For any regular human, the dream of winning the lottery and having your life suddenly limited only by your imagination is an ultimate fantasy. So much can be done with a padded wallet; your health expenses are no longer a worry, bills and loans melt away, your student loan is no more and your shopping habit is no longer reduced to checking price tags before the actual items. If money can’t buy happiness, it can surely at least boost whatever you’ve got going for you in a major way. To be honest I’d argue money can buy happiness but only in the short-term via experiences, travel and negated burdens. If I won the lottery, here’s what I’d do assuming I won a nice healthy $30 million in New Zealand dollars (so that’s about $26m USD), which is about the top prize you can win in New Zealand. It’s completely life changing, but it’s not quite at island and jet-buying levels. So what would I do?
First of all I’d throw in the towel for my ALT job in Japan. It’s been an interesting experience, but quite imperfect and I’m constantly aware of my life ticking by – and I’m only 21! But time is something I fret about, and I know 30 will arrive only too soon. So not to waste my fledgling youth, bye-bye Japan and back to New Zealand I’d go, first-class just for the heck of it. I’d stay in a nice Wellington hotel until I got my affairs sorted. In a beautiful world I would be able to keep my winnings under wraps, but of course the lottery does say where the ticket winner is from (could I even win in Japan if I bought a ticket online?) or at least have some sort of write-up about the winner wanting to keep his/her privacy etc. Either way, it’d be pretty easy to put two and two together so I wouldn’t make it a priority. I’d hire out a fancy restaurant to have a big celebratory party with my friends and probably get shit-faced on expensive alcohol. Then probably just hit up the stores for a fun shopping day, I’d bring a few of my besties along and spoil them too. I’d buy a designer watch, probably get a facial and a massage, and suss out the pricey, custom designer stores in Wellington.
Once my wee splurge and celebration period was over, it’d be time to deal with the money officially. After knocking off my, and a few good friends’ student loans, and having flicked a hundred grand to my parents, it’d be time to meet with a renowned financial advisor to sort out my finances in order to earn interest and to invest etc. I suppose they encourage you to stick it all in some long-term savings type of thing which I’d probably do, but I would keep a few million handy for immediate endeavours such as property, travel and various other spending. I’d like to donate $8-10m on charities that have directly affected my family and friends, so the types that benefit cancer, arthritis and child poverty in particular as well as environmental groups like Generation Zero which I think do some fantastic work. I’d obviously do some research. Maybe Greenpeace too, though they don’t seem to be the most financially savvy. I think it’s a better idea to hit a few charities heavily, and then scatter various generous amounts around the others. Even to donate the entire $30m would barely touch the coffers of many of NZ’s charities, but to give away around 1/3 in total seems reasonable. And then over the years donate as I see fitting. I wouldn’t hoard my money for the sake of it, but I can see why you wouldn’t want to keep a certain amount of back-up.
Finally I’d buy my parents a new house if they wanted one, which I imagine they might considering their current house is the same one they’ve lived in since I was born and their advancing ages mean its high-maintenance nature is a little more trouble than it’s worth. I’d buy myself a nice house or apartment in Wellington, probably something luxurious and overpriced, let’s be honest. But I do love Wellington and could happily live there for the rest of my life. And of course I’d embark on some classic, soul-searching travel around the far reaches of the glove, preferably off the beaten track and I can’t imagine I’d bother too much with luxury. I can’t imagine the point of travelling the world only to stay at luxury hotels. That doesn’t sound fun and it’s certainly not how to obtain an accurate experience of the world. However that’s not to say you wouldn’t spot me in the occasional fine-dining restaurant and you certainly wouldn’t find me squished on a crowded train or bus either.
Afterwards I guess I’d be back to where I am now really, wondering what to do with my life. Ideally my travels would lead me to discover a passion, something I’m currently lacking, but if not perhaps I’d go back to university to pursue honours in my degree if I couldn’t find an enjoyable job. It’s always been a plan in the back of my mind to pursue post-graduate study, but it would be preferable to find a job I enjoyed. A bit of financial influence behind me might just make it that much easier, but then again perhaps not. It’d be odd to work without the incentive of needing the money so I’d have to pursue something that fulfilled a passion, perhaps in the line of film-making or learning to make music.
Anyway, now it’s time to get back to reality. After really fleshing this out it’s interesting to realize I’d more or less be back where I already am, just with less concerns. I’m still young and no amount of money could really find me any fulfilment with my life. Seems as if money can’t buy happiness after all! The only truly rewarding results of my winnings would be to assist my parents and friends, and to go travelling which technically I could do anyway with a bit of saving. Perhaps then I’ll get on just fine, lottery or not. There are a lot of people far worthier of it than I.
[ Image: CarolHighSmithAmerica ]
Once my wee splurge and celebration period was over, it’d be time to deal with the money officially. After knocking off my, and a few good friends’ student loans, and having flicked a hundred grand to my parents, it’d be time to meet with a renowned financial advisor to sort out my finances in order to earn interest and to invest etc. I suppose they encourage you to stick it all in some long-term savings type of thing which I’d probably do, but I would keep a few million handy for immediate endeavours such as property, travel and various other spending. I’d like to donate $8-10m on charities that have directly affected my family and friends, so the types that benefit cancer, arthritis and child poverty in particular as well as environmental groups like Generation Zero which I think do some fantastic work. I’d obviously do some research. Maybe Greenpeace too, though they don’t seem to be the most financially savvy. I think it’s a better idea to hit a few charities heavily, and then scatter various generous amounts around the others. Even to donate the entire $30m would barely touch the coffers of many of NZ’s charities, but to give away around 1/3 in total seems reasonable. And then over the years donate as I see fitting. I wouldn’t hoard my money for the sake of it, but I can see why you wouldn’t want to keep a certain amount of back-up.
Finally I’d buy my parents a new house if they wanted one, which I imagine they might considering their current house is the same one they’ve lived in since I was born and their advancing ages mean its high-maintenance nature is a little more trouble than it’s worth. I’d buy myself a nice house or apartment in Wellington, probably something luxurious and overpriced, let’s be honest. But I do love Wellington and could happily live there for the rest of my life. And of course I’d embark on some classic, soul-searching travel around the far reaches of the glove, preferably off the beaten track and I can’t imagine I’d bother too much with luxury. I can’t imagine the point of travelling the world only to stay at luxury hotels. That doesn’t sound fun and it’s certainly not how to obtain an accurate experience of the world. However that’s not to say you wouldn’t spot me in the occasional fine-dining restaurant and you certainly wouldn’t find me squished on a crowded train or bus either.
Afterwards I guess I’d be back to where I am now really, wondering what to do with my life. Ideally my travels would lead me to discover a passion, something I’m currently lacking, but if not perhaps I’d go back to university to pursue honours in my degree if I couldn’t find an enjoyable job. It’s always been a plan in the back of my mind to pursue post-graduate study, but it would be preferable to find a job I enjoyed. A bit of financial influence behind me might just make it that much easier, but then again perhaps not. It’d be odd to work without the incentive of needing the money so I’d have to pursue something that fulfilled a passion, perhaps in the line of film-making or learning to make music.
Anyway, now it’s time to get back to reality. After really fleshing this out it’s interesting to realize I’d more or less be back where I already am, just with less concerns. I’m still young and no amount of money could really find me any fulfilment with my life. Seems as if money can’t buy happiness after all! The only truly rewarding results of my winnings would be to assist my parents and friends, and to go travelling which technically I could do anyway with a bit of saving. Perhaps then I’ll get on just fine, lottery or not. There are a lot of people far worthier of it than I.
[ Image: CarolHighSmithAmerica ]