Friday, March 30, 2012

Lottery Dreaming

The lottery for tonight is up to something like $540 million, last time I checked.  A quarter of that will have to be paid by the winner in taxes, so let's say you'd get to take home $395 million  What would you do with it?

Well, let's see...

10 million each to my son and daughter-in law, my daughter and son in law, my sister, my brother, and my brother-in-law, husband of my deceased sister. One million in trust for each of my 5 grandchildren. We’re up to $55 million, so far, leaving $340 million.

So, say $200 million to the Church and $40 million to other charities, leaving $100 million for us.  Hmm...

A home on the windward side of Oahu, but not in any of the other places I've dreamed of (Tahiti, Majorca, Corfu) because a luxury hotel would afford all the amenities and service plus none of the headaches of home ownership.

No yacht because we're just not interested.

Jet would be good for bypassing security checkpoints, being able to take more luggage and without losing it, not putting up with delays or connecting flights, having actual beds on board, having good stuff to watch instead of trash...

No sports cars, but a new Cadillac or Lincoln every 5 years or so.

Maid service every week.

A year's supply of food and other necessities for ourselves and our neighbors in case of hard times, the way the Mormons do, plus someone to rotate the stock, donating to a food bank the stuff due to expire within the next 6 months.

My guess is that the Lord in His lovingkindness, is going to preserve me from winning the lottery - even if I decide, in the next couple of hours, to buy a ticket.

How about you?


5 comments:

123 said...

I bought a $1 ticket for the MegaMillions (up to $640 million earlier today) and a $1 ticket for the $3 million Lotto. I figure everyone will be buying for the big draw, which might increase my odds a little of winning the smallest draw.

Someone said they wanted to leave their children enough so they could do something, but not enough so they could do nothing.

Anam Cara said...

I think I'd go for the 26 year payout. $20 million (before taxes) is more than enough right now. Let's see, I'd pay off our mortgage and that of my church. That should use up about $500,000. That leaves me with $19,500,000. A much more manageable figure than your $395 right now.

Even if taxes took 1/2 of that, I'd still be at a loss of how to spend it.

All I REALLY want right now is to find my lost sweatshirt. Now that would make me VERY happy!

123, that sounds like a pretty good strategy to me.

I'm not against the lottery because it is gambling. In gambling, you have a reasonable chance of winning. There is virtually NO chance of winning the lottery. No, I am opposed simply because it is a waste of money. I can think of a lot more things to do with that money other than buy pieces of paper to throw away....

And now to look some more for my sweatshirt. Where could it be?

GretchenJoanna said...

I would definitely buy the maid service, so I could read and write more blog posts.

Sarah in Indiana said...

I didn't buy a ticket, but I always think the most fun part about these daydreams is the charity part. Foundations, scholarship funds, commissioning iconography, that sort of thing. Very fun to think about what you could do with all that money. I'd start a foundation to help Protestant or RC clergy who want to convert to Orthodoxy, for one.

Anastasia Theodoridis said...

Sarah, what a fabulous idea, the fund for clergy!

I once went to our parish priest to raise the idea of starting such a fund, but he pointed out how much like bribery that would look, if the Church did it.

But if an individual did....! It's so needed.