The more I read in various places today, the more I'm seeing people opining about what they were planning to do with the $640 million lottery jackpot if they'd won it last night.

Although we are not lottery players, generally, we do go out and buy a ticket or 10 when the jackpot is really big. Like it was this week. In fact, it was the biggest ever in the history of the world. So they say.

So I, like most everyone else, apparently, was mentally spending that money on various and sundry dream-items.

I knew I wanted to buy a new house but where, that was the problem. With that much moolah, I suppose it could be anywhere. But I did hear one financial planning expert tell us that it would be wiser to take the yearly installments of winnings rather than the one-lump-sum amount - mainly so you would be paying less taxes - on the smaller amount you'd be taking each year. OK. I suppose a cool $20 million a year, or whatever the figure comes out to be, could make me almost as happy as the approximately $365 million that I'd be taking as a lump sum payout. But gee, that is forfeiting half of the total winning amount almost. The yearly payout is a definite consideration.

Still, let's say it's $20 million per annum. I could find a nice house for that much. Sure I could.

I want it to be out in the country, near the ocean. In Maine. Or in England. One or the other.

Yorkshire would, of course, be my first choice, but with the dogs, I have already resolved to never put them in the luggage compartment of a big old airplane, so since they can't come to England, neither can we go. Right now anyway. Once we are a dogless couple (oh, God, that is scary to even think about!!!!!), we could move to England then.

So it should be Maine for now. Somewhere way the heck down the long coast of Maine. Way, way down. Almost to Canada. Or Nova Scotia. Prince Edward Island might be nice.

I hadn't really decided how to spend any more of the money. Except I read today somewhere that you should not give away any chunks of it to family/friends. But c'mon. If my brother or sister had just won $640 million, wouldn't I possibly be expecting a nice little bundle under my Christmas tree this year? Maybe? So, I made up my mind that I would ignore the experts, and I would give to my brother, my sister, and to Paul's sister each $10 milion. One lump sum. They can throw it all away any way they want. I'm not responsible. I know they wouldn't but that's just what I would do. I think getting a gift of $10 million, apart from the taxes you'd need to pay right off the bat, would be a welcome gift. No?

I really don't need anything else. My 1999 Honda CR-V still runs pretty darn well. Paul does need a new truck - his current one doesn't have a rear gate-thingy and sometimes things fall off the back. Yes, he needs a new truck. But that's about it really. Shoot, I have all the spices I could use up in a hundred years in my kitchen now.

So what would YOU have spent your winnings on? Or would you have given it all away to people/things more needy than you?

I just want to live way out there, alone with nature and my immediate family, with enough of an income to keep us in food and board for life. That's all I want.



But alas, we didn't pick those magic numbers. Nope. Apparently there are at least 3 winners somewhere, in 3 different states. Lucky them. Hope it won't ruin their lives like it has done to so many other big winners.

Cheers,

Bex

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"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

[Anatole France]