Yup – sign me up!

Seems like you’ve really thought this out, haha… Love it. Would be interesting to see how different my thoughts are now that it’s been 2+ years since this post went live and I have another little kid in the ranks :) Thanks for helping me go down memory lane!

Of course, it would be great to be totally ‘debt free’ and pay cash for stuff you buy. There are some ‘foolish things’ I might buy. Yet in comparison to the amount of the prize, this would be relatively small. A new Nikon or Canon digital single lens reflex camera would be on my list. (Along with lenses and accessories.)

There are charitable organizations that would be empowered to ‘do good works’ if given a chunk of money. The homeless population is a complex issue. Not so complicated that providing shelters would be a good start.

Setting up a scholarship fund to help kids go to school without getting buried with student debt would be a good place to put some money.

I would avoid making political contributions. Not that there aren’t good candidates and issues worthy of supporting. It just seems like a poor return on investment. Better to deal with social issues directly.

Then the next task would be to make investments with the two fold purpose: to make the fortune grow so it would never run out…and to provide employment for people in the community. In spite of the economic recovery that has been happening after the Wall Street Melt down, there are many people who still need a family-wage job. Certain would need to hire some expertise in what to invest in, yet decisions made can have far reaching effects.

One thing to avoid: buying something like a car or a boat brand new. There are many late model pre-owned units on the market at a fraction of the cost of brand new.

Yes, the odds of winning a big prize are very remote. Yet SOMEBODY will win. If not this week, maybe the next. There is no rhyme or reason behind who gets to win. It is a game of chance, not an investment. Therefore, I’ll buy just one ticket. (And be very careful not to lose it before the winning numbers are drawn!)

BE A SPACE TOURIST!

I really want to go to outer space. Ultimate vacation!

But I *DO* have a subscription to the Mega Millions lottery. Yes, I know it’s like throwing my money away. But it’s only $2 a week. That’s $8 a month. I don’t think I’m going broke by playing the lottery! Besides, I get a ridiculous amount of happiness by playing.

1) In Virginia where I live, you can’t keep your identity secret. They announce your name and they take your picture when you pick up the prize and post it everywhere. But I don’t need to be going and telling my friends and family myself! Let them learn it from the media!

2) Get a financial planner; probably one of Dave Ramsey’s ELP’s.

3) I would prefer to get everything in one lump sum (and yes, pay 1/2 in taxes!) and manage the money myself. I have a low standard of living so even if I double my lifestyle, I can still live off of the interest from my winnings!

4) Hire a lawyer to take my a-hole ex to court over our multiple child custody issues.

5) Get out of debt ($16K left).

6) Buy a house and do it Property Brothers style. I have to finish out my apartment lease anyway.

7) Take care of the houses of my Foul-Weather Friends – the ones who have helped me through the shit times. Screw everyone else!

8) CHARITY CHARITY CHARITY!!! I have a fantasy where I have a dedicated private detective who will help me vet my friends to see if they really are struggling. Then give them what they need anonymously! And at my funeral have it posted somewhere all the money/goods I’ve donated to people and make all the mourners eat crow for saying how stingy I was with my money! Just because I didn’t tell people about giving doesn’t mean I didn’t do it! (I have a sick sense of humor.)

9) Keep working for my company, but on a part-time volunteer basis. :)

For those of you who would want to start a non-profit, I implore you not to do it! I work for a non-profit. When you start your own, although you may have the best of intentions, you split the effectiveness of all work being done already in whatever area you want to support. A better way to go about it is to contact a charity that *is already doing* work in the field you want to affect and start a fund within the organization. You get to name it and set it up so it’s administered any way you want it!

If we had won:

1. Boring stuff. Get a financial lawyer and a money guy. And we’d claim the money anonymously (allowed in TX). And we would never tell anybody except those we end up sharing our money with.
2. Split the cash with whichever group we won with. So that’s either two of our friends or our uncle and his buddy.
3. Pay off rent house’s last $23,500.
4. Pay off current house’s $207,000.
5. NOT move. I never want to move again.
4. Ask roommates to move out and front them a month’s rent to make it easier (don’t want them to know we won the lottery, but want to be nice enough to have no hard feelings so they go easy.) I do want my house to myself if I am a multimillionaire…
5. Give closest family members equal cuts like you mentioned.
6. Charities. Probably start my own. One for animals and another for people.
7. Sell my Aveo and buy a red VW Beetle – then pimp it out with black spots and doors that open up instead of sideways. I always wanted a Lady Bug.
8. Replace hubby’s Prius with a newer one…he likes his Prius but it has a bunch of miles on it and if we were that rich, we’d probably get a new one and drive less instead of taking care of maintenance stuff on this one.
9. Live off of the interest and take lots of vacations.
10. Still blog.