The point is, I like to make a list of what I'd do, or *think* I'd do if I ever won some huge pile of money.
Not how I'd go get it, or setting up trusts or anything like that. But what I'd actually *do*.
I think it gives a pretty good idea of what people want from life.
So, if I ever won the lottery I'd (in approximate order):
- Pay off everyone and everything that I owe
- give my parents a chunk of money
- set money aside for my sister to pay out as she works, or to pay for school, but without giving her direct access
- book tickets to NYC and Europe
- renew my passport (if needed)
- see Apocalyptica in concert
- go to Florida or California and ride roller coasters every day for a week
- invest almost everything so I'd not have to worry again
- hike the Appalachian Trail (with or without a borrowed dog)
- blog
- spend a year travelling and donating money all over the world
- keep doing the internet thing
- open a hostel
- backpack around the world for as long as I want
- write books
- live in NY, SF, London, LA
Obviously that's a "huge pile of money" winning lotto- the "dream" amount. With $200k I'd pay off my debts, then hike the AT and backpack, while building an online business/ writing. $10k and I'd just start with backpacking and the business/ writing. $100 or less makes no real difference to my life- I'd buy more soda or extra gas.
But it shows me what interests me, what I want to do with my life. If I could pay off everything I owe in one swell foop, I'd be all over that. It's a long range goal. If I could donate piles of money to causes, groups, even people that I think need it, I'd do that. Another long range goal.
Some of them I can do *now*, tho- blogging, building a business that can eventually earn enough to let me do those more expensive goals, working on a book, preparing to, saving for, and taking off on a long term backpacking or hiking trip. A lot of my goals aren't expensive.
If I were more of a stay in one place kinda girl, I'm sure there'd be smexy cars and houses and pool boys and whatnot on that list. I'm sure eventually I'd get at least one of them. Heck, my dream car is less than $100k US with every possible upgrade. (drool, drool, lust...) But that's not something I think about in a daily kinda way.
If I don't plan to settle anywhere in the next 5 years, why would I need a house? If I'm globe hopping, why would I need a car? If I don't have a house, why on earth would I need a pool boy?
Sure, at some point I'll probably want a better place to keep my accumulated stuff (not that there's really that much of it) other than Dad's garage, Mom's shed, or a rented storage unit. Some day I might not have those options. For now, though, and in my goofy bills-paid dream world, that time hasn't come yet.
So what I seem to want in life are experiences, do-goodering, freedom from debt... And the sexy car. Other than the *huge piles* of donated cash, most of the rest of it seems pretty achievable.
What does your Dream/ Lottery/ Life list look like?
Call me weird, but ever since 4th grade when this question was first asked, I've always had the same answer.
ReplyDeleteAnd that answer is that I want to pay off all my bills, all of my parent’s bills (and get them a house or help them getting started in a good mortgage), all of my sister’s bills, save/keep $5-10k and disappear. I just want to lose contact with them and not have to respond to any of them. Call me vengeful or kind, but that is really what I want to do.
I would rent a place out of state and just work and enjoy life. I like working. I don’t really want a life of luxury. If they do, fine, but it is not for me. I want to work; I don’t want to have too much money (it’d end up donated anyway, seriously) or too many things or live rich. I want to keep cutting coupons, budgeting and cooking at home… etc. But that’s just me. I said I was weird, didn’t I?
I guess you could say I'd be buying my freedom. And I'm ok with that.
I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Honestly, if I ever won (or earned) enough to set my parents and sister up with trust funds, totally automated, so they'd have *at least* living expenses for the rest of their lives, I'd be more than happy.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting, because while I don't want to work for other people, even with the "I has gazillions of dollarzzz" dream I still don't see me doing *nothing* forever. Even if I only tried to turn myself into a hot female warren buffet, I'd still be doing *something*.
Heck, I *hate* the sun, so loafing on the beach gets old fast, and even I can only stare at a tv (or computer) screen for so long before I want to pull my hair out. The brains get bored, ya know?
Hey, there are people who win the lotto and just * disappear*. You'd at least make sure your family was taken care of before cutting them off. Sounds more than fair to me.