Suppose you won the lotto. Would you maintain the status quo?

Seriously, I would start a charity helping young people pay off student loans. I would totally let them refinance through me, at absurdly easy terms.

1) I would feel like I was helping the community

2) I would be exposed to attractive people way too young for me as I settle into old age.

@Imadethisupwithnoforethought – Jeepers. Charity. I didn’t even think of that. (Shows you where my head is at.) There are many organizations I would help with. NAMI, insurance for people that couldn’t afford it. I’d probably make up some of my own, too. Thank you @Imadethisupwithnoforethought. GA!

I would build the iron man suit and fly around the world, then get bored and start an online free university for exceptional children. I would offer a Ph.d in general studies.

I have never won the lottery but have been very comfortable and all that money really does for you is to allow you the freedom to pursue your passions as you mention. I in-joyed quite a few years of being free to indulge my creative passions and had plenty of free time. Of course it was great. If I won an obscene amount of money like 150 million I’d give it all away after setting my daughter up and keeping maaybe 5 million for my retirement.

That’s it. I wouldn’t want to manage that kind of cash and I already am a highly creative
personality so I would not be lacking in fun and stimulating and creative pursuits.
I’d have a blast just doing creative things like building koi ponds and landscaping and having a writing/sculpting/hobby shop/studio. I would also get into landscaping my property and building a tree house. lol The rest would go to animal rescues, ecology preservation, wildlife sanctuaries and whatever other good causes I could uncover.’
Spreading it around would be one of the greatest joys.

I could give a fuck about expensive cars, jewelry but would like to travel more.

I have put a lot of thought into this and seen all the “Lottery ruined my life” shows.

I’d run straight to a CPA to figure out if lump sum or payments worked out better. Put the bulk into interest-gaining funds. Then make that work for my heart-charities.

I’d put a lot of money into restoring my house. I don’t need anything bigger or fancier, just new flooring and shit like that.

I’d start a foundation for single mothers who want to get off of welfare so they can get their education AND afford childcare AND work without worrying about losing one benefit or another.

I would donate heavily to NPR, PBS and match donations.

I would buy homes and hire people to take care of teens in the foster system.

I would help my friend from Pakistan realize his dream of building a clinic in his home town.

I would travel the world if there was anything leftover.

Come to think of it, just one way you can win the lotto, or at least the dough. Get good at something and get paid well for it. Or be crappy at something, but just be in the right place at the right time.

I think I would definitely want to give some of my winnings to several charities that I have been forced to neglect, due to circumstances of the economy. I’d like to travel a little bit (economy style, camping and motor-homing) and I’d like to give some of my money to some of my friends and family for specific things that I know they’d like/need. I would love to build (or move to) a family complex where more of us could be together and have our needs (mostly medical) taken care of. I’m pretty frugal already, but if I won the lottery, I think and hope that I would be frugal and useful to those people and organizations that matter most to me.

On the first day, though, I think I would like to take my friends and relatives out to lunch at one of my favorite casino buffets. After that, I would like to spend the afternoon at one of our local animal shelters giving nose kisses and tummy rubs to all of the local furry residents.

Anything beyond that is all gravy.

I wouldn’t do too much straight away. I think you need to take time to work out the best options.

Things I’d like to do are paying off my house and going on a long holiday. I’d love to look after my children and make sure they have a house of their own.

If I had enough, I’d use some for charity. Housing for those escaping domestic violence and young people who’ve taken a wrong turn and need a safe place to get back on track.

Other than that I don’t think I’d change much. I like my job so I’d keep doing it to some level. Perhaps not the level I do now though. I’d love to have more time to work within my community. I’d like to work with refugees. Help people to learn English for instance.

I’d open a Mexican restaurant on some beach in Italy. Fuck working for a living.

No, i’d split those ageing rockers up &...ahh, that’s not what you meant was it?

I wouldn’t change much from the way it is. It would just be nice to have the security and know you will never outlive your savings as many old people do. The extravagances I would indulge in probably would not mean much to anyone else. I would like to have a big shed to work in, store all my timber while it dries, have all my tools where and how I want them. Have a welding rig. I’m not sure about family, whether I would let them know or keep it a secret until we die and then let them be happily surprised. I think part of life is to work for what you want and not have it given to you. Depending on the amount won, charitable donations immediately or let them wait until we die.

It sure would be fun to have that problem to figure out. The main thing is, I would want to keep it a secret. I wouldn’t want anyone to know.

Homestly? I’d start spending on myself and others like there was no tomorrow.

Luckily I don’t have many friends or family. I could hook them all up. Personally, I really enjoy woodworking. So I would do that on a island with Google Fiber.

Well, I would stop the academic rat race. It sure would be sweet to become an ‘independent scholar’! Just doing research because I want to, not because it will make or break my career. It would probably add 10 years to my life from avoiding stress.

I’d make sure my parents have more than enough for retirement, take care of all of our medical problems, and then move to Europe, buy a sweet apartment and fill it with adopted cats, and become a sugar daddy for starving artists. Oh yeah.

@Cazzie and I are moving to New Zealand and becoming hobbits.

No. I’d pay off all my debt, invest a portion, gift my family and friends, donate, and then travel, travel, travel the world.

I would not maintain the status quo… but I would try to stay close. I would buy a bigger house, maybe in the suburbs, with a little land (anything would be more than 1/10 acre) and a better school district. I would pay off all debt. I would take my teenager to visit any school in which he was interested, regardless of location. I would probably quit my job and be a stay-at-home mom. We would travel more.

But I would still try to be thrifty… make a budget, not eat out a lot, be frugal with clothing, etc. I would work hard to maintain my values.

I don’t know if hubby would quit his job. If he did (and we were both home all the time), I think we would drive each other crazy.

We only won $30k, did the marriage & honeymoon and put ⅓ down on the house.

If I won big, I’d take care of strangers as well as my family & friends. My needs and wants are pretty small time, so I would be ashamed to be ostentatious and frivolous.