Friday, May 21, 2010

What would you do with twenty million dollars?

I'm in a lottery pool at work - each week - twice a week a group of use pool our money and we buy lottery tickets. Now, I'm not sure how smart they are letting me in the group, because let's face it, I could be the only one in a drawing and still lose! So far we've pretty much not won anything - a few dollars here or there that we just "reinvest" - but some day - we'll win the BIG one. I can feel it.....ok.....I HOPE we do. But that brings up another thought.....what would I really do with the money if I won?

Now, we all have WANTS and would I give in to those? I don't know - maybe a few. And I do know what I would do would totally depend on how much I won. But, I can break down a few things:
1. Pay off my mom and sister's houses. That's a gimmie....no if, ans or buts - goodbye mortgage!
2. Buy my mom, sisters and brother-in-law a new vehicle. Now, I'm not talking a Jag or Mercedes. I mean a nice dependable car/van that you don't have to constantly worry about breaking down.
3. Pay off my student loans - get that monkey off my back
4. Put away enough that my son never has to worry about how to pay for college.
5. Start a trust fund for my niece and nephews - I hope they would use it for college, but if they didn't want to go and wanted to go to some other type of training, I'd want them to have the money to do it.
6. Give my sisters each a chunk of money. Now, I know what I'd hope they would do with it - Kristie and Adam - pay off all their bills and invest the rest and Kelly - pay off her bills and go back to college.
7. Pay for at least one year of my mom's medication!
8. Take a MAJOR family vacation - all of us - all 9 of us - Europe or Australia
9. Have Bypass surgery
10. INVEST as much as possible

Having said all that, I'd also want to do other things. Except, I'd want to do these and not really have anyone know it was me.
1. Find some deserving senior citizen and pay their power/water/gas bill for a year
2. Go to the local senior center and give enough money for them to buy a bus/gas and take the seniors on trips every month
3. Make a large donation to the Fisher House, JDRF, etc.
4. Give a large donation to the animal shelter - they didn't ask to be there
5. Find a single mother who is struggling - trying to work, not riding the government dime and pay her day care for a year.

Dozens of other things keep going through my head - mostly, it would involve helping those who need it, but don't sit with their hand out asking for it. Those little old veteran's who live on the edge of poverty but still hang the American flag every day and take off their hat for the anthem. Little old ladies who remind me of my grandma, young couples struggling to make it in an economy that offers little chance. In fact, I think the majority of the money would go to things like this. I don't want to sit at home not working - I wasn't raised to be that way. I get immense pleasure out of helping others - and even more when I know I've done it for the right reasons and not for the recognition.

So, what would you do if you won the lottery?

2 comments:

KM Angel said...

I'd go to Disney World!!!

Kelly said...

Well, you've taken the words out of my mouth. I'd add taking books, clothes, food to the mountain communities that struggle even in the best of times. And I've always wanted to open a house for unwed mothers. Where they could live and decide what they want to do, and get the training or counseling they need to keep or give up their baby for adoption. Like you I'd sure love to spread the good fortune anonymously.