What would you do if you won the lottery?

[PNGwynne]

You'd drive it well! Could I borrow it and add a couple of yellow umbrellas?

[Joshua the Atomic Robot]

I would take a nap. Heck, not just one nap. ANYTIME I was in the mood to take a nap, I would just lay down and do it. My time would be my own, I wouldn't be under any pressure to hurry up and get work done, go grocery shopping, do laundry, none of that. Nap time, any time I wanted it. That would be PARADISE.

[Boy_Wonder_1978]

This is the question I constantly ask myself. I'd buy a detached house surrounded by very few to no neighbours. Build myself a toy room out the back. I'd also build myself a dedicated cinema room, no expense spared. I'd look after a few friends with a few treats. I take great pride in telling a few that I work with to **** off. Obviously I'd take care of my parents. I reckon for the first week or so I'd just go completely nuts.

[Hedji]

You'd drive it well! Could I borrow it and add a couple of yellow umbrellas?

Absolutely!

I would take a nap.

Amen!

Confession time: Every time I buy a lottery ticket, I practice my gleeful winning phone call to my boss out loud.

[Mikey]

If I won a ridiculously huge jackpot I think i'd like to move to Canada - perhaps somewhere in upper Quebec i'd build a kind of Shining hotel that catered to outdoor sports people like hunting, fishing and even skiing.

I'd bigtime advertise in the USA to bring in the Yankee money

[Makernaut]

I read...and enjoyed....every single response in this thread (to this point). I love this question because I got to read what you all value and hope for and that's really cool and pretty special.

Hector, it doesn't seem you have put much thought into this. (of couse, I am kidding). I love that you put the visuals in. They say being able to visualize what you want, and picturing yourself in it, is a huge motivator to getting yourself on the road to making it so.

I don't have anything to add other than appreciating what has been laid out by others. All of your responses have a common thread and I could pick from any of them and say "me, too!"

[Random Axe]

First thing I do is have every medical test known to mankind run and whatever is needed fixed. I'm not gonna have all that cash and be in poor health.

Then...I disappear. I don't tell anyone I won, don't make any stupid purchases, just fade away into the background. After a few months I rejoin the world and open a combination comic/toy/record store mixed with a club/bar for live music. It'll be called Planet Awesome.

I'd have a reserve fund for charity, close friends and family but the majority is invested. Maybe buy a house in the country away from civilization. So many possibilities...

[Brown Bear]

I'd have everyone here post their dream mego figure and play Santa Claus to you guys

[Relic]

If I ever won lots of money in the lottery I would be in trouble really fast. I would buy a brand new Corvette and take a baseball bat to it right in the showroom. Totally destroy the car just because I could.

[Boy_Wonder_1978]

^^ Relic, I like the way you think. I'd certainly do something like that myself. Like you say... Just because you could.

[JediJaida]

First of all, I'd faint. It's kind of a given.

After that, I'd make sure all relevant taxes were paid. Then resign from my job and move to someplace where the weather is better, like maybe Florida or Georgia.

As for a house? I'd get myself a nice three bedroom house, with at least two and a half bathrooms, if not more. I'd dedicate one room to sewing, customizing, keep one for myself, and the other could be a guest room.

[cjefferys]

First, I would have a tough decision to make: give around half my winnings to the IRS, or stay in Canada, keep all the money and never return to the US ever again. Then I would disappear for awhile like you are supposed to do (hint, I'd likely hang out a few months with my in-laws in Japan). When I come back, I'd sell our house, buy a bigger, nicer one in the same town (some nice place by the lake) with cash, and start a business I'm interested in (just for something to do to keep busy).

[MRP]

Hmmm let's see. As others have said do my due diligence, my wife is a banker so I would follow her lead, but contact lawyers and financial planners to make sure we set aside an annuity or trust to make sure we have a steady income for the rest of our lives and not have to worry about finances in our retirement.

Then find a nice lot in the country (my wife's preference) and have a house custom built for us (one level to avoid stairs as knees, hips, and feet start to become an issue as we grow older-for her as well as me). Gaming room (for our tabletop gaming), library, comics display room, toy room, viewing room (movies & tv), study, art studio & craft room. Lots of pet friendly rooms for our current and future cats and dogs.

Allow my wife to retire from banking and focus on her creative pursuits-art, crafts, etc-she has done some art and coloring for a few local comic self-publishers and had some interest form game publishers when I was doing freelance writing for the gaming industry, but never had the time to fully pursue it because of her job.

Start a small business focusing on buying, selling collectibles, toys, games, comics etc. and travel doing shows/cons and making buying trips. We've talked about doing this as a retirement activity when we wouldn't be dependent on the business' success for making ends meet anyways, so would make this a reality anyways. Probably add a studio/publishing wing under the umbrella to make our own comics, art prints, prose works, rpg & board games, etc. as we wanted.

Take care of family, helping them pay off/pay down debt, get homes, cars what have you so they are in better positions to be able to live stress free and pursue careers/retirements they want.

One of the other pipe dreams we talked about is starting a social club/gaming-hobby store combo for geek culture, kind of a like a Moose Club/fill-in-the-blank -American Club you see in cities and towns all over America, but where fans of geek culture can gather and socialize, play games (everything form D&D, Magic, classic board games, cards, what have you), eat, drink, etc. and have a little storefront in there where members can buy their comics, toys, games, etc. at a discount with membership as well as frequent the place for socializing, playing games, meeting people etc. with people who share common interests.

Essentially do things to put ourselves in a position where we are comfortable, able to do the things we enjoy, keep ourselves busy pursuing the things we enjoy while maintaining some income despite the lottery winnings, and have the opportunity to meet and mingle with like-minded people who share our interests and passions.

-M

[HardyGirl]

I think I'd also like to buy myself my own drive-in movie theatre. And have them show nothing but old school movies, (nothing past the 80s)

[Hedji]

^Thats a great one! Could I come park my lottery-won Batmobile at your lottery-won drive-in?