Day 26: If I Won the Lottery....

Today is another one of those days where my blog topic falls nicely in line with the spirit day I'm having at school.  I had a long weekend so today doesn't really feel like a Tuesday, it feels more like a Monday.  It's the day before the start of our state testing, and to kick it off we are all dressing up as if we were going to the Grammy's...or Mappy's as we're calling them.  We're gonna pretend we're loaded, put on nice dresses and duds, and walk down the red carpet to our very own Mappy Award ceremony this afternoon.

Fun stuff.

Which is great, because today I am supposed to answer the questions:  If I won the lottery, what would my life be like? What would I buy?  What would change? Etc.

Well, the first thing that would happen if I won the lottery is wondering how the heck I won the lottery being that I don't buy lottery cards.

No, seriously...let's pretend I did buy a lottery card and I struck it big.  A few million...let's make it $150 million shall we?  That would give me about $60 million after taxes were all said and done...right?

I would take the lump sum payout.  First off.  I don't want to get the extended pay off just because my luck would be that I crock a couple of years in - and would hardly get any money.  I don't mind taking only half of the winnings - because why on earth wouldn't that be enough money?  It would be more than enough.

The first thing I'd do is buy a house.  Outright.  No mortgage, no worries.  Just find a nice house that suits our needs and buy it.  Nothing too fancy...no lavish mansion or anything, because I don't want to have to clean it.  Just a house big enough for our needs...4 or 5 bedrooms, large living area, maybe a pool, a big back yard for the kids to play in.  Simple, but nice.

Then I would pay people to paint it the way I want it and buy all new furniture.  I'd basically just pack up the clothes we have and our personal belongings and leave everything behind in this house: Beds, furniture, kitchen stuff.... I'd start with all brand new stuff.

Once that was out of the way and we were all moved in, I'd pay off the vehicles, the rest of my student loans, our credit cards, etc.  Get all of the debt gone.

And then I'd be left with around $59,700,000.  Because my house and paying off all my debts wouldn't be more than $300,000.  I can find a beautiful home for WAY less than $200,000 in our area...so we'd have quite the house if we did spend that much and then got it all decorated and stuff.

Once my family was taken care of, I'd then help out our families.  I would give my parents, Hubby's parents, and P-Mommy a couple million each.  Enough for them to pay off of all their bills, buy new houses if they wanted, be comfortable and not have to worry about money.  If they go out and blow through it, that's not my problem and that's all they're getting.. HA!  Just kidding.  Not really.

After I've done my part to share the wealth just a little, it will be time to set up trust accounts for my kids for when they are adults.  College money, enough to live on while going to college, and enough to get started once they get out of college...that's it.  My kids won't be raised on silver spoons.  There will be restrictions to the money, and it won't be for them to party hard and waste.  It will be enough to help, but they'll still need to do their parts to work hard in order to get on their own feet once they become adults.

One thing that wouldn't change if I won the lottery would be my job.  I would NOT be one of those people that quits her job because she doesn't have to work anymore.  Hubby might, but I certainly won't.  I didn't go to school for 4 years, wrack up that much in student loans, only to work in my dream job for a year or two.  I'd just work at the coolest darn school in the county, once I'm said and done.

I'd make sure that the school had brand new computers for each student.  We're moving in to the digital age, and our kids need to know how to use computers.  Very hard to do when there aren't near enough computers, and the computers are almost as old as I am.  I'd change that.  I'd make sure our school and our students were well taken care of when it comes to having the latest and greatest in the educational world.

Once that's all taken care of, I'd put the rest in to the bank and basically live off the interest.  Our family would take nice vacations every year.  I'd take along friends and family.  We'll visit all of the places and countries I've always wanted to visit, Hubby's always wanted to visit, and the kids have always wanted to visit.  England, India, Jamaica, Rome, Italy, France...a different country every year.

I'd buy a motorcycle and spend a month backpacking around the country with Hubby.  That's a vacation he's always wanted to do...and I know that would become something we do each year more than likely.  After our fancy vacations.

At the end of the day, it will be very hard not to spoil my kids - but I'd like to teach them to still be responsible with money.  Sure, they wouldn't want for anything... but they don't now.  They wouldn't have an endless supply of money to buy everything and anything their little hearts want.  They'll still be encouraged to find a job in their teen years, will lose privileges and belongings for bad behavior, and will try to be kept as normal as I can keep them.

When they start driving, I won't be buying them fancy sport cars or brand new vehicles.  They'll start out the way I did - with a responsible, used car.  Why?  Because brand new drivers should not be given brand new vehicles.

It sure is nice to think about what I'd do with that much money.  But, honestly?  I don't need it.  When I sit here and think about my life, I've basically already won the lottery.  I have amazing children.  I have an amazing fiance.  I have an amazing family and extended family.  I work in my dream job.  Sure, we don't have money flowing out of our ears, but we're not doing too bad.

One day, I'll have my nice house.  It would be nice to have money to do all of those other things - but the only thing I really want is a new house.  We'll eventually pay off our debt.  My kids may not have trust funds, but they'll be raised to understand that hard work pays off...and there's nothing wrong with getting help to pay for college or to use student loans.

At the end of the day, I really don't need to win the lottery to have everything I want.  Because I'm pretty darn close to it right now!