Sunday, March 9, 2008

powerball fever

I tell ya, when those numbers climb up over 100 million, my daydreaming capacity really kicks in!

Currently, the pot's sitting at $230 mil ~ the next drawing isn't until this coming Wednesday.

In the meantime, I'm completely, ridiculously obsessed with what I would do with that money if I were the BIG winner.

~ it's really rather pathetic how I've managed to let this mental addiction take hold ~

anyhoo ...

Suppose the final total were to be up over the current $230 million. And after numerous (and obscene amounts of) taxes have been accounted for, I would then be allowed to take home a humongous cardboard check which would essentially amount to about $100 million dollars, ...

what then?

Well, I'll tell you--because for the past two days this has been clogging my brain arteries and I somehow need to purge this mental demon by posting about it!--by giving you a list of ways I intend to deal with that mountain of cash!

[*ordered according to how each inspiration popped into my head!]

1) Establish trust funds for my three kids; I never, ever want my kids to ever have to worry about money ever, ever (is that enough ever's?!):
= $30 million/$10 mil each

2) Set aside two separate operating costs funds for the hubby and I; I don't want us to have to worry about money ever, ever, ever again (are you all seeing a trend here!):
= $10 million/$5 mil each

3) Preemptively provide for a family appeasement fund -- pay off siblings' cars, pay off siblings' mortgages/buy them houses, set up niece/nephew trust funds (right now there are 13 of them @ $250,000 each):
= $6 million/roughly $3 mil for each side of the family

4) Pay off existing and projected debts -- cars, mortgage, private school tuition for the next 11 years, future college/art school/film school tuition for my kids:
= $1 million

5) Build a new, more energy-efficient, not-so-big house:
= $1 million

6) Establish a family travel fund:
= $1 million

7) Donate to some very specific, personally relevant charities -- our church, our kids' schools, my college scholarship fund [Bread Upon the Waters], my old high school, specific medical organizations, the cancer association, plus a few others:
= $5 million/roughly $250,000-$500,000 each

8) Create The Foundation of Good Causes and the Place Where You Can Follow Your Dream; we shouldn't be the only ones to benefit from this mystical, magical monetary windfall!
= $35 million

9) Invest the rest in a highly diversified portfolio:
= $10 million

10) Lawyers' fees (*Dave, you interested?!)
= $1 million

Wow! I'm so glad I did that! It was rather therapeutic to make "real" that which is imagined.
And besides, you never know ... crazier things have been known to happen; and isn't it clever of me to be SO prepared!!

Now
all I need is that winning combination ....

;)

6 comments:

Hedy said...

What you've mapped out pretty much matches what I'd do, Molly. I only buy tickets when the pot is really high (ridiculous, I know, but I suppose it's ridiculous any time) and I only fantasize about it once I've got the ticket. It lasts a couple days and then it's back to fantasizing about living in Paris for a year. I always wonder what I'd worry about if it wasn't about work/money. I'm sure I'd think of something...thanks for sharing this.

Dave said...

I'll give you a really, really, really big discount off that budget figure you penciled in.

The only lottery fantasy I've indulged in with a couple of friends is that one of us wins one of the really stupidly big jackpots, the winner will charter a 737 to go to Jamaica for a week, rent out a beachfront hotel, hire a few chefs, bartenders, etc. and engage a couple of good bands for a hundred or so of our friends. What could it cost, $250K?

I'll let you know the dates of the trip, just as soon as I set them.

molly gras said...

Hedy -
For $5, and all that big-time dreaming ~ I'd say it's pretty much worth the money (even if I don't win!)
And Paris! Why, that'll be one of my sanctioned trips, with my blogger pal Hedy, for two whole weeks -- the French'll never know what hit'em!

Dave-
Discount?! Oh no, no, no, nononono ... And as part of your integrity-filled, hard-working efforts, on behalf of the nouveau rich Pos family, you'd be given a week-long, all-expenses paid vacation (with four friends!) to a tropical port of your choice ~ brother, we here at the Powerball Fantasy Commission wish to continue the dream and go forth and spread the wealth!

;)

Anonymous said...

Well, since our house will be paid off anyway in about two months, can baby girl and I have shoes? Lots of nice, new, dazzling shoes??? yes, I understand it's a cliche. But, I love shoes. And so does my 15 month old daughter. I just want some shoes!

molly gras said...

lil sis -

TWO MONTHS?!!! I think I'm going to be ill ...

and yes, dammit, I'll buy you and your baby girl shoes ~ loads and loads of shoes! and front-end loaders and bulldozers (the kind you can ride on!) for little boy!!

Anonymous said...

OOOOOHHHHHH....I'm so excited!