Ever wonder what you would do if you won the lottery and suddenly became a millionaire? I think about it all the time, and I try to envision the things I would do. Now, I’m sure it’s much easier said than done, but I would like to think that I would still be practical. I mean, I’ve heard those stories of people who have won millions and then squandered it all away, and then they ended up just as poor as they were before they won any money. It never made sense to me, how anyone could do like that.
I know for one thing, I would NOT be purchasing a mansion. Geeesh Marie, the insurance alone would be a killer! It’s not just that though. It’s really a lot of things. For starters, I wouldn’t want to own a home that was too large for me to manage. How large of a home does one really need, anyway? Now, having said that, I would like to have a home with 4 or 5 bedrooms, and 3 baths, or so. See, my idea is to have a home large enough for me, my 2 sons, and my mom, and then have a guest room. Ideally, I would have a master-suite, and my mom would have one too. My boys could share the 3rd bath… lol! I have thought that it might be nice to have a 1/2 bath as well, for guests, but that would be a minor factor, I think.
Basically, I would put my money into getting the details I wanted in a house. It would be a single-story home, because my knees do NOT like stairs so much. It would be built to handicap specifications because, even though I am not currently handicapped, one never knows what life might throw you. I had some friends back in Texas, both in their 30’s, who were out late one night riding their motorcycles. Well, they both wrecked, and while they both lived… amazingly!… both of his legs were broken, and one of her knees was shattered. So, they weren’t allowed to go home from the hospital until a wheelchair ramp had been installed at their home. Thank goodness they had good friends who did that for them. So it really doesn’t matter your age, or condition… things can happen. Besides, my mom is in her 80’s, and she might well need those specs, even if no one else did.
Another thing I would want is: NO carpet! Or at least very little. I think carpet is horrible for holding all kinds of dust, dirt, bacteria, etc., basically, things that make us sick when we constantly breathe them in. So, I would go with tile, linoleum, laminate, or even real wood, flooring. I’m sure there are lots of options out there, and if I had money, I’m sure I would learn more about them.
I would also want a fireplace, a game/puzzle room, and an exercise room. Outside, I would have a nice carport, large enough for at least 4 vehicles. I don’t know if I would want a garage…. still on the fence about that. I would have a fence, and a nice storage shed, and a nice workshop, complete with power. Then I could plant all of the plants I would like, plus a veggie garden and some fruit trees.
So how much would all of that cost? See, I think I could get it all done for under $1,000,000, easy. I figure, allow $1,000,000 for the land, house, and new vehicle… anything left over would be gravy. But even if it did cost more, I think it would still be a good investment, because it would pass down to my kids once I am gone.
So, once I had my new home… what then? Well, I think I would invest a lot of my money… make it make more money, for future, and for dreams. What I would truly love to do would be to set up some sort of organization that would help others. Have it set so that it was funded by investment returns… I mean, why not? I really don’t understand why some millionaire, or billionaire, hasn’t thought of this and put it into practice already. Now, it’s true that I don’t have a business degree, nor do I know much about business… or money either, for that matter. But why wouldn’t something like that work? You take X amount of money, invest it, gain a solid return, start an organization for helping people get out of debt and make a new start. I know, I know…. easier said than done, for sure. I still think it’s a good idea, though. Exactly what are we here for, if not to help each other? So, I would want to make my money help other people…. if I ever was lucky enough to win that lottery!