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Saturday 20 June 2009

Lottery win............



No ‘begging’ comments please – I haven’t won!


Following on from my Flash Fiction yesterday, I think everyone has a dream of winning the lottery. For one British couple that came true recently.


Brian Caswell 73 and his wife Joan 71, from Bolton in Lancashire about 11 miles away from where I live, won half of the £50m jackpot on the Euromillions – that’s £25m! !!!!



Can you imagine winning that much money? Well yes of course we can all imagine it, but how do you really think you’d cope if you actually won it?


If you were still working it would make a huge difference to your life – you’d never have to work again, unless you wanted to of course, but who would? Retired – you’d never have to worry about whether your pension was enough to live on.



Apparently Mr & Mrs Caswell has two daughters and four grandchildren, I would imagine their money situation will never cause them a sleepless night ever again.



If you won such a huge amount of money how would you decide how much to give to your family? Would you draw the line at close family or would you include aunts, uncles, cousins? Would you give money to friends?



Once you’d ‘treated’ all those you wanted to, what would you do then? Would you buy a house, car, boat, holiday home, what? Would you travel the world staying in the best hotels? Would you just invest the money and live off the interest?



Would it change your life for the better? It would definitely change mine and the lives of all the people I love!



Tell me in your comment what you’d do with a win like that.



P.S. No wordzzles today, I just wasn’t inspired at all!

36 comments:

Julia Phillips Smith said...

It's funny - I don't spend any time dreaming about that sort of thing, but my mom and sister do all the time. I guess after all the sharing was done, I'd buy a condo in Toronto and become a frequent flyer back and forth between the two places I love and think of as home. And I'd donate good chunks of change to the National Ballet of Canada, and become a member of their Patron's Council. And of course travel all over the world to the home venues of all the great ballet companies of the world. And go to the Cannes Film Festival.

Loved your post about your trip to Wales. That's a place on my travel-to wish list.

Susan at Stony River said...

Millions? Hooo boy. You're right that the hardest part would be drawing the line: sisters? nieces? cousins? Imagine how many long-lost friends you'd suddenly have!

I'd pay off mortgages for my sister, my worst-off niece, and my best friend. I'd call my sister's boss and tell him she was never coming back (she'd kill me, but...) and I'd take us all to Walt Disney World. Then I'd buy a big log cabin in West Virginia with a real library in it, and a cinema room for the kids in the basement, plus a big playground outside, and the biggest ol' verandah/front porch you ever saw, for barbecues all summer long. And I'd never ever ever fly economy class ever again.

EVER. LOL.

Wow. I feel better just *thinking* about it ROFL.

Anonymous said...

If I won this first I wouldn't quit my job. You know why? I'd have all the money spent to quickly. I'm not good with money at all and it burns a whole in my pocket. The only person I would take care of is my mother. Then after her my sister and brother...but I would make them work for it...just not give a handout to them. Everyone else...so sorry...If you wanna leave cuz I don't give you money...leave, you probably weren't a good friend in the beginning :) Aloha my friend :)

lettuce said...

its almost too much to think about, isn't it?

paying off mortgages for the family of course
trust funds for children
giving to charities
travel! lots and lots of travel


and getting made4aid registered as a charity!


aaaaah

impossible to know how one would really react though I suppose

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

well i didn't win the lottery but rather got my money the old fashioned way, work! now i do like to "pay it forward" especially to servicemen/women. but i don't believe giving it to children or grandchildren will help them, i help them by teaching them how to manage their money and live within their means. that's where young people get into trouble.

smiles, bee

ps: now i DO give pretty danged good wedding presents! ha ha ha

Nessa said...

I pray all of the time for God to let me prove that winning big at the lottery wouldn't change me.

I would buy my daughter a house and send my parents to Europe first class.

Daryl said...

Well after I paid off my sister's mortgage, bought us a nice place to live and got a new camera .. I'd donate a yearly amount to a different charity each each year .. starting with one very close to my heart - Cancer Care.

Dumdad said...

£25 million? It would be mine all mine!!! It'd take years for my wife and children to track me down, if they ever did, while I sipped cocktails on a beach in a sunny clime with an appreciative young babe on my arm. Me shallow? Oh yes.

Maude Lynn said...

I'd be able to take care of my mom the way I want to.

buffalodick said...

I would give money to our brothers and sisters(spouses included) to my sons, and that's about it. I would probably start a food charity of some sort, for the local people having financial difficulties. I would not publicize my win, and monies given to anyone would be sworn to secrecy. I'd live in the same house I do now, moving only if word got out. Lives have been ruined by that kind of money...

Batteson.Ind said...

I spend far too much time dreaming about the lottery! Luckily, my family isn't very large, so my immediate family could be sorted out well, after that, if i'd won, say, 25 million or something, I would sort all my friends out (pay off mortgages etc). Then I would buy the house we currently rent, buy a little cottage by the sea, stick enough in the bank to live off the interest and go on a holiday round the world for as long as that took... I can only imagine how safe and snug someone must feel in life if you know you never have to find money for rent and bills again.... Oh, also I quite like the random acts of kindness thing, I would like to think I'd be an eccentric millionaire type and do things like throw wads of thousand notes into busker's hats etc.. (told you I think far too much about it :-)

Akelamalu said...

Ah ballet is your passion Julia, you could have so much fun if you won a tidy sum. Glad you enjoyed our little trip to Wales - I hope you get there some day. :)

Like you I would never fly economy class again either Susan. I've experienced business class and I'm hooked, though with £23m first class would be possible and better!

No point in me writing you a begging letter then Thom? (wink).

Yes Lettie almost too much to think about! Most of us can only dream about money being no object so faced with the reality would be a problem I think!

I agree that children have to be taught to manage and live within their means Bee but if I won a lot I couldn't bear to see them struggle, especially in the current economic climate. :)

I'd like to be given the chance to prove it wouldn't change me too Nessa.

That's all you'd want Daryl your house and a new camera? If I win £23m I'll buy them for you honey. xx

LOL Dumdad you ARE so shallow! LOL

Aw that's lovely Mama Zen, I wish you all the luck in the world on the lottery x

I knew food would have to have a starring part in your lottery win plan Buff. And you are right big wins have ruined people's lives. The brother of a good friend of mine won the football pools many years ago - a very large win - and his daughter was kidnapped! He said then he wished he'd never won.

That's not thinking too much about it Watercats, that's just dreaming - we all do that. :)

Travis Cody said...

I actually have a list of the steps I would go through should such a windfall ever occur. But I don't dwell on it. I can't possibly win the lottery because I rarely buy a ticket!

A Lady's Life said...

I heard too many horror stories about people winning so I'd sit on mine a year and see what happens.
Then I guess I would just spend the interest on whatever is needed wanted desired.
Maybe I'd take a million out to pay the bills and do some extravaganza stuff for people and charities.
Of course my children would be provided for.
I wouldn't let it get to my head.
Money needs to make money and to create jobs so this would definitely be my goal to help people help themselves.

tony said...

I dont do The Lottery any more! (figuring:better to buy shares in The Company!) However........If I did WIN sometime..I would go potty with it! "It Wont Change Me..." PHAH!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I fantasize about it!!!
Aloha. Cloudia

Finding Pam said...

Like Tony, I do not buy lottery tickets, but if I did and per chance I won that much money I doubt it would change who I am.

First,I would donate 10% to my church,then I would help family and friends and then set up a nice apartments for homeless people and for those in need. They could select their own furniture, receive medical help,clothes and food. I would like them to help out in the process of "paying it forward".

I would also help little children.

Mimi Lenox said...

Umm....I'm going to marry Simon Cowell, remember? I don't need the lottery.

Connie T. said...

We talk about what we would do if we won all the time. I would buy a piece of property and build a house that my husband designed. I would then buy a ticket on that cruiseline that goes around the world. I would want to see a lot of places and then go back and visit the places that I loved.

nitebyrd said...

I would immediately quit work, spend a week or two in a fabulous spa, then promptly move to Australia.

Unknown said...

You may have not won the lottery. But each time we read your words, we know we have won.

Thank You

Akelamalu said...

LOL well you definitely have to be in it to win it Trav!

Some people don't do anything worthwhile with big wins Lady's Life you're right there.

I think most people would got a bit potty to start with Tony!


Don't we all Cloudia! ;)


That's so kind of you Pam, thinking of others before yourself. x


Oh yes I'd forgotten about your impending marriage into money Mimi! ;)


Travelling would be my dream too Connie, there are so many places to see. :)


Sounds like a good plan Nitebyrd :)


Aw thankyou Dave, what a lovely thing to say. xx

Lou said...

I don't play, thus insuring I will never win. Here is a famous US case of misery after winning the lottery

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Whittaker_(lottery_winner)

Thumbelina said...

I remember when some one in Ireland won 77 million euros on the Euro Lottery. (That's not a typo - seventy seven million). At the same time, there was an appeal out for something like 8 million needed to provide food that would feed EVERYONE in this one African country that had no food because of drought.
I don't know what she did with 77 million, but I sure know what I would do with it. Really I would.
Bob Geldof possibly the first call. There's only so much money you can have to make a difference. I would make poverty history. Really make it come true. Or give it a darn good try.

Thumbelina said...

BTW - I don't buy lottery tickets, so it really is a hypothetical situation for me, but I did buy them when this woman won this money, and that is what I said then, so I stand by it!

Anonymous said...

I don't play the lottery, but if I suddenly won millions I have a whole list of peple.charities I'd want to help. Plus I'd reduce my caseload to part-time and travel more with my kids.

bindhiya said...

Dear Akelamalu,
hope you having a good day.
I don't play the lottery, but if I won something like that, i'll be in home with my family. then want to help the poor families, who starving to death.
♥ & ((hugs))
bindi

This Guy said...

Wow, I don't even know what I would do with all that money. I'd probably just die of shock and excitement! hahahaha

CG said...

I think that much money could be a huge burden, to be honest. I really don't dream about lottery wins. However it would be nice to be financially secure.
With a win that size I'd like to spread the net WIDE. For example, I'd try to do something really special for our village. I would love to give ALL my friends and colleagues a chunk of cash. I once read about lottery winners who gave every family in their street £1000 even if they didn't know them. Wouldn't that be a lovely surprise?

Akelamalu said...

I really don't understand how winning money can make people miserable Lou :(

I hope that person who won the 77m spared the eight that was needed for the starving Thumbelina, goodness knows they wouldn't miss it would they?

It would be wonderful to be in a position to help people wouldn't it Citizen? :)

Well I hope you win Bindi so you can go home and help those people. xx

I think most people would be in shock winning that amount of money This Guy :0

What a great thing to do CG I bet the neighbours were grateful. I would just like to win enough to make my boys financially secure and have enough so that MWM can travel a lot when I retire. :)

Ron said...

oooo...this is a great question!

And no...I really wouldn't spend it on cosmetic surgery.

First, I'd make sure my mother and brother were well situated and then I would give part of it to a charity of my choice. I would spend a year touring the world ( and visit you!), and then I would moved to NYC, get a job and live normally. I could never not work. I really enjoy working.

I think the thing I would most enjoy about winning the lottery, would be that it would allow me to do all the creative things I like to do, and not ever having to worry about getting paid for it.


Great post, m' dear!

X

Akelamalu said...

Oh your plans for a lottery win are great Ron, especially the bit about coming to visit me! x

MarmiteToasty said...

LMFAO@Dumdad......

I would sort out a couple of friends, me lads of course, but maybe help them set themselves up in a business instead of just lobbing dosh at them...

me, well I would take time out when I was well enough and go visit all me blob maties......

me tosser X, well I would buy him a book token for a tenner from smiths lmfao..... oh I forgot, he cant read unless the book has pictures lol....

x

Akelamalu said...

I do wish you could win the lottery Marmie if anyone deserves a win it's you my lovely. xx

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