Winning the Jackpot

No, I haven’t won a jackpot.  Have you?  Could you share the multi-millions with me?  

I would like to share with you what I would have done if I won the Mega Millions a few months ago when it was over 500 million dollars.  It is always fun to imagine things that aren’t yours.  I would first have to say that I went in on a few tickets with my boyfriend, got 20 for myself and went in with an office pool.  So, this is all assuming that I would have won the money flat out, without anybody else.

1)      I am taking the money in installments for the next 26 years.  I can’t even imagine getting 12 million each year, so taking the lump sum would be outrageous.

2)      I would quit my job, which is unfulfilling and would start up my own non-profit to help those who have problems reading and speaking.  The money would come from a trust.  When I was younger I had a reading problem along with a speech impediment.  It would work with kids with the problem to help them; there would be speech pathologists at the headquarters to work with the kids.  There will be a scholarship fund for kids who have overcome the issues and get into good schools.  This would be based on schools recommendations (proof would be needed as well).  The contestants would write a 1-3 page (double spaced) about how the change occurred (what they did) and how it improved his/her life up until now.

3)      I am going to purchase a modestly priced home, probably around $500,000.  If it is just me, why would I need a really, really big house?  There will be a hot tub included in the house.  The furnishings would not be extravagant, but they will be real tasteful.  There may be a billiards table in the basement for my boyfriend.

4)      I may purchase a nice, large beach house for my family and I to share in the summer time.  Some of the best memories of the summer that I have is at the beach for a week with my family.  Maybe I would donate a few weeks to those families who wouldn’t have been able to afford a vacation during the year.

5)      I would setup a small scholarship at my alma mater to students and aspiring students who were like me, and in my major/minor.  There would most likely be an essay with why I want to study these topics?  or What will I do after graduating with my degree? 

6)      Of course I would be giving tithe to my church, though most likely it will be done anonymously.  There would be a big donation to both the youth group and religious education department.  They were always big supporters of me.

7)      Any of the money that would be left over from the year I would put into a trust for the future of my immediate family.  I would not want to have all this money and then lose it the next day because there was no planning done.  I would want to be able to live off the interest of the money once the first 26 years have gone past and I would not be getting any more money from the Mega Millions.

This will be a similar pattern for the next 26 years.