Do you play the Lotto? What would you do if you won a massive jackpot? During the week someone in Ireland won eighty eight million euro on the European Lottery. Imagine winning that much money? What would you spend it on?
I’d like to think I’d give a sizable chunk to charity and the rest I’d divide among family and friends. It would be lovely to live debt free, buy whatever I wanted and never again wonder how much is in my account.
However I know for a fact this will never happen to me. Not because I’m a cynic, but because I made a decision years ago never to buy a ticket.
Why I hear you wonder? (I like to pretend you are interested). Well there are a number of reasons…
- Himself and my children are much more money savvy than I am. I carry no handbag or purse, so whatever money I have on me is in my pockets, usually crumpled up and squashed. Rightly or wrongly I believe that if we came into the possession of such a large sum of money the differences between me and my family, with regard to our respect for money, would widen even more and may lead to conflict not present in our current relationship.
- What about my children’s lives? Their lives would be changed forever and I’m not sure it would be a change for the better. They
would never again need to work, so what would happen their work ethic? What about friends? Would it be possible to remain with their current friends when they would be so rich? How would their sense of value change? With so much money at their fingertips it wouldn’t matter if their new phone broke they’d just replace it without a second thought. Would they be tempted into a world of excess, including drink and drugs? Would their life become more superficial and they become less happy with how they look? - What about me? Would I live a better life than I am living now? Surely a little hunger (metaphorically speaking) is what keeps us fighting? I enjoy that fight most days so would I be less fulfilled?
So, despite enjoying pleasant moments wondering what I’d buy and how wonderful it would be to not care how much something costs, I think having weighed everything up, I’ll play it safe and save any lotto money for buying wine, because I know for a fact that makes me happy.
Of course I know this is not the way most people think, so just to assure you I am not anti lotto, I’m more than happy to toast any and all lotto wins the rest of you may have.
photo credit: Karn B Thai Bank Notes with an emphasis on 1,000 baht via photopin (license)
photo credit: anieto2k 35/52³: Sensual via photopin (license)
My thoughts on a page. 
I don’t know that I would give money to charity. I’ve become a sceptic on all fronts sadly….. What I would do, is buy and do for those that I could. Family. Friends. And strangers. Probably set up some kind of secret foundation and do good works anonymously.
I randomly, and not often, play the lottery. So the things I say I would do, are dream speak things. 🙂
I know what you mean about charity, but I do follow a couple which are amazing in what they do.
I’d even be afraid family and friends would fall out over who I gave what to. It all seems like a lot of hard work!
Let me know if you ever win, there’s a big gang of family there for you to spend it on.
Oh Tric, you’ll be helping me find my new house if I win. 😉 And we’ll be keeping it a secret from the world. And go out and about doing good deeds that need done without red tape. 😉
That’s a fascinating perspective! I buy lotto tickets a few times a year just for fun. Do I worry I’d ruin my life and the lives of my (future) children (if any)? Not so much. But I do keep in the back of my mind a list of people I like enough to give money to, just in case.
Yes, my friends do give out sometimes saying why not enter it and give it all away, but i think even that would cause hassle, as family and friends would be annoyed.
Easier to never have to wonder, but perhaps not ‘right not to bother’.
That’s the hard bit, isn’t it – I do worry I’d forget someone important. As for jealousy, I think I’d have to ask people to promise not to tell anyone that I gave them money. Now I’m just thinking – I wouldn’t want the people I’d given money to to feel indebted to me. I wouldn’t want it to change our relationships at all. So I’d probably have to give them the money anonymously. You’re right, this gets really tricky!
On the other hand, if you win first division lotto in NZ you’ll be lucky to get a million, so it may not be that much of a problem. 🙂
I’m with you, Tric. I’ve never won the lottery, but on the other hand I’ve never lost!
Too true. I like your thinking. 🙂
i’m not a lotto ticket buyer, though i expect to win one day. every so often, if the jackpot is 400 million or so, i’ll jump in and imagine. most would go to charity, a designated amount to family, so there is no fighting, no coming back for more, and the rest i would just go live with. maybe visit my friend in ireland?
I know very reasonable accommodation if you are searching.
Keep on playing, I’d love another visit.
especially now that you can confirm that i am not a serial killer
I’m a charity case Tric! anyone who wins the lotto give them my address my cup is always out for the silent collection. So you didn’t join in all the celebrating going on in the southern capital?
I’ll keep my eyes and ears open on your behalf C.j.
Ah yes there were great (premature) celebrations down here. Cork is great like that. 🙂