If you won the lottery...

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:44 am

You have just won $10 million dollars (or your country's equivalent) in the lottery. How would your life change? What would you spend it on? Would you invest for the future or blow it? I have to think about my own answer, and will do so later.

jbbarker1947 · Post by **jbbarker1947** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:55 am

I have had this planned for sometime. You must have a plan. If you donâ€™t you sound really dumb if the media gets to you. Dumb is â€œI am going to fix up my houseâ€, or â€œI am going to buy jumper cables for all of my friends.â€

I would buy a ranch in the Hill Country with stables for my wifeâ€™s Arabian horses. A 60â€™ Sailboat in Florida Keys. The ranch should look like normal Hill County from the road and the front. After you walk through the house, the back side and pool would be a lush tropical garden.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:57 am

Marie5656 wrote: You have just won $10 million dollars (or your country's equivalent) in the lottery. How would your life change? What would you spend it on? Would you invest for the future or blow it? I have to think about my own answer, and will do so later.

Buy all the kids a decent home..and myself

Pay off everyones debts (kids)

Give them enough money so that tjhey can have a holiday and put some away for a 'rainy day'

Have a holiday of a lifetime myself

Buy a new car (New Yaris)

Buy a new armchair and sit down and decide what to do with what's left

Nothing too life changing there...just comfort and security for all :-4

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:10 am

I am pretty much the same as Bez

Hire a maid

Buy homes and reliable vehicles for my girls.

Put money away for my girls

Set up some kind of plan to pay out decent money for my grand kids

Ensure there is funds in place for my kids and grand kids to get the best education available to them.

Hire a Maid

Buy myself a new smaller place with all new interior and furnishings professionally done up (not by me cause I suck at it)

Buy me a Jag to roar around in.

Take Jr Minks to Italy, and Spain

Take my oldest to Jamaica and England

Send my parents to Hungary

Travel NOW for me, and meet more FG members.

Hire a maid

Donate heavily to Cancer Research

Did I mention Hire a Maid?

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:11 am

I think if I won the lottery

One of the first things I would do is hire a maid for Minxsy :p

pina · Post by **pina** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:13 am

I would put it under the mattress where I could count it every night.

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:30 am

cherandbuster wrote: I think if I won the lottery

One of the first things I would do is hire a maid for Minxsy :p

OH MY how ever did you know that is just what I wanted

You are brilliant

:-4 I love you

Grumpaz · Post by **Grumpaz** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:42 am

I am in agreement with Bez and mink...I'd pay off all debts. mine and my kids. Set up a fund for my grandchildren. I have a few real close friends that I would help out but I'd want to do it anonymously just for the fun of it. Then I too would like to travel a bit and meet some of the people I've known for years in forums and chat rooms. And I could tell Bill he could go in to the plant and tell them to stick that job where the sun don't shine.

Attached files

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:45 am

I would pay off the house, and invest it.

Then retire early. I could live easily with that-and write all day!

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:52 am

I'd pay off debt. Buy my mom and dad their mountain home they've always wanted. Set up savings accounts for my children. Give to charities. And finally I would build me my dream home.

Bez · Post by **Bez** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:55 am

minks wrote: I am pretty much the same as Bez

Hire a maid

Buy homes and reliable vehicles for my girls.

Put money away for my girls

Set up some kind of plan to pay out decent money for my grand kids

Ensure there is funds in place for my kids and grand kids to get the best education available to them.

Hire a Maid

Buy myself a new smaller place with all new interior and furnishings professionally done up (not by me cause I suck at it)

Buy me a Jag to roar around in.

Take Jr Minks to Italy, and Spain

Take my oldest to Jamaica and England

Send my parents to Hungary

Travel NOW for me, and meet more FG members.

Hire a maid

Donate heavily to Cancer Research

Did I mention Hire a Maid?

I'm available NOW if you really want a Maid !!!!

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:56 am

I like the hire a maid part....................

As long as she does dishes!

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:15 am

Rick told me once that if we won, he would keep working, till retirement age, but he would support my quitting my job and working from home.

We would like to move from the city back out to the country. We both have an idea in mind of a place we would like to build. A small, single story cottage, with alot of trees and land, and by a body of water we can fish from. Isolated, too. And I have always wanted a house with a wrap around porch.

Debts would of course be paid, and money invested to travel some after Rick retires. I would set aside some money for my niece to have when she graduates college. She has 4 more years. Not alot, but enough for her to get settled in a good place and to have enough so she can take some "me" time after graduation to look for a job she will love. She is going for her masters degree in business, and is pretty smart. She has scholarships, and is working as well as studying. She will deserve some time off.

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:25 am

I like what Pinky said about lots of animals. I think if I were home more, I would like more also. Pink, I hope you don't mind me stealing your idea.

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:38 am

Bez wrote: I'm available NOW if you really want a Maid !!!!

YES PLEASE do come right away

sunny104 · Post by **sunny104** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:38 am

I would buy a ranch in the beautiful Hill Country near JB

for the most part it would all be invested for us to live off of and to be used for the kids as they grow.

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:44 am

As much as i would enjoy the money - at first i think i would be petrified at such a large amount, seriously i wouldnt tell a soul. I know for a fact the old git would buy lots of boy toys like Jet skies, bikes,cars, a boat - i myself would do a pinky and buy some land or a farm type thing so i could set up a shelter and take in any animals that needed to be cared for

then i think i would set my daughter up for life get her a business of some kind so she would have a life time income then i guess i'd have to go buy some serious diamonds - well they are a girls best friend .:rolleyes:

minks · Post by **minks** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:49 am

I would pay Bez's way to Canada, then pay her handsomely to play maid. And after about 10 minutes I am sure I could not stand her as my maid as she is more a good friend so I would just have to have her as a room mate

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:49 am

:-4 Oh, you are so good, onsekiz!

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 10:58 am

Onsekiz

Can I have a ride on your yacht? :p

dubs · Post by **dubs** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:47 pm

Nearly everyone I know, says the first thing they would buy is a big house.

Not me! I'd be travelling to all the places in the world, I've ever wanted to see. That's going to take me a few years, (I'm not going to rush ) then I'll see about settling down in my country estate! Oh yes, I've had this planned for a long time:-6 :-6

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 1:53 pm

Oh, I love the "what if..." game!!!

This one's easy for me: Put away enough $$ for college for my son, my 2 step-kids, and my nephew. Buy my dad a house, pay off any bills that my Mom and step-dad have. Buy a piece of property and build my dream house, (think lots of land & woods for hunting, quaint, quiet house, nothing too pretentious) and build a boarding kennel right there on the land, and have a small side-job breeding premium, beautiful Bull Terriers. And, of course, buy or build Bullet his blues bar. He wants to name it "Bullet & Smooth's Blues and Cues." A poolhall/blues bar. Come party with Bullet & Smooth!!!! Drinks are free for FG members!!

Saffron · Post by **Saffron** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:01 pm

First I'd put it in my credit union savings account.

Then I'd pay my mother the $1800. I owe her.

Then I'd begin paying off bills on my credit report that I let go to collections.

Then I'd buy a new car, sell my old one.

Then I'd buy a piece of property near the beach.

Then I'd buy a small piece of property out in the country.

Of couse I'd have to furnish both homes. But not expensively.

The remaining amount would go into some kind of savings account that would accrue interest. This would be for my retirement.

And I'd have to buy a few animals too. A few kitties, horses maybe even some goats.

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 2:14 pm

BabyRider wrote: Oh, I love the "what if..." game!!!

This one's easy for me: Put away enough $$ for college for my son, my 2 step-kids, and my nephew. Buy my dad a house, pay off any bills that my Mom and step-dad have. Buy a piece of property and build my dream house, (think lots of land & woods for hunting, quaint, quiet house, nothing too pretentious) and build a boarding kennel right there on the land, and have a small side-job breeding premium, beautiful Bull Terriers. And, of course, buy or build Bullet his blues bar. He wants to name it "Bullet & Smooth's Blues and Cues." A poolhall/blues bar. Come party with Bullet & Smooth!!!! Drinks are free for FG members!!

BR

I'd love to board Buster with you when I go on vacay

You'd love him like I do :-4

I'd love to kick somebody's behind in pool

Seeing as I grew up with a pool table in my basement :p

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:03 pm

BabyRider wrote: And, of course, buy or build Bullet his blues bar. He wants to name it "Bullet & Smooth's Blues and Cues." A poolhall/blues bar. Come party with Bullet & Smooth!!!! Drinks are free for FG members!!

We would defunatly come. Good music and good friends. What more can a person ask for?

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:48 pm

Marie5656 wrote: We would defunatly come. Good music and good friends. What more can a person ask for?
Yeah, baby!!!

:-6

valerie · Post by **valerie** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:03 pm

Cristal and German Shepherd Dogs for everybody!!

Really... besides the obvious... I would give a large chunk to Alzheimer's

research, a large chunk to Tippi Hedren's Roar Foundation, and a large

chunk to the heffalump place... I think it's in Tennessee.

Save and live frugally but comfortably with no worries the rest of my

life! (I REALLY hate worrying about money!)

Hey found a link to what I said in 2005... interesting!

http://www.forumgarden.com/forums/showp ... stcount=19

CARLA · Post by **CARLA** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 8:16 pm

Retire, live in a house at the beach, drink champagne every day, donate a ton of money to finding the cure for ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, travel some more, get BULLET the best defense attorney money can buy and get him out of jail, buy a new car, have my 73 Camaro tricked out big time... :driving: Invest some, Oh heck spends some just because I can..

cherandbuster · Post by **cherandbuster** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:14 am

CARLA wrote: get BULLET the best defense attorney money can buy and get him out of jail

Carla :-4

woppy71 · Post by **woppy71** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 12:26 pm

Well, If I won the lottery, the first thing I would do is clear off all my families debts, then make sure that the children in the family are set up for the future and then, and only then, spend some money on Carrie-Anne and Archie.

Oh, and make sure ForumGarden.com is secure and sticks around!!

Nomad · Post by **Nomad** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 2:10 pm

Id be horrified if I won that kind of money. I dont trust myself enough to be able to handle it. I have an addictive personality and being able to have everything I want would probably get me deep in trouble.

But if I did, Id travel. Everywhere. Not as a tourist but Id spend time getting to know the cultures I was in. Id like to know what its really like to live in Moscow, Bejing, Oslo, Marakesh, Bangladesh (all the eshes)

And I think Id want to do something very powerful. Something real that would change lives.

To be able to offer an alcoholic homeless person the chance to get out from under that weight would be fulfilling. Treatment, job skills, a chance to own a home beased on progress and sobriety. That would be a thrill. Also something with children, perhaps I could do something great with the Make A Wish Foundation.

But if you had all that money and you couldnt make someone elses life better, I think it would be wasted.

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:38 pm

CARLA wrote: get BULLET the best defense attorney money can buy and get him out of jail,
Damn...how did I miss that one??? Carla, you always were a doll. :-4

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:22 pm

Hmmmm ............well, like everyone else I'd buy a house and a car!

I'd like a Tudor-style mansion with 5 or 6 bedrooms, so we could have a couple of guest rooms, I'd like an en-suite bathroom (luxury!) and a heated swimming pool. I'd also like Minks' maid! hehehe Someone to clean, someone to cook healthy meals and someone to mow the lawn (with stripes, of course!) and weed the flowerbeds!

I'd like a Galaxy car to run everyone around in and a GTi convertible for me!

I'd pay off all the family debts and I'd REALLY like to take my entire family on a cruise across to the States and end up in Portland where my cousin lives. I have heard SO much about Oregon and Mount Hood and all the places there, that I would adore to go there!

I would also take my daughter to Disneyland, a place she is dying to visit! And I would make it magical for her!

My son wants to go to Japan and see Pokemon World and everything game-related! His trip, too, would be magical.

For hubby, a fab holiday in Venice and for me a cruise to see the Northern Lights!

That done, I would buy several houses and let them through a rental company. That way I would be assured of an income and that would support my kids and their kids in future years.

Finally, I used to be a Nanny and I would want to do something for the kids. I would like to invest money for the Make A Wish Foundation and for Great Ormond Street Hospital, so they have a continuous income from the investment.

Lastly, my dream would be to open up a safe environment for children in my local shopping mall. So many times you see parents dragging kids around and everyone is fed up, hot and bothered.

My dream would be to open up a play centre where the kids can run and tumble and play. My son's name begins with W, so this would be called W's Wonderland. (Using his full name). Parents would be given a bracelet (which they couldn't remove) and which would flash if they needed to be called back to the play area, from where ever they are in the Mall. That way, they can shop in peace and the kids can have fun safely. Older kids could play in a computer centre. My daughters name begins with C, so this would be C's Computer Centre. They could play games, go online, do homework. The puters would be child-friendly (no x-rated sites allowed). And always someone there to help with problems.

I would like to employ single mums as part of the staff, as they could bring their kids along and work and socialise together in a friendly atmosphere. Too many single mums are alone and lonely! I would have everyone trained in first-aid care. Every child would be registered with updated photographs and name, address, doctors details etc, plus photos of all parents and aunts/uncles etc who might pick up the children.

If possible, it would be good to run an afterschool club, with a minibus to pick up from local schools who dont already run afterschool clubs, so the children are safe until parents collect them.

Later on I'd like to expand to other malls across the country.

If I only won part of the lottery and could only do one thing, this is the thing I'd choose. To open a huge safe Wonderland so all children could be doing something they enjoyed, in safety, whilst parents could shop in peace.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a BTW, I have often wondered if it is such a good thing for an ordinary person to win the lottery?

Surely, with so much crime around, criminals are not going to allow a total nobody to become a millionaire!? Do they kidnap or threaten people for their money? Do they break into your house or try to get you onto addictive drugs? Or do they really leave you alone to blow millions when it could be lining their pockets not yours?

What do you think?

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 8:30 pm

Rapunzel wrote:

As a BTW, I have often wondered if it is such a good thing for an ordinary person to win the lottery?

Surely, with so much crime around, criminals are not going to allow a total nobody to become a millionaire!? Do they kidnap or threaten people for their money? Do they break into your house or try to get you onto addictive drugs? Or do they really leave you alone to blow millions when it could be lining their pockets not yours?

What do you think?
That's why you tell NO ONE except immediate family that you've won.

I love your ideas for the play area and computer area, too Rap!! Not only would it help the single moms the ways you mentioned, it would help get them jobs! I know plenty of single moms who have a really hard time finding work because they have their kids, and a babysitter costs as much as they make an hour. If I ever hit the lottery, I'll let you know, and we'll build that dream of yours together! Great idea!!

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:06 pm

BabyRider wrote: That's why you tell NO ONE except immediate family that you've won.

I love your ideas for the play area and computer area, too Rap!! Not only would it help the single moms the ways you mentioned, it would help get them jobs! I know plenty of single moms who have a really hard time finding work because they have their kids, and a babysitter costs as much as they make an hour. If I ever hit the lottery, I'll let you know, and we'll build that dream of yours together! Great idea!!

Thanks BR, you're a sweetie!

As you say, single mums get a tough deal and are often stuck at home alone with no one to turn to. If they could bring their babies to work they'd have fun, have a job, gain self-confidence and friendship and know their babies are safe! Its a whole untapped workforce!

So many kids would be better off also if they could play with their mates after school and their parents could work full-time, so have more money and better jobs, and you could hopefully spot any kids with problems too.

The bank will only fund half, so I would have to fund the other half to get it up and running, which I just can't do. But if you win the lottery and want to go for it then that would be great! We could spread our play areas across the UK and the USA and Bullet could cut the big red ribbon of the very first one, cos your top-of-the-line defence attorney will have him outta there in a twinkling!

Going back to your first point ~ you tell NO ONE that you've won BUT the kids tell their friends, your mother tells her neighbour, your neighbour notices you've swapped your clapped-out old car for a top-of-the-line model, the news soon gets out! What then? It would be awful to send the kids to school with bodyguards! Or to have alarms on every window!

I wonder how much you would have to win before it became too much?

Before it attracted unwanted eyes to it (the money) and to your loved ones?

BabyRider · Post by **BabyRider** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:15 pm

You're probably right, it would be difficult, if not downright impossible, to keep it a secret for long. Luckily, my son is grown and knows when to keep his mouth shut! But, regardless, I woudn't be living in this area long enough for people to find out I was an over-night millionaire!

And Rap, I love your idea of Bullet cutting the grand opening tape!! You're so sweet!! Thanks! :-4

We could become a franchise!! W's Wonderlands and C's Computerland's across the country!! It's a damn good idea!

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:08 am

What gets me is all the long lost friends and relatives who come out of the woodwork when you become suddenly wealthy.

A side story here...the guy I dated before Rick got some huge dollar signs in his eyes when he found out one of my brothers is wealthy. :yh_money

I mean, my brother paid for my wedding as his gift to us, but I never would have asked him to, and actually did not see it coming. He did not tell us till our wedding day thay he had paid our tab.:-4

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:46 am

Anyone got last nights numbers ?????

CheshireCat · Post by **CheshireCat** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 7:39 am

I would relocate immediately to Alaska. Then I would buy my mother her dream home with maid service for the rest of her life. My brother would get a sweet Karman Ghia convertable.

Oh, I would give the local humane society the money they need to build a new facility.

Then I'd be all about sunrises and sunsets and the joy of living!:-6

Rapunzel · Post by **Rapunzel** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:58 am

Marie5656 wrote: What gets me is all the long lost friends and relatives who come out of the woodwork when you become suddenly wealthy.

A side story here...the guy I dated before Rick got some huge dollar signs in his eyes when he found out one of my brothers is wealthy. :yh_money

I mean, my brother paid for my wedding as his gift to us, but I never would have asked him to, and actually did not see it coming. He did not tell us till our wedding day thay he had paid our tab.:-4

Is your brother married Marie?

And do you have his phone number as I appear to have misplaced it?

Big hugs to my new sis-in-law-to-be-he-he!

Marie5656 · Post by **Marie5656** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:06 pm

Rapunzel wrote: Is your brother married Marie?

And do you have his phone number as I appear to have misplaced it?

Big hugs to my new sis-in-law-to-be-he-he!

Yes...on his second marriage to be exact. Sorry.

MoreThanALover · Post by **MoreThanALover** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:42 pm

If I won the lottery.....I would move out, get a nice house close to my college, get a nice car that's good on gas(even tho that wouldn't matter b/c i would actually HAVE the money for it). Buy my mom a house(that has a room for all her books) and give her some money. I'll have to think more about it though.