I'm not referring to the Gary Cooper movie, but that does come to mind. What I'm suggesting is that if I had a million dollars, an extra million, there are some things I would like to do.
First, let's assume my children are fed, clothed, housed, and educated, so I won't need to spend the payload on their basic needs. That said, I would probably set aside some kind of trust fund for them--modest so as not to ruin them--just enough to serve as an emergency fund but not so much that they won't want to work for their earnings.
Second, I would like to cover a few months of operating expenses for my local NPR station. I am so incredibly tired of their constant pledge drives. I swear, they have been begging going on two weeks now. I would like to shut them up with a large lump sum.
Third, I would indulge in a one-time shopping spree with JJill, not bothering to wait on sales. This sounds selfish, but I could buy everything in the store and still have plenty left over for more altruistic pursuits.
Fourth, I would fund the local cat shelter. It always seems to be in financial straights, and people keep letting their unspayed cats produce more kittens.
Fifth, I would set up the largest trust fund I could arrange for the local school system because our current funding system is imbalanced and barely functional. Every time we have to vote for another levy, I hold my breath for fear the short-sighted idiot "no" voters will cause harm to our educational system. They don't seem to understand that educating our younger generations is the responsibility of the entire community.
That last one may do me in, so I probably wouldn't have anything left to buy a PT Cruiser--but oh, how I miss that car.
What would you do with a cool extra million, assuming your basic financial obligations are covered?
First, let's assume my children are fed, clothed, housed, and educated, so I won't need to spend the payload on their basic needs. That said, I would probably set aside some kind of trust fund for them--modest so as not to ruin them--just enough to serve as an emergency fund but not so much that they won't want to work for their earnings.
Second, I would like to cover a few months of operating expenses for my local NPR station. I am so incredibly tired of their constant pledge drives. I swear, they have been begging going on two weeks now. I would like to shut them up with a large lump sum.
Third, I would indulge in a one-time shopping spree with JJill, not bothering to wait on sales. This sounds selfish, but I could buy everything in the store and still have plenty left over for more altruistic pursuits.
Fourth, I would fund the local cat shelter. It always seems to be in financial straights, and people keep letting their unspayed cats produce more kittens.
Fifth, I would set up the largest trust fund I could arrange for the local school system because our current funding system is imbalanced and barely functional. Every time we have to vote for another levy, I hold my breath for fear the short-sighted idiot "no" voters will cause harm to our educational system. They don't seem to understand that educating our younger generations is the responsibility of the entire community.
That last one may do me in, so I probably wouldn't have anything left to buy a PT Cruiser--but oh, how I miss that car.
What would you do with a cool extra million, assuming your basic financial obligations are covered?
Comments
Good picks. I used to do data entry work for JJill (they are based in New Hampshire).
I have no idea what I'd do with a million bucks, and I haven't had enough coffee to figure it out yet. I think I'd give a lot of it away, buy a house, and travel the world.
but since we're thinking about a million dollars (and not some obscene amount like $350m +) i will keep my answers realistic and not let myself simply sing the bare naked ladies' ditty.
i would buy myself a decent car with the gas tank on the passenger side so i am no longer the car going upstream at the full-service gas station. i'd pay off a huge chunk of my church's mortgage. i'd give money to all my friends for their children's educations -- they all have infants so the interest accrued would be substantial. i would have a travel fund so that i could go to italy whenever i wanted. and i'd set up an endowment to assist couples with the cost of adopting the overwhelming number of american children who need good homes.
and maybe, if there was anything left over -- i'd turn the attic into a creative sanctuary, complete with a mac and photoshop. :)
It wouldn't buy me a tenth of a small flat in Westminster so I could walk to work … Rats.
I'd dearly love to say I'd do something altruistic with it but the truth is, I'd probably blow it all on guitars and chocolate.
I'd buy my significant other a new work truck (his is 30+ years old but he can't afford to replace it) and equipment for his business... I'd buy a small house with a front porch and a yard big enough for a decent vegetable garden and a chicken coop... I'd get a used car that gets great gas mileage (I don't believe in buying new cars)... I'd help pay for my nephew's education... I'd make substantial donations to all the local animal shelters and humane societies... I'd want some of it to go to music education at our schools... I'd also want a travel fund so I could go to Germany once a year to visit my family... Oh yes, and get a new computer. Sock away the rest for retirement.
Buy a larger house and renew my car.
Buy more property with taxable mortgage to let out, probably starting a property business with whichever sons were interested.
Treat my loved ones!
Holiday somewhere hot & relaxing with my love.
Give some to children's homes but directly, not through a charity.
Finally to be able to spot someone who clearly needs cash / is short of cash / struggling to very discreetly offer them some money. For example you could pay the monthly food bill, clothe the family so that no one knew except you and her. I say her because it's usually mums i see counting out vouchers or with poorly clothed children for whom i'd like to do this. Their daily worry of where the next meal is coming from is stress like few others.
I have 4 cats and a stray cat who eats here every night so I would have to fund a cat shelter or better still - start one up.
Then I suppose I would start a nursery for young eucalypt trees so that the koalas had enough to eat.
And M.B would get a new car (but I've promised him one of those anyway) and I might upgrade to a new Volvo too.
Music education is wonderful - I missed out and in my forties tried to learn the piano but I was travelling too much for work and kept missing my lessons. I think that music must be learned in childhood.
Trust funds and living off interest are always a good idea. I'm thinking of doing precisely that with my meagre settlement since I am already medically retired.
A spare million, well, as I said, I'd have to think about it but since I've been thinking about it while typing; paying off the mortgage and looking after family and then the Salvation Army who looks after all of the unfortunate in Adelaide.
Trying to address the problems of Australia's aborigines - health and addiction. Provide their youth in the outback with some of the things that keep other teens off the streets and off drugs - sports facilities and teen challenge programs. Help them with integration and a healthy respect for other's property which they don't seem to have developed yet. AND I would go back to uni and this time study medicine and volunteer somewhere. (MSF probably).
Best that I stop here Robyn ... I could go on for a long, long time, I think and it's still only early in the morning and I guess that $1 million simply wouldn't cover it ... and I haven't even left Australia yet to help the incredibly needy in other countries ... anyone interested in running for government?