What would you do if you won the lottery

**NikoSan999** · 11-30-2009, 10:57 PM

What would you do if you won the lottery? Admit it, most everyone has talked about what they would do with the money. Even I, who has bought only one lottery ticket in her life, has talked about it.

Would you still clip coupons? Would you still stockpile? What would be the first thing you did with the money? And after the first thing?

We hear some real horror stories about how bad off some people are financially toward the end of the money. They even make TV shows on it. Do you THINK it would change you? Do you think you could handle millions without going broke?

I know one lady who won 2 million. She was broke in no time and is now working at Sam's Club.

What would you do or accomplish?

**NikoSan999** · 11-30-2009, 11:20 PM

I'm going to answer this one myself. First it would go into a trust that was set up before picking up that would keep on giving thru my lifetime, into my kids lifetimes and their kids hopefully. Kids would also have a trust fund started. Not to support them but to help them. Investments started for after the 20 years payments are gone.
1. I would pay off all my bills.

2.Then make sure all the kids had school money if they wanted to take advantage of it.

3. Make sure the kids were ok financially at present time to give them a head start with their careers. ( school loans etc )

4. My stepfather is the only parent we have left alive. See that his needs were taken care of.

5. Brothers and sisters. Same, needs taken care of. One has serious health problems. 2 pace makers etc. See that they are ok financially and after that ( with exception of the one ) if they screw up, oh well.

6. I think this is the point people screw up. They start "living the good life" and go broke. I'm not saying don't enjoy but don't do it all at once. Here I would put maybe travel or vacation to an extent. Hubby's dream, not so much mine.

7. This is one I would really want to do. I don't and never did do charities. The big shots get most of the money collected. I saw a TV show with a bunch of big charities CEO's or whatever admit to what they make and that only 10% of money collected actually went to the people. 10 cents to the dollar. Give me a break.

I would rent a big U Haul type truck. Go shopping (yeay) and buy groceries, lots of groceries, clothes ( dosen't have to be new , just lots of them ) blankets, coats, shoes etc. Load them on the truck and go into the homeless areas. Open the doors and know they wouldn't be hungry or cold for awhile. Rinse and repeat.

Same for homeless shelters. Donate food clothes etc. Food pantrys. Orphanages (?), toys etc. Womens abuse shelters always need these items. This way you know where your money is going and not into some hotshots pockets. This has always been my dream of if I won the lottery.

**madhen** · 11-30-2009, 11:42 PM

If we were talking millions, I think the first thing I would do would be to buy my mother a one-story home with a live-in attendant. She is getting older and her two-story condo isn't the best for her. Set her up with a few chickens and a raised bed gardening system that she could use while sitting down.

I don't have kids, and my one and only nephew is a loser, so no money there. My mother (who lives on social security) gave him $10,000 for college, and he blew through it in no time. (And never even enrolled in college.)

So the next thing would be new and enriched enclosures for my animals. A big open aviary for my parrots and another for the finches...we're talking zoo-sized here. A pool designed for the dogs, because at least two of them are water-lovers. A big warm barn for the donkeys and goats, and an enclosure attached so the chickens could hang out in the barn and still go outside to enjoy the nice days in winter and be safe from idiot neighbors' dogs.

Buy out my neighbor (aka the "meat bee," because he is about as welcome as one) and hire a junk company to remove the tons and tons of garbage he has on his property.

And hire a ranch hand. Preferably one that looks good in chaps.

**frugalwarrior2** · 11-30-2009, 11:52 PM

1. pay all the bills.
2. pay for DD/DS to go to school
3. ???
Guess it's beyond me. Currently my parents are independent and have no bills and good ins. They wouldn't want to travel or move. Their not into stuff. I suppose I would support a rescue.
I might travel, go to school but I don't know. I think Imight have to have it a while before I spent it. Dh would rob. want a new car. ???

**NikoSan999** · 11-30-2009, 11:55 PM

Yes, we are talking millions. Clear money

**NikoSan999** · 11-30-2009, 11:58 PM

Originally Posted by frugalwarrior2

1. pay all the bills.
2. pay for DD/DS to go to school
3. ???
Guess it's beyond me. Currently my parents are independent and have no bills and good ins. They wouldn't want to travel or move. Their not into stuff. I suppose I would support a rescue.
I might travel, go to school but I don't know. I think Imight have to have it a while before I spent it. Dh would rob. want a new car. ???

Forgot that one. We have a no kill shelter here. Almost totally donations. I would do that one also. They break my heart.

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-01-2009, 12:04 AM

I always wanted land to let a rescue use. Kennels and that. I would charge them rent to cover land and expenses if i had to because there wasn't enough money but otherwise not.

Another thing I always wanted to do was have 5 acres so my parents could live on my land and I could watch out for them but maintain ind. (sanity too) w/ seperate households.

**madhen** · 12-01-2009, 12:05 AM

Ah, we're talking Oprah-rich?

I was thinking, because I will have no heirs (or at least none I like), that I might leave my money to St Jude's Children's Hospital. It would be cool to leave them millions.

**frugalwarrior2** · 12-01-2009, 12:10 AM

I think I will buy Madhens neighbors house and let my cats wander on to her property 1 by 1. I hear she has tuna. My cats only get dry. What is a "MEAT BEE"?? Yellow jackets??

**madhen** · 12-01-2009, 12:16 AM

My strays get tuna. Just imagine what a PET cat would get!!

Yes, I think they are also called yellow jackets, although there is another type of wasp out here that we call yellow jackets, because meat bees look much more like bees than wasps.

**NikoSan999** · 12-01-2009, 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by madhen

Ah, we're talking Oprah-rich?

I was thinking, because I will have no heirs (or at least none I like), that I might leave my money to St Jude's Children's Hospital. It would be cool to leave them millions.

Millions, Although I don't know if there's enough millions left in the world to go Oprah rich.

Just the normal 60 to 100 million people win. You know, pocket change. Have to seriously giggle here.

We had a guy in at the recycle today whose wife works at a bank in another town. They have a kid there who is on kidney ( spelling here) dialisis, not going for spellcheck. Anyway, he said one can tab was worth 1 minute of that word there for her. Hubby gave him about 10 to 12 pounds worth. Said he almost cried. We give them to the Shriners all the time. They in turn give them to Childrens Hospital in Fort Lauderdale for various treatments. I guess the soda and beer companies pay for the treatments after the tabs are turned in. They should get more credit.

**NikoSan999** · 12-01-2009, 12:25 AM

Yeah, know what you mean about the relatives. As far as MY brother and sisters go, if I gave them money 3 of them would be dead in a month or shorter. Either alcohol or shall we say other. or both. Nope, wouldn't give them money on a bet.

**madhen** · 12-01-2009, 12:28 AM

That is cool about the tabs, Nikosan999. I'll have to check to see if there is anything similar out here.

**NikoSan999** · 12-01-2009, 12:37 AM

I bet they do. This is Florida. I know they do it in Ohio and Indiana. Check with someone at the Childrens Hospitals. Like Administation. This is a way to do some serious helping without costing anything but a little time. A Shriners member would be able to steer you in right direction.

**KeithBC** · 12-01-2009, 12:39 AM

I have only ever bought one lottery ticket in my life, too. I'm still working on my scheme to win it without having to buy tickets.

There are a number of charities that I would like to support more than I do. So, it is tempting to give a one-time lump sum to them and keep the rest. However, the frugal part of me wants to sock the whole amount away in an annuity and live off the interest. That way, I can meet my (and my family's) needs and still make regular generous offerings to charities.

Things I would like to do with extra free money: install solar hot water and geothermal heat in the house; solar panels for electricity; electric vehicle; buy only organic food; support local businesses even if they are more expensive than multinationals.