:

10% automatically goes to church/charity, then pay off our car and house.

We would then place the remainder in a high yield savings account for a year and do some research in investing and finding an investment counselor to trust.

Then we'd give some to our parents, and siblings and their families -- particularly setting aside a chunk for each of our four nieces and nephews for future education opportunities.

Then we'd go to some select family and friends and say the following to them: "What bill keeps you up at night?" and pay it off for them. And that's the only bill we'd pay off.

Then we'd buy some property on the ocean in Nova Scotia.

The rest would be invested in such a way so that we can pursue our interests in writing, photography, and other creative things. Oh, and travel. We want to see the world together.

[Niels Bohr 72]

I would buy three house. One in three different countries. They will be located in Thailand, Cambodia, and USA. Since I am a citizen in those countries, I can call each one home! And, if my wife visa is denied all I have to do is move there. Hehehe.

[Nagishkaw 510]

It's a secret. shhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Angel7422 0]

Lets see, If I won the BIG lotto and/or sweepstakes I'd:

Do major home improvements on our home

Pay off credit cards, loans (car, etc)

Buy my parents a new home and invest a few dollars for them so when they get older they would have little worries

Start college fund for our future kids

Do something nice for our family in Egypt

Buy some land to build our dream house on

Invest some for our future

Take a trip or two

Buy a new car

College tuition for hubby

Maybe a few classes for me

Donate some money to a few worthy charities (to help others)

Put some money aside for each of my nieces and nephews (no i wouldnt make their parents the trustees, they would only blow it on fake nails, fake hair, and probably booze)

I doubt I would quit working because health insurance is so expensive and right now my premium via my job is not that expensive, as my coverage is free so far that is and right now i only pay dependent coverage for hubby. (But I would take lots of family vacations) I know paying health insurance premium for family coverage on top of copay and prescriptions out-of-pocket would eat a hole in that money. I am sure there is more that i would do but this is a start.

[KarenCee 3]

We wouldn't change our lifestyle. There's really no reason to. We'd definately get out of debt and invest as much as possible, living off the interest. I would still want to work, winning that kind of money isn't a reason to not work. We want to have a home in Nova Scotia too as well as our dream home here. Our daughter's college education would be paid for by investments as well. I would want my husband to study and obtain his private pilot's license and of course, we'd have to buy that Lear Jet we've been looking at. I have no family to help but we'd definately do things for his family. Last but not least, my husband would want to create a foundation for premature babies and their mothers as well as mothers who suffer the loss of their preemie in honour of my twin sons Michael Evan and Matthew Ethan.

[gwen75 0]

DEFINITELY change my lifestyle!!

buy a house (or 2)

help both our families and put aside college funds for the nephews on both sides

and spend our lives doing what we want to do! no more working just for the paycheck

[Fuzzness 2]

tell everyone to #### off

[mawilson 2,133]

My lifestyle would remain about the same. I'd invest some so I could live off of the interest, etc. I'd help family and friends, as well as the Arbor Day Foundation, Nature Conservancy, and a few others. I'd stop working for other people. I would finish restoring/remodelling my house and then buy some old houses here in town, fix them up (restoration), then sell them.

I'd buy a cottage and as much land as I could get in Scotland. Sian tells me that the land around the lochs is getting developed now and the areas are losing their charm and "wild" bits. I'd buy as much as I could so there would still be such a place in the future.

Now I can see why Sian married you