November 24, 2008

Who wants to be a millionaire?

I had the TV on yesterday afternoon but wasn't really paying attention to what was on - it was mainly just background noise. After a while I realized TLC was airing a show about regular people who are now filthy rich after winning the lottery. It was interesting to see how many people squandered their winnings on multi-million dollar mansions and fancy sports cars versus the people who paid off their bills, moved into a somewhat larger house, and still buy used cars.

Although I can count on one hand the number of times I've purchased a lottery ticket, I started thinking about how I'd use the money if we won the lotto:
  • Pay off our credit cards
  • Pay off both of our student loans
  • Buy a real house - no more renting or sharing a wall with our neighbors!
  • Redecorate our house and buy some nice furniture to replace a lot of our old, build-it-yourself particle board pieces. I'd love a matching bedroom set for ourselves and a new dining room table
  • Buy a small, lakeside summer home in Michigan
  • Set up a college fund for Isabelle
  • Buy Jason a new car - his Grand Prix has almost 200,000 miles
  • Give myself a generous monthly allowance for new clothes and shoes
  • I'd be very tempted to quit my job, since I could afford to go back to school to get my MFA and then try a new career path in writing, editing, and/or publishing.
  • I'd also like to be able to make meaningful donations to the charities and philanthropic organizations that I care about. I've donated to the United Way for years and currently give to World Vision, but my contributions represent only a minute chunk of my expenditures.

Would you quit your job if you won the lotto? If so, what would you do instead? And what luxury items would you treat yourself to?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey there,
So this million dollar question is our favorite car conversation. I would say 1/5 times we are on a long trip, we discuss this.
Here is what we have come up with:

Depending on how much we make (1 or multi-millions)-

-Set up a college/trust fund for Avery and nieces and nephews.

-Pay off all of our debt, including remodel of our house.

-Pay off our debt, and our friend's and family's debt (as much as possible)..to give a new start.

- Use whatever is left to invest and use interest to travel, etc...

OH---and Chris would be really mad if I didn't include his Big Screen TV, and new car (the Breeze just isn't cutting it).

Anonymous said...

Oh, good call! I totally forgot to add traveling to our list - it's our favorite thing to do but who has the money? I'd pay off my brother's and sister's student loans for them and let them live in our lakeside Michigan house :-)

Anonymous said...

Would you be a public or anonymous millionaire? Would your philanthropic deeds be anonymous or public?? hmmmmmmmm... deb

Anonymous said...

I would definitely want to remain an anonymous millionaire and probably an anonymous donor as well.

BoxcatAV said...

Good question. In no particular order....

* I would pay off my debt (CMU, Roxy and house).

* Start a scholarship for IPR students at CMU

* Sponsor a SPIN bike at the YMCA.

* Quit the rat race of corporate America and open a small store in northern Michigan (Petoskey, Harbor Springs etc). I would sell fine paper products, Vera Bradley, luxurious shower products and other odds/ends that make make a northern Michigan trip complete.

* Fund a wish per year, for the next 100 years through Make-A-Wish

* Donate to the local humane society with a designation to felines:)

* Buy fuzzy pink robes for all little girls in a certain children's hospital

* Travel

* Invest [wisely, pending the stability of the markets]

And they say money can't buy everything?!:)

Anonymous said...

I would definately quit work. I think I would like to volunteer my time with organizations that interested me. I would travel since I have never done that, but especially to where the grandkids are!! I would set up college funds for the grandkids and give to my favorite charities. Other than that I would just like to live a simple life........