What would you do if you won the lottery?

[Ms.Grumpy]

I would do the following:
1. Pay off parents home, and mom would stop working, dad is already retired.
2. Build a beautiful Victorian home to my liking, along with staff to help with its upkeep.
3. Put alot away for retirement.
4. Save for DS college education
5. Visit all the places in the world that I have on my vision chart.
6. Buy homes where I would let family members live in for free, they would only have to pay property taxes every year.
(I dont trust them enough to give them the house, they would sell it and be knocking on my door again. This way they save their rent money, and consider that my monthly monetary gift.)
7. Renew my wedding vows at DW with all the bells and whistles. Carriage, Characters at the wedding, fireworks and all!
8. Install central air and heating in my church, along with fixing all the things that need major improvement.

I have also had that weird feeling that someday I will win the lottery or have a major cash flow. I know weird, but one never knows

 

[eeyore65]

I live in my dream home so no moving for me! I would like to buy a house in our neighborhood for friends and family to very comfortably visit us and for DS to use when he grows up. I would pay off my sister's house and buy my parents and in-laws each a new car - a nice mercedes perhaps. They would not want or accept any more!

Working is what I would struggle with, I sometimes like it and sometimes not. Maybe I would do something different or just volunteer some where.

Finally travel ,travel and more travel. There are so many places I want to see - Africa, Antarctica, etc.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I would give part of the winnings to my 5 brothers. Then I would start a foundation in my late wife's name and it would concentrate on 2 things:

1) Stem cell research for those with diabetes and ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease). (I know-this will open up a can of worms)

2)Organizing swap kidney transplants for those in need.

No worms here. My mom had both diabetes and died with renal failure. She was on dialysis for the last 10 months of her life.

 

[luvsJack]

Dh and I have dreamed this dream before (we don't have the lottery in MS but he buys tickets on the road sometimes).

1. Pay off my house and do any remodeling/building on we want
2. Buy a large amount of land for dh to raise cows and horses on
3. DD and DGD college fund
4. Build a house for both ds's and money put back for dd a house


5 Build a shelter for homeless teens (we seem to have a lot in this area). I would like to build a safe place for teens whether they are run aways, thrown out of their homes or for whatever reason are on the street or sleeping on someone's couch. And to be able to have education services, medical services, dental services, help with employment, and have recreation in the center for them.

6. Travel

 

[Hedy]

Are we going with $1 million?
Payoff student loans
Put enough aside for graduate school
Get Lasix
Buy condo
Found scholarship fund at my alma mater
Buy DVC
I'd like to establish some sort of trust for my neice and nephews-parameters set maybe not for college, but getting a sum at age 21 or something.

 

[barkley]

hire the best lawyer, financial planner and tax specialists i could find.

then after all the practical needs were taken care of-do random, anon. acts of kindness.

 

[scottishduffy]

This depends on the level of Money...

$1-25 million

Pay off student loans, buy a new home (nothing crazy, just a nice home in a decent community), two new cars since our are almost dead. Take a top of line vacation with our entire family and then put the rest away to save for eventual retirement.
I will still work, as would DH. Our life would just have less worry.

$25-100 million

All the Above.
Give my IL's money to have a great retirement allowing them to be free of worry and to travel.
--- Thankfully my parents are very financially stable so would not need $$. Though I would offer them dream vacations for the rest of their lives.
Pay off student debt of younger BIL
Buy my brother a larger home in which to raise my nephew.
Crazy donations to a few charities
**** Never work a day in my life unless I wanted to! --- I would still finish my school but I would work very part time and on my terms. I want to keep my skills but I want to have time to stay home with future kids.



> $100 million (Also known as 'becoming that eccentric crazy rich lady')

Buy my old summer camp, dump cash into it, update and remodel it, then re-open it and turn it over to the alumni to run as a non-profit. (this would cost $5-10 million). Spend my summers there to act as a figurehead for the camp.

New homes for the whole family as well as a Little stipend ($1 million each) to keep them comfy.

Any nieces and nephews? All college tuitions paid for everybody.

Buy a customized RV to spend a year travelling around the country. Maybe have a vacation home or two.

Never work.... Ever. Just have fun with my DH and our future kids.

That charity I liked? Give every kid in that orphanage a college education and a chance in life!

 

[Planogirl]

...WHAT??!?!? You're not gonna buy yourself a schnazzy new snowcone machine??

No, I'm OK with the shoes and books.

Hey since this is just play - I thought it would be fun to throw in some silly things. I could add more if you'd like...

 

[TwinsinCA]

Pay off this house
buy a condo at the beach and a cabin near Big Bear
Buy new cars
travel
save for retirement/kids' college
rent out the Hollywood Bowl and have a few of my favorite bands play there.
give money to my family and a few close friends
pay ABC whatever it needs to keep FlashForward on the air
build more schools so ours are not so overcrowded
open a Bruegger's, Panera Bread, and Culver's closer to my house.

 

[Nomi]

Wow, look at all those replies this thread got when I wasn't looking! XD I guess this is a universally fun game to play. I'm sorry I cannot reply to all of you, but all the replies are fun to read!

There seem to be a lot of common things we would all do (invest, give money to relatives, college funds, houses, cars...) though I have to say, the fun ones are very entertaining to read.

 

[kinntj]

Pay off this house (I love it and would decorate it to the hilt).
invest money and live off so much a year
volunteer at various places (animal shelters and nursing homes)
set our parents up
set up college accounts for nieces/nephews and future grandchildren

I don't like to travel to too many places, but I do love my WDW. I would buy DVC and go as often as I could!!!

 

[NHdisneylover]

I asked my kids this over dinner. Once they clarified that it would be TONS AND TONS of money they dreamed big:

DS11 would live on cruise ships. Mostly the Disney ones but he would also go on Princess and the QM2 once in awhile when he wanted to see other places. And he would buy lots (maybe 20!) of nice tuxes to wear for all of those formal nights.

DD13 would buy homes in all the places she loves, put full libraries with rolling ladders in every single one of them and live in New Hampshire in the fall, split winter between Austria (skiing) and Mexico (Boogie Boarding). In the spring she would cruise with her brother

You know I like the way these 2 think

 

[chinchiller]

I would go to culinary school and quit my job so I can write cookbooks. I would also switch us to an all-organic diet. I would also make a real veggie garden in my backyard, with a green house. I would even consider a hydroponic garden like they have at EPCOT.

I would also buy the best DSLR on the market with all the bells and whistles. I'd take a couple of classes at the community college to learn how to use it and edit photos. I'd love to make a little money on the side taking photos for weddings.

I'd go nuts and buy everything off of ModCloth once I lost some weight by getting a dietitian and personal trainer to help (maybe Jillian Michael's?).

I'm indecisive about whether I would buy a house or just build on to this one (we have an empty lot next to us and I really like this house).

I would tour Europe, Australia/New Zealand, and Asia with my husband and parents for a couple of months. Once home, I would buy a Sheltie and pay for my husband's allergy shots. Then we would start having kids. I would also buy my parents a small house nearby so they can live closer to us. Anything not used would go towards savings, investing, and trips to Walt Disney World.

 

[disykat]

I'll play - assuming I win $1,000,000.00 after taxes.

100,000 charitable giving
300,000 1/2 for for each child - college etc.
120,000 10K gift to each of 12 relatives (parents, siblings, neices & nephews)
80,000 10K to pay off house (we're almost paid off) 70,000 short term savings for 'fun money' (vacations, car, etc.)
100,000 short term investments
300,000 retirement savings

Honestly, I don't think it would change our lifestyle much. I would LOVE to win one million, but much more than that WOULD change our lives so much I'm not sure I'd want it.

 

[CowboyCO]

FIRST -- I'd change my phone number.

1. I'd pay off debt, including the house.
2. I'd pay for Mom's apartment and living costs over Social Security.
3. I'd fully fund my kids' college funds.
4. I'd do some long-needed maintenance to the house and build on a master suite.
5. I'd start a foundation to help rural families with preemies. (They have to travel and stay in the city while their child is in NICU - it can be financially devastating -Been there)
6. I'd pay off MIL's house
7. I'd buy new tires for my truck
8. I'd buy my DW a used Acura MDX
9. I'd make an anonymous donation to endow the local Children's Chorale.
10. I'd take a 14-day trip to WDW, stay at the POLY and do the DDP.

 

[mtemm]

depends on how much it is. I love to fantasize about it...which it pretty much is since we rarely if ever buy a ticket (maybe 2 a year). lol.

I would pay off our debt

I would invest for our retirement, for the kids college, and replace the liquid funds we used to have before dh was out of work for a bit.

I would hopefully take a nice trip (or 2 or 3)

I would either buy a new home (depends on how much we won!) or make some changes in this one

I'd contribute more to the charities we currently contribute to

ahhh to dream a little dream.

 

[MomRN]

It would depend on the amount of winnings... but I would quit my job. Not that I don't *like* my job, but it is a job, it is work, and I'd rather not be committed to a schedule. When I've been asked if I like my job, my answer has always been "it's the next best thing to winning the lottery."

I might start a business or two... I have a few good ideas. But, I would have to have won enough that a failure wouldn't be financial ruin.

 

[Kimberly]

Invest it into a business, grow it a bit more... few great construction projects on the island have halted due to a lack of cash flow, and it's not like there's a lack of a market for them, either.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Depending on how much I won I would, in this order:


1. Pay off all of my bills.
2. Buy a home on Balboa Island.
3. Buy a home on Catalina Island
4. Buy a boat that I would pilot between the two. Perhaps a cigarette boat? In red.


I have no strong urge to quit my job, but it would a heck of a drive from Burbank to Balboa. I don't need fancy cars (I love my convertible) and we don't have kids to worry college over.

 

[mrodgers]

My favorite so far...

"Pay off all my debt."

Really? You would do that if you won the lottery? You wouldn't just stay in debt? LOL.

Nothing like stating the obvious.