Winning the lottery, we have all fantasized about it. How wonderful it would be to go from the rags of normalcy to the riches of the super wealthy all in one afternoon thanks to that one dollar winning ticket. I think about winning the lottery sometimes and wonder what exactly I would do with all that money. The top five on my list are:
Pay Off Debts
Revolving bills, be they student loans, credit cards, house note, car note, boat note, or whatever are a real drag. Every month, they come to your house and remind you of those outside obligations which you sometimes wish you had never taken on in the first place. Once I win the lottery, all of those would disappear like puffs of smoke. There is no need to buy a new house, just finish paying off the old one. Buy the car outright rather than continually paying on an object slowly losing its value over time. The sooner you pay it off with the lottery money, the sooner you can sell it to someone else while it still has decent value. Credit cards and student loans charge interest. Do you know what interest is? Interest is money you do not have to pay if you pay the debt off quickly. Therefore, pay off your debt and get rid of the interest. Smart thinking, huh?
Create my Dream Office
One of the things I like least about my current abode is the fact that I do not have any office space. There is an office, but it does not belong to me and even if it did, there is barely enough space to turn around in that little room thanks to all the stuff piled in there for storage. With my lottery winnings, I would build my dream office. It just needs one room with a nice big desk, a comfy chair, bookcases for my books. Though I know I would never be able to have a bookcase this big, I would love to have the bookcase shown here. That is actually a photograph of a bookstore and would require a complete remodel of my house. I do not think that would be a great way to spend my money. I still have other things I want to use my lottery winnings for.
The only real problem I foresee is how on earth am I going to get power and net access into the space? Oh well, something to ponder and plan.
Purchase a Dragon*Con Eternal membership.
Dragon*Con is one of the biggest Science Fiction/Fantasy conventions held in the United States. Every year in September, Atlanta plays host to thousands of people ranging from diehard Storm troopers to television industry insiders to that weird pasty kid who stays up until all hours playing World of Warcraft. This is my idea of a vacation, going to the panels, taking random pictures, and staying up half the night dancing at the nightly drum circle. Dragon*Con membership has to be renewed every year to attend the convention and while it can be purchased early for only $90, why pay every year when you do not have to? This is where buying the Eternal membership comes in. For a $1000, I can have an Eternal membership. Considering the regular entrance fee is $100; in ten years, the membership has paid for itself. Once the membership is taken care of, I just have to figure out the hotel arrangements.
Take a year-long trip to Japan
Years ago, when I first started college, I studied Japanese language and culture. At the time, I was hoping to go on to a career as either a diplomat or as an East Asian studies professor. Neither of those happened for me, but I still harbor the dream of going to Japan one day and being able to say I went. To stand at the foot of Mount Fuji and look up toward the shroud of clouds and go to a Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing Party). Eat the food, see the sights, and stay in a ryokan (Japanese inn). If I ever win the lottery, booking my travel plans will be high on my list. I might even take a friend, if they ask nicely.
Finish my Book
There is always something draining away the time to work on a novel. Usually, that something is called work. Work is required in order to do other essential things like eat and have a roof over your head. Therefore, work generally comes off more important than writing a novel of questionable worth and money-making ability. However, if I win the lottery, then I can take plenty of time to write my book without having to worry about the slowly piling bills (see above about paying off the debts) burying me under a mountain of paper. Then I just have to decide if I’m going to publish it through Lulu.com or CreateSpace or go with a traditional agent/publisher combo. So many choices for the aspiring author these days.
I hope you have enjoyed the five things I would do with my lottery winnings if I should ever win the lottery. Having money is definitely a quick way to change your life. So what would you do?
