Jump to content

Menu

Mega Millions - We didn't win....


AlmiraGulch
 Share

Recommended Posts

Despite the fact that one of the winning tickets was sold about a block from where my husband bought ours.   Somehow that makes it worse.

 

Of course we had no real delusions of winning, but we sure did have a great time pre-spending our winnings!  I also wonder why I don't play the lottery when it's only $5 or $10 million, as if that wouldn't be enough for us or something.   :glare:

 

Anyone else spend their "winnings" before the drawing?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did take a moment to look at some local properties for sale with large enough land lots to interest me. It was actually quite amusing for one to see some rather impressive lots available right now in our rural-ish county and to also realize that I'm still only turned on by 100+ year old houses. Clearly I have learned nothing in the past 6 years -- though with a winning ticket, I could actually solve the multitude of problems an old house brings.

 

But I'm guessing I'll just have to settle for what is and I'm perfectly good with that too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anyone else spend their "winnings" before the drawing?

This is the best way I've found to get myself to sleep when I am having trouble falling asleep. Start with the total winnings, subtract for lump sum payment and taxes, the start subtracting your spending. I usually start with setting up funds for family, the charitable giving, etc, etc,. It's all that subtraction and tax liability that puts you to sleep. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love playing the what-if game.  My kids and I have fun talking about all the things we'd do.  Give money to charity (and which ones), money and gifts for family, trips we'd like to take.  My daughter insists that the very moment we win the lottery, I absolutely MUST buy plane tickets to Ireland.  My girl! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did take a moment to look at some local properties for sale with large enough land lots to interest me. It was actually quite amusing for one to see some rather impressive lots available right now in our rural-ish county and to also realize that I'm still only turned on by 100+ year old houses. Clearly I have learned nothing in the past 6 years -- though with a winning ticket, I could actually solve the multitude of problems an old house brings.

 

But I'm guessing I'll just have to settle for what is and I'm perfectly good with that too.

 

 

I always have a running list of favs picked out, you know, just in case....

 

Historic Home listings

 

and another

 

and another.

 

With enough cash to do a thorough gut-job, anything is possible - even a full blown house move.  I haven't calculated exactly how much to ship a castle or villa over stone by stone, but it's only money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DH was telling me about the "what to do if you win" article. By the time he got to, "Go into hiding for two weeks and hire bodyguards," I was like, "Uh, no thanks."

 

A big chunk of our hypothetical winnings would go into DH starting up his own company in his field. We'd probably have to move to D.C. though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would start no company.  Honestly.  If I'd won, I would be done with working for pay.  My family (parents, brother, some of my sisters) and my husband's family, plus a few key friends, would be taken care of.

 

I'd buy or build a place where we intend to retire (Key West).

 

I'd set up a charitable foundation for the cause that is nearest and dearest to my heart, and DH would do the same.

 

I would not move away immediately, because my kids both want to stay in their schools since I don't home school anymore, but I would buy a better house in this school district.

 

I would travel as extensively as possible.

 

That's for starters.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I didn't win because I didn't enter.  I guess I have to ask if you would really be happier if you won?  All of the relatives and friends that would come out of the woodwork, all of the people that would EXPECT you to contribute to charitable causes.  My husband would no longer be able to practice medicine as that amount of money would be a giant sue me sign.  I know that the amount of money sounds great, but would it make you happy?  Men are much more likely to commit suicide after the age of 50 when they are either unemployed or have retired.  You would need to make sure that you found something meaningful to do.  Plus, I was listening to a news story that was interviewing an editor from Reader's Digest.  They will be running an article something like 10 things they don't tell you about winning the lottery.  She said it is amazing how many people run through that amount of money and end up in the same financial situation they were in when they started. 

 

Anyway, I didn't dream.  I stayed far, far away.

 

I do think I'd be happier in some ways.

 

I would not run through the money because I'm already financially responsible, so there's no reason that would change.  I'm not in a bad financial situation today, by most standards.  But I think it would be an amazing gift to be able to positively impact so many lives with that amount of wealth, including many future generations of my own family.  

 

I'd love to be able to help people close to me financially.  I would have no problem finding things to do outside of my job, and neither would DH.  We work to live, not the other way around, and get plenty of fulfillment from things in our lives that are not related to our primary jobs.

 

Yes, it would bring different stressors, but everyone has pressures of some sort.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our dreams weren't big.... Pay off what we have, pay off inlaws stuff, buy home for my mom (she just needs a house, hers is falling apart around her), buy my mom a new vehicle, build us a house to meet our needs (on our current land), set of college funds for our girls and our nieces and nephews, put money aside for our new vehicles (though dh would probably demand that I get one now), enough for some trips and retirement. Dh would continue to work where he is at, he likes his job and we would live on that.

Dh wanted to start a scholarship fund for our area and rescue some businesses so people can keep their jobs :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a great time pre-spending my winnings too, but I never buy a ticket. Daydreaming is free! 

 

We rarely buy tickets.  I figure I win every single time I don't waste money on an almost certain losing proposition.

 

We do play occasionally, and I think it's all in good fun.  Someone always wins, eventually.  I have as good a chance as anyone.  I actually know people who have won significant amounts, with just "normal" levels of play. Meaning, it's not like they're spending all of their disposable income on lottery tickets.  One person I personally know has won twice, once about $5 million and once just under $1 million.  She plays more than I do, but not every week, and only a few tickets.

 

Anyway, odds are definitely against it, but I see no harm in playing occasionally if i have a few spare bucks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I didn't win because I didn't enter.  I guess I have to ask if you would really be happier if you won?  All of the relatives and friends that would come out of the woodwork, all of the people that would EXPECT you to contribute to charitable causes.  My husband would no longer be able to practice medicine as that amount of money would be a giant sue me sign.  I know that the amount of money sounds great, but would it make you happy?  Men are much more likely to commit suicide after the age of 50 when they are either unemployed or have retired.  You would need to make sure that you found something meaningful to do.  Plus, I was listening to a news story that was interviewing an editor from Reader's Digest.  They will be running an article something like 10 things they don't tell you about winning the lottery.  She said it is amazing how many people run through that amount of money and end up in the same financial situation they were in when they started. 

 

Anyway, I didn't dream.  I stayed far, far away.

We have a long list of meaningful things we'd want to do.

And a lot of experience in flipping people off, lol. Plus our fantasy money is budgeted to include a "moochers" pot.

But I'm borderline OCD, so my calculations are pretty precise. Earned interest, inflation, trust funds... Planning for craziness is one of my favorite hobbies. It's why I have a lottery plan and prep for the zombie apocalypse at the same time. ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would rent my house out at a ridiculously low rate to a large homeschool family who could actually use our space, move into a wealthy neighborhood into the city close to the private high schools where my kids could attend someday, my husband could quit his job and go to graduate school for some nerdy degree, we would make a whomping big donation to our church to start an elementary school.

 

I would contribute to quite a few charities, and buy some land in the country and disaster-prep the heck out of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...