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What if I won the lottery?

K

Kaat72

Guest
We have this lottery ticket. It's a mere habbit to buy one, our ticket to 'happiness and freedom'. But is it? What if I won the lottery tonight? Will it make me happier, free?
Would I really quit my job, travel for the rest of my life, commute between our new homes in the Netherlands, Norway and the US? What if YOU win? What would you do?
 
If we're talking about winning a Powerball or Mega Millions lottery, here's what I'd do:
  • Quit my job and laugh in my boss's face
  • Buy a new wardrobe
  • Get me a new car (And ditch public transit for good! :D)
  • Move out of my crappy apartment and get a condo
  • Upgrade my electronics (computer, phone, home theater, etc.)
  • Begin traveling around the world (I always wanted to go to Japan one day.)
  • Save up and invest the rest of it

One can always dream, huh? :)
 
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If I hit the big one I'd settle my debts and likely upgrade my digs. Beyond that I can't see much change for me. I'm beyond another education though knowledge is always fun. I lost interest in new wheels a number of years ago. To exist without financial concerns would be enough for me. I'd try to make my children and their children's lives head in a positive direction. ...I might buy a new phone :)
 
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Right now the Powerball is at 110,000,000 which is about 62.5 million in cash. Assuming I took the cash option, I would give 1 million to each immediate family member (2 million per household) and tell them they can never ask for more, start a green energy movement with cash subsidies for initial investment in low income neighborhoods, and create a fund/endowment for youth in poverty to educate and enable them. That would leave me with a few million. I would blow a couple hundred thousand on toys, and vacations, buy a modest house that needs no repairs in my home town, settle down and get jobs at retail shops just so I can get fired for telling jerk-customers what's what, and invest the rest. The interest earned from the investments would fund my families living expenses, son's college, retirement, etc.
 
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I only play when the expected value of the play is more than the cost of the ticket, which only happens when the jackpot is well in the triple digit millions. Even then, I have to be feeling a particularly high amount of self loathing to buy one: I judge people who buy them (particularly my friends and family, who should be smarter).

True story: my boss at my former job was big on knowledge sharing, so that when people left, their knowledge about a particular system or component wouldn't leave with them. When he told the group that I was to make presentations about an automated testing framework, he phrased it in the style of "if big_z wins the lottery tomorrow, we don't want to be dead in the water on autotests." I immediately sent him an email stating "look, if you're going to talk in that style, please make the story that I get hit by a truck or something equally awful. I'm perfectly comfortable with people talking about my untimely demise, as long as they are not working to make it happen. I cannot stand people talking about me being bad at math." He obliged.
 
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Depending on how much I won:

  • Cover the 50K+ uni fees (maybe get some swanky accommodation + spending money :p
  • upgrade my electronics (maybe, there'd be no point, but idgaf - I'm rich!)
  • give a portion to family
  • maybe a nice (but not overly show-offy) car
  • give the rest to charity/ spend it helping other people (in particular, I'd like to help the people in Africa but there's people in need of support everywhere really)

I'd like to say I' do this but we all know I probably wouldn't :p
 
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First and formoest, 10% automatically goes to charity. Then it's payoff time on all debts. I would finish up my education and work at doing something I truly want to do. A couple of minor upgrades to our house. I would go on a missions trip and maybe a nice vacation with my bride. I might buy a mid-range Mustang or restore a classic. I would love to give a wild tip to a waitress/waiter at some local dig. Other than that, invest it wisely.
 
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I'd definitely quit my job and tell my boss to take a hike. I'd find a place(s) over in Southeast Asia live and just kick back, take it easy. Give me some white sand, blue water and a brown Asian girl, I'm good. I'd probably still maintain a house here in the US to visit but I wouldn't live her full time.. I win, I'm outta here...
 
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