SO - with the Powerball at $425 Million or greater it tends to get my mind wandering. What would you do if you won? Me - hopefully I would (and not necessarily in this order):

1. Set up trust accounts for the kids.
2. Move back 'home' and have a nice cabin in the Smokys.
3. Help our brothers and sister.
4. Travel
5. Give to charities - especially for animals, children and the elderly
6. Whatever else comes to mind.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if someone donated most or a good portion to it to the victims of Sandy.

For me:
Set up accounts for the kids
Pay off their mortgages/loans
Travel
Charities
Knock down and rebuild our cabin (and buy out the neighbor and knock down their trailer trash trailer.

buy a week's supply of Twinkies from ebay

and maybe help others in need or [censored] like that

Pay off loans.
Help family.
Charities - Children and Vets first.
Buy the most awesomest travel trailer and Pick up and see North America.
Get to know all my new friends.

join the reality show that follows lottery winners as their lives are ruined by all that dough...

I'd have to give a bunch away, because I'd never spend it all. Of course the kids would have to get some.

I'm not into trinkets and shiny things, so I wouldn't be spending it like a rookie athlete with a signing bonus. I'd certainly travel, and stay in nice places and dine at good restaurants, but even then, how much can you spend?

One think I might do is set up a small business loan fund or venture capital fund and see if I could help people with good ideas get off the ground. And maybe a scholarship fund.

One thing I'm sure of: my days as a compliance officer would be very few. I might give the bank 6 months to get a replacement here and acclimated, but only because some of the folks in management were friends before they became co-workers.

Six months? Heck I'd probably only give the required 2 weeks.

JJ would ask you to leave immediately

I might give them 6 minutes notice

tithe 10%
Pay off bills
establish a trust for my daughter, parents,other relatives who are hurting financially
find my dream home - not a mansion
establish an early retirement trust for me
establish a charitable trust
travel, travel, travel......

I'd come screeching into the driveway...

I would quit my job immediately. I'm nto happy with it and with the reorg and my location, I can't grow in my job. I woudl have no hesitation giving my "I quit."

I woudl make a custom house on some property with a view.

I woudl finally do all these crafts and recipes I haven't had tiome for, including making a "glamper."

I woudl travel the world with my hubby for a year or two, then have a kid.

buy property, build a dream house, take care of family financially, give back to charity and of course have a car collection (3-5 cars)


....and i would totally want to be a part owner of a sports team. i mean the St Louis Blues just sold for $160 million, it could happen.


...i have never thought of this before

I don't have kids - I could spend it all on myself.

kidding..kidding

get an unlisted phone #
see a lawyer and an investment advisor
go on a cruise to have time to think about what's next
pay off siblings' mortgages and/or buy them a house
charities
enjoy life

The number of people who would set up trusts and pay off relatives' bills before doing something for themselves never ceases to amaze me.

My list would more likely follow califgirl's first three, except my #1 would be to insist that my name not be published as the winner. You can insist that be done in many states. I think it affords you the protection of time to accomplish the necessary steps to protect yourself from yourself and your 'relatives and friends' real and imagined.

And in Cali, that would eat up the entire prize?

Yeah. Pretty much

I would seek sound legal counsel immediately.

After that, the main thing I would like to do is buy a really nice motor home and travel during the summers to different parts of the country with my wife and kids working on various Habitat for Humanity projects.

The kids would have trust funds, but there would be serious restrictions that would ensure that they become productive members of society and not spoiled brats.

I was told by my attorney to hold my son's money in trust until he was 30.

I think I would choose 35 MsMisfit - maybe let them have the interest yearly until then if they chose. Then gradually after 35 allow them to reduce the principal. Hmmm - have I thought about this before? Maybe.

Truff - I don't know what order I would do these in; but if I won the lottery I'm sure I'd be taking care of myself pretty quickly, too.

Heard on the news this morning that if someone wins, they might want to take the bulk payment instead of the annuity due to the Fiscal Cliff and taxes being much higher next year on wealth.

I would do that, a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow.

A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush.

The early bird catches the worm...

It's Bush's fault