It’s really not so much a question of dollars and cents; no real dollar amount will effect changes I foresee being necessary. It’s a matter of manipulating my own behaviors more than anything else; sp, $0.00.
Well, $80,000 would pay off all our debts, including mortgage.
We need a new car (our truck is about 12 years old and our car is 10 years old), so add another $20K.
Add another $10K to help me finish off my college degree so that I could start in a career I love.
And then I’d need at least $20K to take another shot at in-vitro fertilization, in one last attempt to have children before I stop trying.
So in an ideal world, $130,000 after any taxes would put us in a really great situation.
Frankly, though, every little bit helps, right?
I’m not sure - probably $0, like Ringo. I’m a student, and I have no debt. The only thing that money could change would be my shopping habits.
Let’s see:
$110,000 to pay off the mortgage
$30,000 for two decent vehicles (I’d buy decent used cars–a minivan and a truck, probably)
$10,000 for doing cool stuff to the house
$2000 for musical instruments for my kids. Naturally, they play things like piano and tuba, along with the less expensive guitars, etc. I’d buy used, of course.*
And if the money fairy was feeling really, REALLY generous, I would LOVE a house in Nova Scotia. Down on the southern coast, somewhere near Lunenberg, and I’m not picky. A shack would do. A barn would suffice. Just a place in the clean air with the sound of the ocean nearby. And no neighbors within a mile.
In fact, if I were limited, I’d go with the Nova Scotia house and the musical instruments. Because what more could I ask, really, besides a peaceful place full of music?
*See? Even when I’m confronted with riches I can’t bring myself to buy new!!
~karol
Ditto. I don’t think I’ll ever own a new car (much to the chagrin of my intrusive family), or a house built within the past 50 years. 
What would change my life?
Hmm. I’m pretty simple in my needs: I’m living with my boyfriend who owns the condo we’re in. Maybe if I had $10,000 or so, we could upgrade to a house or something, but I’m not sure I’d want that.
If I had about $8,000, I could walk into the car dealership and buy the car I want without having to finance any of it. As it stands, I’m probably going to buy soon anyway, and finance maybe $5,000 of the price. But if I was going to get the car anyway, I’m not sure it would change much.
Okay, I’m going to settle for $10,000. That way I can take a nice vacation to anywhere I choose for 2 weeks (seeing as how I’m getting close to my vacation accrual limit here soon) and not have to worry about incurring debt to pay it off. A debt-free nice long vacation. Yeah, that’d have a pretty good effect.
In that case, I’m not playing!
$15,000
$10,000 to pay off my car & $4,500 for credit cards. Mercifully, I have NO student loans (no degree yet either) - when I do go back to college I have a $12,000 or so GI Bill to use (best thing about Military Service next to VA Home Loan). I have no mortgage but alas this also means I have no home of my own 
I rent. With the remaining $500 I would buy some new clothes (same boat as auntie em here) and treat myself to a Day Spa visit! (Which is what I will do in 1 year when the credit card debt is gone - woo hoo!) 
Oops! I forgot to add that once said bills are gone I am going to college to be a Registered Nurse - my dream!
As of this moment, $15,589.24. That would make me debt free (which I will be by this time next year, anyway) now, and put me into a house/condo a year earlier.
Beyond that, the only amount of money that would significantly alter my life would be enough to allow me not to have to work anymore.
I’m going to go in a completely different direction. My life would be changed if I had two pieces of paper:
- Diploma/whatnot from an accredited 4-year university.
- Teaching licensure.
485 bucks would get my car running, and that would mean I could get a job not on the “bus route”.
I could use 15 extra for gas funds, so make it an even 500.
Please.
Around $450,000, that would get me a house in my area & I don’t owe any money.
Can someone explain how paying off those loans so you don’t owe money would
change your life?
About a million would do it, because today a million is just pocket change. That would allow me not only to get out of debt, but to help out family members, buy a house and invest enough to live comfortably from then on without having to work. A good house here starts at $110,000. You need to invest about half a million in order to get about a $2 or $3000 a month interest income and I could live well off of $2000 a month so long as I paid everything off before hand.
I used to think it would take a huge amount of money. But it doesn’t, if you’re talking lifestyle as oppose to life.
I inherited about 50 grand in January. I:
- paid off my student loan (increased my monthly spendable income by about $300).
- paid off my credit cards (another $250 a month spending monry).
- bought a new car, cash, got a real good deal.
- moved to a new apartment complex with a pool, hottub and fitness center (handy - I can afford the rent without dipping into the principal because I have so much more spendable money each month).
- tossed all my hand-me-down and scrounged furniture out on the curb, and spent about ten grand furnishing the new place with decent quality stuff that ought to outlast ME.
- loaned a coworker a couple of grand to start his dream business, and won’t be devastated if he fucks up and loses it.
That last one is pretty special to me: I’ve never before been in a position to help someone else achieve their dream.
And since I have a few grand still in the bank, I’m right in your ballpark, auntie em.
I don’t how or if this will ultimately change my life. But I feel much happier today in my new place, than I did last month in my old one.
Oh yeah, I hired a professional service to scrub out the old place rather than scrub it out myself. 
$150,000.00 would pay off the mortgage, with just enough left over to cover some recent expenses. I’d like to have another $50,000.00 to cover some badly needed repair & upgrade work, like redoing the bathroom and putting in a chairlift on the stairs to make life easier on my wife.
Not having to make monthly mortgage payments would reduce my outgoing cash enough that I wouldn’t feel guilty about occasionally passing up on overtime, which would free up my Saturdays.
Hmm. Ideally, I’d like about $500,000 after taxes. That would let me live just about worry-free for at least ten years, giving me ample time to establish myself as an artist and concentrate completely on my artwork. My artistic income is not anywhere near nothing, but it is unpredictable at the present.
I would also move to another country and use that money to open my “business” there and be able to work/create income legally. This would involve buying a house, most likely, as well (once I find a place & want to settle in permanently). I want to do something like a two or three story home, with the lower level a gallery open a couple of days a week and by appointment only, and the upper floors for living.
Mmmm…daydreaming. Just add a cat, a smallish dog, some fish and other assorted pets, and someone to share it with and I’m all set.