Half a BILLION dollar Mega Millions

[1osfan]

If you won the lottery, I think everyone would pay off debts, buy a house (or 2), a new car (or several), and all of the other things that you always hear people talking about.

With the current $540 million jackpot, you could literacy buy almost anything. My mother and I got to talking the other day that if one of us won, we would take pretty much everyone in our family to WDW and on a Disney Cruise.

This got me thinking - since the people on this board are Disney fanatics, what, Disneywise, would you do if you won half a billion dollars? Having always stayed at a Value resort and carefully planning the financial aspects of a trip, I am curious to hear about the things that people would do if they did not have to think about the cost.

 

[AnjieNet]

We promised my daughter if we won we'd take her and her closest 5 friends on a 10 day trip to WDW. She's sure we are going to win! I'd love to do a deluxe, just to see what all the hype is about and do some of the tours and the VIP stuff. I want to see people watching us and wonder just who we are when we pass by with our castmember. Other than that, I'd just enjoy our time together without the worries of our budget going over!

 

[MSSANDRA]

I love playing the "what if" game. I would not buy a new house. We love our modest home on family land. I would buy a beach house on the coast about 4 hours from our home and a new car for each of us. Ours are both about 10 years old. We have no debt but would love to help a few family members get rid of some. We would donate a huge about to our favorite charities and then TRAVEL. We would buy APs for WDW and would love planning a non budget trip. We have loved a lot of different budget trips so not sure how much better it would get We would visit DL too as well as travel many other places!

Considering however, we do not buy lottery tickets, doubt it's going to happen!

 

[shortbun]

I'd be doing the real countries in the World Showcase. No WDW for me, lol! I'm headed to Italy and China and Mexico and Japan. Around the world I would go!!! No debt right now. I'd stop off in the Outer Banks, buy myself a very nice beach house and stay in it while I planned the rest of my trip. Something about sitting on the beach, planning a massive trip around the world-with a mojito-sounds pretty therapeutic. I'd also set up a charitable foundation which gifted it's earnings and supported some local needs.

 

[LuvLuvLuv]

Lol--we were just talking about this at lunch today!

Of course I'd finsh up what little debt I have left, my student loan, SUV and condo. Probably get a new SUV and freshen the wardrobe next. I would take care of my family's needs next. DH said that we should buy a place in Golden Oaks... but I think I would rather just use Florida as a vacation spot and purchase tons of DVC points. I'd invest a lot. We'd get a new place as well, and then travel around the world

Gotta have dreams right?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'd set aside 1/2 of it to spend on fast cars and loose women. I'd probably waste the other half

 

[SleepyatDVC]

Since this is only a game...

The following would depend on if we were the only winners. LOL.

Pay off our mortgage. Pay off my parent's mortgage.

Fund college funds for our 2 kids and our 9 nieces and nephews at $100K @

Probably make lump sum gifts of a certain amount to each sibling's family with the understanding that this would be IT.

Plan and take ANOTHER family trip to WDW - maybe with EXTENDED family this time on our dime.

Travel and/or cruise around the world.

Beach house in Florida.

Fund enough investments to live off of with the principal going to our kids one day.

Then put the REST in a charitable foundation - set up and maintained my our family to make better use of the money in ways that are better than just being spent by us.

 

[Karenj2]

I play the lottery with my coworkers, so if we won, I'd ONLY get 1/10th of the cut. ($5.4 million) Take out a third of that for taxes, and I'd be left with ~$3.6 million.

With that, I'd buy into DVC (putting aside extra for MFs), put aside $$ for our kid(s) to go to college, pay off our house & make any changes to it that I've been dreaming about, and give to the charities we already give to. We *might* give a small amount to immediate family only (mostly the kids), but the rest would go into savings/CDs/mutual funds.

 

[HS3kids]

Oh this is fun!
We would:

pay off our mortgage
add onto the house/remodel
upgrade to an inground pool, landscape, fence in
new cars for all
lump sum gifts to family and close friends
buy an rv and travel
Huge trip to disney
maybe buy DVC
pay for the rest of dd1's college education and pay off her loan
college funds for all kids
hire a housekeeper
not work anymore/ volunteer at kids schools
charity donations

I better go buy some tickets! lol

 

[jedijill]

I play the lottery with my coworkers, so if we won, I'd ONLY get 1/10th of the cut. ($5.4 million) Take out a third of that for taxes, and I'd be left with ~$3.6 million.

With that, I'd buy into DVC (putting aside extra for MFs), put aside $$ for our kid(s) to go to college, pay off our house & make any changes to it that I've been dreaming about, and give to the charities we already give to. We *might* give a small amount to immediate family only (mostly the kids), but the rest would go into savings/CDs/mutual funds.

You might want to redo your math. You would actually get $54 million!

Jill in CO

 

[scrapquitler]

If you won the lottery, I think everyone would pay off debts, buy a house (or 2), a new car (or several), and all of the other things that you always hear people talking about.

With the current $540 million jackpot, you could literacy buy almost anything. My mother and I got to talking the other day that if one of us won, we would take pretty much everyone in our family to WDW and on a Disney Cruise.

This got me thinking - since the people on this board are Disney fanatics, what, Disneywise, would you do if you won half a billion dollars? Having always stayed at a Value resort and carefully planning the financial aspects of a trip, I am curious to hear about the things that people would do if they did not have to think about the cost.

My husband and I would be going on an all out Deluxe Disney world tour to all the Disney owned parks around the world

 

[scrapquitler]

I play the lottery with my coworkers, so if we won, I'd ONLY get 1/10th of the cut. ($5.4 million) Take out a third of that for taxes, and I'd be left with ~$3.6 million.

With that, I'd buy into DVC (putting aside extra for MFs), put aside $$ for our kid(s) to go to college, pay off our house & make any changes to it that I've been dreaming about, and give to the charities we already give to. We *might* give a small amount to immediate family only (mostly the kids), but the rest would go into savings/CDs/mutual funds.

It's 540 million, so your 1/10 share would be 54 million, not 5.4 million. That might change your plans a little

 

[huskies90]

You realize that the odds of winning are the same as getting mauled by a polar bear and a regular bear on the same day, right?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

You realize that the odds of winning are the same as getting mauled by a polar bear and a regular bear on the same day, right?

Great, now I'm gonna have nightmares!

 

[Mkebound]

You are 500 times more likely to be struck by lighting than you are to win a lotto jackpot over 100 million.

 

[Elleshoodat]

Technically I would only walk away with $389 million because I'm taking the lump sum (the one thing I remember from ECON) ... but I would buy at Golden Oak for SURE!

 

[Hoodie]

Well, first thing I would do is hire a lawyer and a financial planner.

Pay off all the bills. Discuss where we want the new house.

lump sum gifts for family members with clarification that it's one time. (my MIL already put on my FB page that if for some reason I win, I can buy "everyone" houses and give them cash. Hope it's not part of her financial plan).

Have a long discussion over where we live, how much we continue to work.

A lot to charity.

It's so much money, it's almost overwhelming to think about it.

 

[RitaE]

You are 500 times more likely to be struck by lighting than you are to win a lotto jackpot over 100 million.

But planning for that scenario isn't nearly as much fun.

 

[alex9179]

It's like dreaming about having super powers! However, in this dream you don't have to pick one

Pay off the house. We'd stay here until our favorite neighbors moved or the kids moved out, whichever comes first. I would start some serious remodeling and appliance shopping, along with some easy DIY projects for fun.

See to our parents' retirement peace of mind.

Lump sums to other family members.

Figure out how to give to the various charities we have a connection to.

New vehicle for DH.

Travel. As a family.
Travel. By myself and with friends/relatives while DH stays with the kids.
Travel. DH gets his trips while I stay with the kids

 

[KennesawNemo]

I will do these things:

1. Pay off mortgage on your current house. Buy a new house in a better school district.

2. Set aside enough money for private college and medical school. I don't expect DS to go that route, just in case he wants to.

3. Give a big sum to my parents so they can, for once, live not so frugal. Although I doubt they ever will.

4. Buy new cars for everyone. I want a HUMMER. My husband said I won't be able to park it anywhere but I don't care. I am rich enough to pay for double parking tickets.

5. Start a scholarship at my undergraduate university for girls from rural area.

6. Having more kids.

7. Work part time. I still want to work and I am not a bit interested in having my own business.

LoL, it's a dream so anything can happen.