The $100 Question: Mona From Kirida Asks What You Would Do If You Won The Lottery?

I actually wrote about this today!  http://www.stickyfeet2.com/2012/03/all-the-money-in-the-world/

I would travel...and have someone else do the cooking! :)

I would also have a huge party, a cruise with all of my friends and family, drinks and food included!

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

Another thing I would do is take my Mom on a trip. She grew up in a strict, evangelical household. When she was turned 18 several of her friends went on a trip to Europe. She wanted to go, but her mother forbade her. So she missed out and she never got a chance to travel like she wanted to. If I won I would take her on the trip she didn't get to take when she was young.

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

Did I mention I am an animal lover? I would use some of the money to open a no-kill shelter for domestic pets. It would quite luxurious and the pets would probably enjoy themselves quite a bit in their swanky habitat. I'd feed them human grade food, and set up fun obstacle courses and toys with plenty of room to roam and sleep in the sun.

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

Of course, laying on the beach and working on my tan might be fun, but after a while I might get the itch to do something else in between the relaxation! So I'd like to start my own business. I have always wanted to own a health food restaurant with all organic, locally grown, eco-friendly meals. I love bike riding so I'd start my own bike shop, with a cafe in the back along a bike trail.

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

After I return from my whirlwind trip I would purchase a dream home. I have never been to the Florida Keys but I have a vivid fantasy of living a beachcomber existence as Jimmy Buffet's neighbor. I would lay in a hammock reading all of the books I never had time to read, watching the tide come in, and enjoying the breeze on my skin. A pina colada would be nice too!

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

If I won today I would probably put all of my belongings in storage, let my mom babysit the cat, and become a vagabond by profession. My favorite TV shows involve travelling. Watching Rick Steves travels through Europe programs got me curious about traveling to the continent and my dream finally came true not to long along. If Rick ever needed a co-host I would volunteer! So if I won I might start my own travel show and just bounce from beach to village to hamlet.
Lately I have started to enjoy Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations, he seems like he'd make an interesting traveling companion as well!

runningmatey at hotmail dot com

Oh, and my business? It will provide lots of jobs and job training.

~Deece

www.deece.net ( http://www.deece.net )

www.ayorata.com ( http://www.ayorata.com )

( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saipan/Ayorata/142182800185?ref=sgm )

Of course, Mona, you know winning the lottery is even less likely to happen for me than for the other commenters as I live on your home island of Saipan. A lottery-less place. However, should such a miracle happen, and I DO believe in miracles, so you know if I DID win...

First, I would quit my job. Because really, that is the right thing to do if you win the lottery and also nothing else is possible unless you are unemployed. We would pay off our debt and put some money away for our family and for our children. After that, I would like to buy a second vehicle. Because this one car thing? It kinda sucks.

Then I would like to build our own house. One that doesn't turn into an oven every afternoon in the tropical sun.

And certainly we will travel the world. But not all at once. I'd like to start by taking my family on vacation along the West Coast to visit YOU and all of my in-laws, cousins, and old family friends, and of course, Dis-a-ney Land.

After that rejuvenating vacation, upon return to Saipan, I will start my business. Maybe you've seen my jams? www.ayorata.com ( http://www.ayorata.com )

Beyond that, I have no idea...

~Deece

www.deece.net ( http://www.deece.net )

www.ayorata.com ( http://www.ayorata.com )

( http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saipan/Ayorata/142182800185?ref=sgm )

Lori D H

My husband and I would take early retirement (after paying off all our debts, of course) and hit the road for a few years. I would love to travel for a few years and blog about our adventures, living out of an RV and really seeing our country as it's meant to be seen, by driving along the scenic highways and visiting big cities and small towns along the way.

I'd also hire a personal trainer/nutritionist to whip my butt into shape before we took off. I think six months of intensive work might get me into decent shape. ;-)
http://www.livingbetterfeelingbetter.typepad.com/

We've always wanted to own some land and not have neighbors on top of us, so if we won the lottery, we'd buy a few acres and build a new home.

My ancestors are from Spain and I've always wanted to visit. If I won the lottery, we'd fly to Barcelona first-class!

I would buy a new car! I drive a minivan and I'd love to get a much cooler cross-over.

stop worrying month-to-month
start living each day to day

hopefully i'll do this without the lottery, too....

Start a business with my husband or travel the world.

I think the first thing I would do is well freak out and then talk to a financial advisor about the best investing strategies so we would be able to have the money for a long time.

After that I would purchase some land in the area of Northern California where we want to live 5+ acres and design a house and have it built...making it as eco friendly as possible--solar roof tiles, preserving grey water and rain barrels for watering the plants. On the land i would love a small orchard and a huge veggie garden. A chicken coop and bees. I'd also love to adopt 2-3 dogs from the shelter and maybe a couple goats. Next, I would give my parents a large sum so they would be able to fully retire. My sisters would get some too and I would set up college savings accounts for my nieces or nephews with the condition that they keep their grades up.

I would then donate to the local spca and other nonprofit animal shelters. Also donate to world child health programs.

We would live off of the interest and once we have kids every summer travel to a new country and live there for a month or two to experience the culture to expose our children to different cultures.

The first thing I would do is give 10% to God. He always comes first.

I would then pay off all of my debts and my daughter's debts so we could both start over.

I would buy or build the home of my dreams.

Both me and my daughter would own dependable, energy efficient automobiles.

I would plan ahead for my grandsons college education.

I'd go back to Disney Land and take the family with me!

I would pay off my house and buy my husband and I both new cars. Then I would put money away for my kids to go to college so that they won't graduate and be ready to start life with $40,000 or more debt!

Selfishly I would like to have a professional landscape my yard! It needs it, I DO NOT have a green thumb:(

If I won the lottery the first thing that I would do is jump up and down and scream. Then I would make a list of the people that I would like to help, starting with my kids and my sisters. I would also like to start a scholarship in memory of my Mother who died of Breast Cancer.

Buy a new home and invest the rest in education for the entire family!

Hands down, I'd pay off all of our debt and then open my own bookstore. I'd also take a really long vacation and eat my way through the Mediterranean. And get a dog. I'd definitely get a dog.

Haha, I am only half-kidding when I say that my early retirement plan includes the words "scratch and win." Because what I already have saved wouldn't last very long.

Anyway. I am assuming we are talking several million dollars here, right? Like, at least $25m? Because I have plans:

1. Pay off our house, our parents' houses, and my sisters' houses
2. Pay off our student loans and my sisters' student loans
3. Set aside enough to pay for my kid's college education in case my big plans for her beach-volleyball scholarship don't work out, plus pay for a wedding someday
4. Buy a Caribbean island, or at least a house in the Florida Keys (boat optional)
5. Buy a beat-up old station wagon and Airstream trailer and travel
6. Set up a scholarship at my high school for future writers
7. Finance a movie
8. Produce and direct the absolute most amazing community holiday pageant ever, complete with live nativity animals

#1 Pay off the last of our adoption costs.
#2 Pay off my house and cars
#3 buy a mini-cooper that is red and white and make it a no kid zone (sigh).
#4 Pay off my brothers' and parent's homes.
#5 Do a college savings for the four girls.
#6 Pull the kids out of school and make hubby take a year off and travel the country in an RV
#7 After our American trip, we will rest then promptly take a world trip.
#8 Do I have any money left?

I'd pay off our debt. I'd set up a foundation to grant money to gifted and talented education programs in underserved areas. I'd set up funds for all of our kids. I'd help my siblings and in-laws...and I'd definitely build myself a cottage where I could go to write!

~Margaret

Just Margaret ( http://maurhoffbarney.blogspot.com )

I would finally pamper myself with extended spa health vacations at the Tree of Life in Patagonia, AZ!

 One Friday night, I loaded up my life and headed out... ( http://isledance.blogspot.com )

I actually wrote a paper on this in my freshman English 101 class--and it was my teacher's favorite; he read it out loud! I went through the steps of paying something like 46% taxes, then buying a grand piano, putting money away for college, and buying a car. It was a great paper, a great idea, and I got an A. :)

The first thing I'd do is pay off each of my 3 sons' student loans.

My next purchase would be the house of my dreams for my husband and I. We've been trying to fix up our "starter" house forever and since the housing market is poor, it now seems like we're never going to get out. I have a whole lay-out of things I want in our next house and I think I'd rather just design the whole thing myself.

I'd also drag my husband to the furniture store and buy whatever I wanted without looking at price tags for once.

After all that, I'd go back to school and get my degree...while I'm so proud of my sons for going to college, it's something I always wished I could have done.

After the general necessities of paying off bills, investing it properly through CDs, 401k, and giving portions of it away to family for spending and saving (education for the kids), have been taken care of... I'd use the rest to:

1. Finish school (and quit my job to do so);
2. Join the Peace Corps;
3. Donate to my favorite charities/causes;
4. Start my own business in music and also in holistic healing.

Eventually I'd like to buy my own house, but not until after I've had my share of travelling around the world to help others and enjoy the sights.. and just LIVE!

SERIOUSLY. I imagine I'm officially not working so we go to Alki ALL THE TIME. Which means I'm holding your new baby. And I'm not sucking up one bit here, Interweb. I'd do that every day this summer until Mona kicked me out of her very-much-like-mine condo.

But really, with my new camera and my new ability to travel to see the people I want to spend time with In Real Life, I'd blog a lot less and take the kids around to learn about history from where it happened.

And that is the truth. (I'm pretty sure something historical happened in West Seattle. Right?)

I play the lottery once in a while. If we won, I'd do the tried and true..

1. pay off house
2. pay off car
4. pay off all the other bills
5. repair/update house to sell
6. buy new house better suited for our needs
7. buy new living room furniture we desparately need
8. college fund for Kiddo
9. invest the rest so we can live off of interest, etc.
10. travel & enjoy life

Elizabeth

@texasebeth

http://texasebeth.blogspot.com

http://www.LandRDesigns.etsy.com

sandy vincent

If I won the lottery, I would buy a house for my family, help my sister financially, pay off my kids' college loans, buy them each a reliable car, take my whole family on a vacation, give some to my favorite charities. I might even open my own scrapbook store....

I would help some of my frineds that are struggling. I would travel, and start an organization that would provide grants to women wanting to start a business.

I don't get to pick who wins and cannot play myself but I love this!

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

BlogHer is non-partisan but our bloggers aren't! Follow our coverage of Politics & News.

I'd give up the rat race. I'd pay off my current mortgage, sell my house and buy lots of acreage with room for a larger center-aisle barn with stalls, an arena, a round pen, pasture and plenty of room to ride. The kids would have room to run and I'd spend every day in the saddle. HEAVEN.

Mary a/k/a BarnMaven blogs at http://www.barnmaven.typepad.com about single parenting, living with ADHD, too many animals to count and dealing with ADHD/Bipolar kids.

I would try to bring back art classes to my sons' elementary school.

If I won the lottery... hmm.. first I would pay off all of my debt and my almost husband's debt. I would put a TON into savings. Of course I would splurge a little, but mostly I would but sensible things and save the rest. It could also be used to college tuition.

I only play the lottery when God tells me the numbers, which means not yet in my lifetime, but supposing He did tell me the numbers, I'd pay off all our debts and pay my Dear, Darling Husband to stay home with the kiddos!

I would invest every cent of it, in mutual funds and stocks, anything high growth. Then I would live off and give away the interest. I am currently, and will always be Lord willing, debt free so that makes it easy. Interest off 100 Million would be in the vicinity of 1-2 million a year... I can live on 25,000 a year easy, so that gives me tons to give away/play with. I have several missionary friends I would love to be able to help more, along with my church. I would also take my family to Honduras or Costa Rica for a month or so and do a Spanish immersion course.

I once knew a lady who won the Maryland Lottery. Her husband passed away about 3 weeks after they moved into their new home. So sad. She was older, though, and they had raised 4 children. She did a lot for her grandchildren though!

As for me, I would pay off bills, pay off our home, remodel our kitchen and our master bath, put on a new deck, replace all of our windows, landscape, put hardwood floors throughout our home, fix our fireplace, and then put the rest away for our children's college education. I can only dream. As it stands now, though, my sweet hubby has been out of work for almost 2 years now and we are living on crumbs supporting our family of 6. The good news is that we have each other, we still have our home, we spend lots of time together, we enjoy doing things with our children, and we are all healthy. - and that is the most important thing in life anyway - family.

Susan
http://www.raisin-toast.com

I would do the following, possible order change depending on size of winnings!

1) Pay off debt, including massive student
loans that Husband and I have acquired.
2) Put money away for gradute school.
3) Get some siblings for my beautiful,
adopted daughter.
4) Set up college funds for said children.
5) Finally launch plan for world domination.
6) Buy new house that has room for all of
these lovely children I'll be gathering.
7) Give the rest to my family, so they can
blow it on anything they want.
8) Did I mention launching plan for world
domination?

First, I would hide from the media and spend a month at a spa planning my next steps.

Second, I would be planning my non-profit organization I've dreamed of starting since I worked with inner-city youth in the 90's. I want to give etiquette classes to families struggling with low incomes because it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor if you have good manners and treat people with respect you are a winner. I would teach families so that no one would be the family oddball, they'd all have the same understanding of manners. I dream that people going through my program will be sought after by employers for their exceptional people skills.

Third, I'd move out of my drab little one bedroom apartment into house with extra bedrooms so I could foster/adopt teenagers, who are without families and give them a base for their adulthood, a place they can always call home and a link to someone who cares about their lives.

I would love to build a family for young people who really need a family. If there were scads of money and I could take my kids on cool trips to learn about other cultures, art, and history. That would be an amazing bonus.

I'd pay off everything I owe, and then take a niiiiceee in-town (NYC) vacation to relax and contemplate how to spend the rest!

I'd pay off all my debt and I'd send everyone I know a present "just because" and then I'd buy a big big BIG house.

Hi Mona! I would invest in my land. I'd build the most eco-savy house ever with solar panels, wind and water turbines, and a huge huge garden to grow as much food as humanly possible. After i was established, I'd invest the rest in local community efforts to go sustainable!

-Melina

http://www.thewildercoast.com

I'm going to assume more than a million but under 20. In that case I would:

Pay off my mortgage
Pay off my sister and parents mortgage
Buy the husband a new car
Invest enough to live off of for the next 30 years.
Help out a good friend in dire circumstances
Quit my job and donate to the research organization I currently work for
Finish our backyard
Buy an RV and spend the next 6 months on the road with my husband.

I'm going to guess "quite large." Soo...I would:

a) Pay off all of my debt and pay for my sister's graduate school.
b) Travel and write, and travel and write.
c) Pay for my own graduate school.
d) Donate part of the money to IEFT (which a friend from college founded), and take myself to Tanzania to volunteer.
e) Buy a house in Portland and a cabin at Priest Lake.
f) All of the above.

There's a feeling of endlessness and liberation the ocean gives me, and i want nothing more than to wake up to it every morning and to kiss it good night in the evening. It makes me feel like I'm a spec of nothing and yet I'm apart something when i look at the horizon and the giant sky dome above me.

yea, a house on the beach!

I would be able to get out from the mountain of debt that keeps me up most nights and take a big breath of debt-free air. After that, who cares:) I would sock away for the kids' college and then spread the wealth. I have six siblings, plus a brother in-law and my parents and in-laws. They would all get a nice piece of the pie. Then another good chunk would have to go to charities close to my heart.

I would stop freaking out about the fact that I just went under contract on a condo. Man, would winning the lotto be helpful right about now. I wouldn't have to worry about cutting back on spending so I can afford a mortgage! After that, I would pay of my and my boyfriend's student loans so we can move forward with our lives, get married, and start thinking babies.