If you won a large sum of money

[Planogirl]

I wouldn't tell anyone the details but I might later on admit to having won SOME money. I'd like to help out a bit but wouldn't want anyone to know exactly how much I have.

 

[Ciao Mickey]

From the Powerball (under FAQ)

CAN I REMAIN ANONYMOUS WHEN I HIT THE JACKPOT?
All but three states (DE, KS, ND) have laws that require the lottery to release the name and city of residence to anyone who asks. One state (SC) will keep your name secret if you request it, but if someone files a Freedom of Information Act request, you may have to file a plea with the judge to deny it. Another state (OK) now has a law that allows you to claim in a trust and to keep your name from the press (though the lottery will run checks on you). Photos and press conferences are up to you for most, but not all states. Check with your state lottery to see if photos or more are required. Most of the time, it is advisable to get it over with the press so that you don't have one or more reporters following you around to get that "exclusive" interview. A few more lotteries may work with you on setting up a trust or other partnership. You or your representative should contact the lottery for the details after you win.

 

[FireDancer]

It wouldn't work. The person needs to have a face, for the reasons I've mentioned above regarding the accountability of the lottery. There aren't attorneys who specialize in that, because it isn't done, there's plenty of legal jargon on the tickets, or "available for review" to protect the lottery. How many Powerballs have been claimed by a LLC? The Attorneys suggest you go and claim it with any family you'd like to split it with, for tax reasons. ie. my wife and I bought the ticket as opposed to I bought the ticket.

According to this and this article I can use a blind trust here in Ohio so that is what I would do. I've never bought a ticket in another state so I am not concerned with their laws. Of course I am not anticipating winning so I won't worry about it unless it becomes an issue.

 

[mefordis]

Yes, I would tell my family and also take them all to WDW!! I'd also help them out with my niece and nephew's college, depending on how much $$ I won.

 

[suejai]

Well, I will let you know tomorrow, because we are winning the big $40 million tonight. Of course I will have to change my name right after but I'll message from the Bahamas

 

[Sorsha]

Ok, let's see... if it was a LOT of money - powerball jackpot, or the like.

Pay off my mortgage, and the mortgages of my parents, my DH's parents, my brother and wife's mortgage, DH's sister and her husband's mortgage, and my best friend's mortgage.

Then we would buy a gorgeous mansion in FL, close to WDW, on the central-east coast. Also would have a second home here in Montana, smaller but still beautiful, on a lake, to use in the summers. Would sign over my current home, in its paid-off state, to my other best friend. She's a single mom who lives in a crappy mobile home and struggles to stay afloat most months.

Next would set up college funds for my three girls, my 2 neices and one nephew, and our two friends' kids. One friend has 3 boys, the other has one son.

DH and I would get new cars, and DH would get a boat to use on the lakes here in MT when we were at the summer house.

I would buy a HUGE amount of DVC points, and annual passes for my whole family.

DH and I would each choose a charity and make donations.

The rest of the money, if there were any left over LOL, would go into super-secure, interest-bearing bank accounts, CDs, bonds, whatever-financial-doohickies were appropriate. I would keep an attorney and a financial planner on retainer.

 

[crz4mm2]

If I won a LARGE sum, then yes. I would share with the family. First things first though, my bills, then DD and DS's stuff.
I would take a long *** vacation

 

[Sorsha]

1. I would no longer peel or steam off uncancelled postage stamps.

2. When dining out, I would no longer agonize over the relative value of one appetizer over another on a dollars per ounce basis.

3. I would no longer deduct the tax from my restaurant bill before I calculate the tip.

4. I would no longer begrudge the checkroom woman her tip.

5. I would no longer park my car five blocks away from a restaurant or hotel to avoid valet parking.

6. I would no longer walk across the street to avoid a street musician with his open guitar case obstructing the sidewalk.

7. I would no longer belong to any organization that required my presence at 8 o’clock or (shudder) earlier in the morning ... any morning.

8. I would no longer compare supermarket prices of tuna fish. Or cereal.

9. I would no longer purchase supermarket flowers.

10. I would no longer wait for my favorite brand of soda to go on sale or settle for a generic brand.

11. I would no longer buy the economy size of anything that tends to get soggy, go flat, or smell yucky toward the end of its life.

12. With respect to opened milk containers, I would no longer resolve doubt in favor of freshness.

13. I would no longer scrape the sides of peanut butter jars.

14. I would no longer precariously drain ketchup from one bottle to another.

15. I would no longer scrape melons to the rind.

16. I would no longer drink tap water.

17. I would no longer eat leftovers. Come to think of it, I would no longer place leftovers in my refrigerator. In fact I would no longer have use for plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

18. I would no longer put up with dull knives, dull scissors, or dull people at cocktail parties.

19. I would no longer borrow my neighbor’s snow blower. In fact, I would no longer personally remove snow from my driveway or anyone else’s. Or even the walkway.

20. I would no longer buy seats in the bleachers.

21. I would no longer be tempted to buy a monstrously large popcorn and drink at the movies merely because it’s the best value.

22. I would never again see the inside of a store whose last four letters are “MART”.

23. I would no longer buy my clothing out of season.

24. I would no longer wear jeans with holes in them (unless fashion designers made it clear that they looked coolest that way).

25. I would no longer check my watch before I began a long-distance call and every minute thereafter.

26. I would no longer fill up with the lowest grade of gasoline. And I would never again pump gas myself.

27. I would no longer keep toll receipts.

28. I would no longer keep a list of books to watch for – a year after publication – when they are scheduled to come out in paperback.

29. I would no longer reuse mouse traps.

30. Finally, I would no longer open any envelope on which Ed McMahon’s face appeared.

These are great! In addition to my plans just above, I resolve to adopt all of these as well.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

If it was really big, like $300 million. . .

Ooohhh. First off, I'd set up a trust that would pay off my my DB and DSIL's home, then buy them a sturdy second vehicle, and then send them a set amount every month so that my DSIL wouldn't have to work.

Then. . .hmmm. . .buy a big piece of land and build a house, or see if there are any historic homes on the market that need restoration. We'd get a financial planner to set up our money so we'd have a fixed income for life. Put a couple of dear relations through college. Travel a bit. I'd go back to school and become an archaeologist or just study religions for a while.

I do suspect that there would be a few trips to Disney in there.

 

[cntrygal]

If it was a really big jackpot, i would buy enough DVC point to just move into one of the grand villas

 

[disney1990]

1. I would no longer peel or steam off uncancelled postage stamps.

2. When dining out, I would no longer agonize over the relative value of one appetizer over another on a dollars per ounce basis.

3. I would no longer deduct the tax from my restaurant bill before I calculate the tip.

4. I would no longer begrudge the checkroom woman her tip.

5. I would no longer park my car five blocks away from a restaurant or hotel to avoid valet parking.

6. I would no longer walk across the street to avoid a street musician with his open guitar case obstructing the sidewalk.

7. I would no longer belong to any organization that required my presence at 8 o’clock or (shudder) earlier in the morning ... any morning.

8. I would no longer compare supermarket prices of tuna fish. Or cereal.

9. I would no longer purchase supermarket flowers.

10. I would no longer wait for my favorite brand of soda to go on sale or settle for a generic brand.

11. I would no longer buy the economy size of anything that tends to get soggy, go flat, or smell yucky toward the end of its life.

12. With respect to opened milk containers, I would no longer resolve doubt in favor of freshness.

13. I would no longer scrape the sides of peanut butter jars.

14. I would no longer precariously drain ketchup from one bottle to another.

15. I would no longer scrape melons to the rind.

16. I would no longer drink tap water.

17. I would no longer eat leftovers. Come to think of it, I would no longer place leftovers in my refrigerator. In fact I would no longer have use for plastic wrap or aluminum foil.

18. I would no longer put up with dull knives, dull scissors, or dull people at cocktail parties.

19. I would no longer borrow my neighbor’s snow blower. In fact, I would no longer personally remove snow from my driveway or anyone else’s. Or even the walkway.

20. I would no longer buy seats in the bleachers.

21. I would no longer be tempted to buy a monstrously large popcorn and drink at the movies merely because it’s the best value.

22. I would never again see the inside of a store whose last four letters are “MART”.

23. I would no longer buy my clothing out of season.

24. I would no longer wear jeans with holes in them (unless fashion designers made it clear that they looked coolest that way).

25. I would no longer check my watch before I began a long-distance call and every minute thereafter.

26. I would no longer fill up with the lowest grade of gasoline. And I would never again pump gas myself.

27. I would no longer keep toll receipts.

28. I would no longer keep a list of books to watch for – a year after publication – when they are scheduled to come out in paperback.

29. I would no longer reuse mouse traps.

30. Finally, I would no longer open any envelope on which Ed McMahon’s face appeared.

This is kind of funny because the richest people out there are the most frugal with their money. Must be why they still have it.

 

[golfgal]

I would tell select family members, others would not hear a thing and I would do what I could to keep it as quiet as possible. I already know who I would go to first if I won, a financial planner and an attorney and would work from there on their suggestions.

 

[lacrosse_lady72]

I think it has a lot to do with the amount of money I would get...

I would definitely like to keep enough to live comfortably for the rest of my life without working. Not that I don't want to work, as I'd keep my job, but just in case something happened, I would want to make sure I have back up. I would feel really stupid winning a bunch of money then not being able to pay my bills 5 years afterward.

After that, I would make sure my immediate would have all their bills paid off (which isn't a lot because besides myself, there is very little in terms of debt as in less than $2,000), then as no one in my house has a car made in the 2000s, everyone would get a new vehicle of their choice but within reason as in a Jeep is OK, a Cadillac is not.

At the same time, I would go looking for a house of my own. Nothing ridiculous but something that would hold for the rest of my life, in a place I can enjoy for the rest of my life... if you know the Portland area, I would probably look in to the Lake Oswego or SW Portland areas and purchase a 4-6 bedroom home.

The next thing I would do is buy into DVC, probably resale at BCV...

After that, aside from little things, I would try to save my money. No one else will know as they won't need to, my friends will not know nor will anyone else in my family aside from my mom and maternal grandparents... and maybe DFiance... maybe. I would donate a given amount to my charity of choice then the big spending would be over.

 

[AKL_Megs]

I wouldn't be secretive about it, but I wouldn't change my lifestyle.

I know I would pay off our house and cars first, do something nice for our parents, and pretty much save the rest.

I am sure DH would keep his job, he lives and breathes his work, as do I, although I would move to part-time.

I still see us keeping the same lifestyle, but vacationing OFTEN.

 

[Jsme]

My DD says I will buy her a BMW and 2 standard poodles. ROTF

 

[funkychunkymonkey]

on a scratch off or in the lotto, would you tell your family? Just curious! We took a day trip to a casino to celebrate a birthday and on the 2 hour drive we were contemplating how we would spend our winnings should we ever have the chance...ahhhhhhh...what fun. It starts with buying a nice vaca home in Central Fl!

Our extended family consists of people who can't hold down jobs, and squander their money and then constantly try to borrow money with a sob story or two or three. Borrow is a term I use loosely, we learned that this money never comes back and therefore we do not lend anymore. There is no way we would tell anyone if we were to get lucky. lol. How about you?

We would move away and keep it secret!!!

Yep I would tell a couple people. I would buy my ma a house, myself a house and car and camera, my aunt: I would pay off her morgage, My BFF: buy her a house so her kids have a great home, my grandma: pay her back what I owe her and fix up her house.

 

[Anne MN]

If I or my hubby won a BIG sum of money- nothing would change for me- I still have a 5yr obligation to uncle sam. DH, he and 2 of the kids would have fun!!! they would be back in our home state playing hockey! the other- she would stay with me and a friend/relative would be move in and help with her and get paid to do it.

as far as media- good luck getting to me they would have to get thru many layers to talk to me!

 

[snarlingcoyote]

You know, I know someone who, in doing geneaology on her family, discovered that her grandfather had inherited a large sum of money in the 1940's. When she asked her mother what had happened to the money, her mother told her to "mind your own beeswax". (Direct quote!)

She was a tad bit upset because, although her parents are highly educated they chose career fields that pay very little (Education and Ministry) and her childhood had been one of scrimping and saving.

However, this someone has a DB who has a serious heart condition. And somehow, looking back, somehow, her parents, who have always lived on rather modest means, had paid for everything without question or needing time. . .just written a check.

When the DF was a child, her parents had taken her to several state of the art hospitals for allergies and other immune problems.

DF has an uncle with a lifelong disability, and he was given state of the art care for the time, which enabled him to live a normal life.

DF said she has since decided that "minding her own beeswax" is the way to go and then when her parents pass. . .well, her descendants and her brother's descendants won't have to worry about medical bills either. . .new jeans instead of thrift store jeans. . .well, that's a horse of a different color.

I would like to think that maybe I would do something similar if I suddenly came into a large amount of money.

 

[Piglet4Ever]

Dh and I talk about this all the time, just fun what if's. If we won more than a million we would tell our folks and some friends and family. If we won less than that we would probably keep it to ourselves. If we won a huge amount the most finacial help we would provide our families would be to set up college funds for our nieces and nephews and pay off our parents mortgages. We both have some family who would probably expect some money but they will be sorely dissapointed. I think once you start handing out money it will never stop.

 

[golfgal]

Just keep in mind that paying off houses and giving people money can cause quite a tax bill . When you win your millions, just make sure you have a good accountant/tax lawyer to help you with all of that so your money goes where you want it and not to Uncle Sam.