i will take a lump sum payment after...

[Dancing Fire]

i hit the $550 million lottery tomorrow... .. what the heck am i gonna do with $300 million??...

 

[Imdanny]

Hire a bodyguard.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Hire a bodyguard.

do i need a bodyguard in Hawaii?

 

[SweetAsscher]

Buy that 18ct pink diamond from Costco

 

[AprilBaby]

I'm going for the long payout. And getting another upgrade!

 

[JewelFreak]

I'm gonna buy this at Christies' auction in a few weeks. It will be pocket change for me!

 

[Cozystitches]

I'm gonna buy me a bunch of sparklies! Here's my current list:
1. The 3 stone (pear sides) from BGD I've been eying. I'm thinking about a 1.3 to 1.5 carat Blue (but am debating)
2. DBTY bracelet
3. Diamond Tennis Bracelet
4. Bigger studs
5. Diamond huggies

That's the short current list... ahhh. LOL So much fun to dream!

 

[ihy138]

I always fantasize about this...but this time I actually bought a ticket!

I will pay off my student loans, quit my job and just finish my Masters, pay off my parents' debt, buy a home for myself, a BMW and a HUGE old European cut diamond. As big as they come.

And give some to charity.

 

[Missy]

I would give money to my sister and her family.
I would give money to my parents.

I would give a large portion to the many deserving animal charities that saves animals every day from being murdered.
I just might open up my own haven for homeless animals!

And I would pay off our mortgage and put the rest in investments and savings for future security and freedom from the "rat race". (no offense to those cute rats btw).

And I just might get a jewel or 2 from Harry Winston. There are a few I have my eyes on...
And my dh would get the workshop of his dreams!

 

[diamondringlover]

I am gonna scream after I win it I am heading out here shortly to buy my tickets

 

[Missy]

I am gonna scream after I win it I am heading out here shortly to buy my tickets

Oh right, thanks for the reminder. I still have to buy a ticket LOL.
I read that picking your own #'s are better than quick pick...just make sure they haven't come up before. Good luck to everyone!

 

[ame]

DH and I argue over this...I'd do lump sum for sure. I don't want weekly or monthly payments. I don't know if there's a survivorship, and I'd rather not die a year into my payments and suddenly have my family not have the remainder!

 

[TravelingGal]

I am not buying a ticket. I was saying earlier this week, there is no way in hell I'd ever want to win that jackpot.

 

[amc80]

We don't have MM here so I had to go to the state line and wait an hour to get one.

 

[minmin001]

Yeah, I would not want to win that jackpot by myself.

 

[Dancing Fire]

up to $650 milliom

 

[TravelingGal]

up to $650 milliom

Well, whaddayall waitin' for? Your moneys-a-waitin!

There are a fun stats out there right now where they tell you what you have better odds of happening to you. One stat I found interesting was this...

if you buy 50 tickets a week, you will win a jackpot once every 68,000 years.

Won't matter for the winner. Statistically, there will be a winning ticket either in this week's draw or next week's. I told TGuy he is not allowed to buy a ticket for us if this jackpots again (work pools with 30 other people are fine). If he refuses and we win, I told him prepare to buy me a rocket, since I intend to go live on the moon.

Still, I can understand $1 to dream (because reality of winning would be hugely different) and talk about it is entertaining and not a bad investment.

 

[Missy]

I am not buying a ticket. I was saying earlier this week, there is no way in hell I'd ever want to win that jackpot.

I think I understand why you're saying that but still... Life would be a lot easier if there were no money worries/issues KWIM?
I know statistically speaking it seems lottery winners don't enjoy happiness after their winnings but much of that stems from not being thoughtful enough as to what you are going to do with that money. If you know how to manage your winnings and don't go overboard I think winning would be quite the boon. At least from my perspective. It would sure be nice not to have to worry about work security, expenses etc.

 

[TravelingGal]

I am not buying a ticket. I was saying earlier this week, there is no way in hell I'd ever want to win that jackpot.

I think I understand why you're saying that but still... Life would be a lot easier if there were no money worries/issues KWIM?
I know statistically speaking it seems lottery winners don't enjoy happiness after their winnings but much of that stems from not being thoughtful enough as to what you are going to do with that money. If you know how to manage your winnings and don't go overboard I think winning would be quite the boon. At least from my perspective. It would sure be nice not to have to worry about work security, expenses etc.

Don't get me wrong. I'd happily take 1 million. Or even 10. But not THIS jackpot. Not 650 million. I don't even want a CHANCE that I'd ever win that kind of money.

And I don't really have money "worries" right now (although there could be if anything terrible happened). I like my life. I suppose that makes me richer than I actually am.

 

[kenny]

I'll wallpaper my house with natural Red, Green and Blue Octavia diamonds.

 

[Missy]

I am not buying a ticket. I was saying earlier this week, there is no way in hell I'd ever want to win that jackpot.

I think I understand why you're saying that but still... Life would be a lot easier if there were no money worries/issues KWIM?
I know statistically speaking it seems lottery winners don't enjoy happiness after their winnings but much of that stems from not being thoughtful enough as to what you are going to do with that money. If you know how to manage your winnings and don't go overboard I think winning would be quite the boon. At least from my perspective. It would sure be nice not to have to worry about work security, expenses etc.

Don't get me wrong. I'd happily take 1 million. Or even 10. But not THIS jackpot. Not 650 million. I don't even want a CHANCE that I'd ever win that kind of money.

And I don't really have money "worries" right now (although there could be if anything terrible happened). I like my life. I suppose that makes me richer than I actually am.

I hear you. I feel the same in that I feel grateful for all the good in my life. I am thankful for all our blessings. I also don't like to "rock the boat" so I can understand how you feel. It's just that in these uncertain times it would be nice to have enough money should something happen (job loss, illness, tragic event etc) we would be less impacted if that makes sense. Of course, money cannot buy health or happiness but I think if used right it certainly can help make life a lot easier.

Having said that, I have never even hit one number on the mega millions jackpot and true I rarely play but still. Not ever one. So I think my odds are even less than most people with this lottery but hey, you never know.

Good luck to everyone here that is playing.

 

[iLander]

I have this feeling that I should buy a ticket.

Where is this sold?

 

[TravelingGal]

I am not buying a ticket. I was saying earlier this week, there is no way in hell I'd ever want to win that jackpot.

I think I understand why you're saying that but still... Life would be a lot easier if there were no money worries/issues KWIM?
I know statistically speaking it seems lottery winners don't enjoy happiness after their winnings but much of that stems from not being thoughtful enough as to what you are going to do with that money. If you know how to manage your winnings and don't go overboard I think winning would be quite the boon. At least from my perspective. It would sure be nice not to have to worry about work security, expenses etc.

Don't get me wrong. I'd happily take 1 million. Or even 10. But not THIS jackpot. Not 650 million. I don't even want a CHANCE that I'd ever win that kind of money.

And I don't really have money "worries" right now (although there could be if anything terrible happened). I like my life. I suppose that makes me richer than I actually am.

I hear you. I feel the same in that I feel grateful for all the good in my life. I am thankful for all our blessings. I also don't like to "rock the boat" so I can understand how you feel. It's just that in these uncertain times it would be nice to have enough money should something happen (job loss, illness, tragic event etc) we would be less impacted if that makes sense. Of course, money cannot buy health or happiness but I think if used right it certainly can help make life a lot easier.

Having said that, I have never even hit one number on the mega millions jackpot and true I rarely play but still. Not ever one. So I think my odds are even less than most people with this lottery but hey, you never know.

Good luck to everyone here that is playing.

I don't even play for even 10 million. I just stay away from it for the most part (I have bought a couple of tickets on TGuy's request when he couldn't pick them up. He plays from time to time and knows I don't care for it, but I don't stop him if he wants to buy into the crazy dream). But I'm a little biased since a lot of Korean grocery store owners had lottery machines and you see who comes in and buys them. It's often the people who can least afford it who throw money away on this stuff. I've also seen parents come in and say they can't afford to buy a treat for their kids, then spend what they have on tickets. We didn't have a machine in our store that I remember (although we may have at the end), but I worked at my cousin's store and watched a lot of this stuff go on.

There's an article on CNN today that takes what I've observed and puts it into better words. It says the lottery is a tax, and it's funded mostly by our nation's less fortunate.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/30/opinion/drenkard-lottery-tax-jackpot/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7

 

[zoebartlett]

I can't even wrap my head around how much money it is. It's too much, actually. After doing everything I'd want, I'd *still* have way too much.

If I won the lottery, I'd pay off our school loans, our condo mortgage, and our family's debts. Then I'd buy cars (nothing fancy though) and a house or two. Oh, and we'd take a few trips, one of which would be to Hawaii. My husband would definitely quit his job. I don't think I could. Well, maybe. I'd think about it.

 

[JewelFreak]

I wouldn't turn it down, but winning big money -- from less than a million up -- changes your life no matter how carefully you plan. Your relationships aren't the same -- people from distant relatives you never heard of to total strangers & in between come out of the woodwork hoping for a windfall. Sometimes families get all nutso, angry when the winner refuses to give them a sum they believe they deserve. All sorts of reps of charities, cultural & political orgs become your new best friend, suddenly needing your brilliance on their boards, when they looked right through your previously poor self. It would be horribly disorienting, never knowing who liked you for you, who for your moolah. You exchange one type of worry for another when you win. A lot harder than we dream of.

--- Laurie

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I'd build a wing at the hospital I work at--goodness knows they would appreciate it!

That is after I buy 5 no 6, NO 10 pairs of new shoes!

OOPS I can't even enter, therefore not dream--I am Canadian! There goes that.....

cheers--Sharon

 

[Dancing Fire]

I am not buying a ticket. I was saying earlier this week, there is no way in hell I'd ever want to win that jackpot.

I think I understand why you're saying that but still... Life would be a lot easier if there were no money worries/issues KWIM?
I know statistically speaking it seems lottery winners don't enjoy happiness after their winnings but much of that stems from not being thoughtful enough as to what you are going to do with that money. If you know how to manage your winnings and don't go overboard I think winning would be quite the boon. At least from my perspective. It would sure be nice not to have to worry about work security, expenses etc.

i wanted to experience the "feeling of sadness" with $400 mil in my pocket...

 

[akmiss]

AVCs for everyone!

 

[Gypsy]

I would do the payout.

We bought tickets. And DH bought joint tickets with his coworkers.

And the point isn't the odds. It's the fun dreaming about it. It's the hope. How often can you buy hope?

First thing I'd do is hire a great accountant an get a law firm on retainer. Have them watch each other.

Then I'd tell the accountant and the lawyer all the things I want do. And have the accountant draw up a good financial plan for everything I want to do (while I'm away on vacation). I'm sure there would be lots of trusts and other legal stuff to take care of at that point (when I come back from vacation). I'd take care of all that then I'd know what I could and couldn't do.

 

[lulu]

I would do the payout, split the money with DH, and start my own cat/dog sanctuary. He'd put his into motorcycles and helping people. I prefer animals.