It’s not the wealth, it’s the way of getting it. I wouldn’t want to win the lottery. I won’t ever win the lottery because I don’t spend money buying chances to win the lottery.
Would you prefer a rich person to die and leave a ton of money for you?
Copy that bro…
Wouldn’t it be nice to live a moderate lifestyle, happily and without worries? Put your kids through a decent college, and live just slightly above your current means?
Ahhhhh <dreaming>
SH
lottery wouldn’t change me.
I’d pay off the house mortgage.
I’d consider a vacation home in florida. Something in a small town in the farming area of Florida. That would be a lot cheaper than beachfront property. A 2 hour drive to the beach is plenty close. I’m not a big beach guy anyway.
Bank the rest.
I have five, and none is as well off as I am, and I am hardly rich. I would love to help them out. My oldest two cousins (70+) are in poor health. I’d certainly cover their medical care. I would love to tell my 75-year-old father-in-law that he can stop looking for a job. And I could stop commuting 12+ hours a week. Yes, I would like to win the lottery.
I’ve had this talk with a number of people, and tried to convince them that they don’t realize how much working and earning a living is a part of who they are - even if their job blows. I come from a family that took a large inheritance (expected) pretty much as soon as I left home. My family was one that had a reputation for being as hard working and honest as any you’d find, and after the windfall built a smaller home, then began to work harder. Figure that one out. I love what I do and get paid okay for doing it. I think winning the lottery would be like finding the cheat codes to your favorite game (ruins it).
Edit: Also, we’re Canadian, which to my mind means we’re more protected from certain life altering tragedies and thus haven’t many friends or family who’s health would benefit from more money.
I’d totally love to win the lottery. I’d use a chunk of winnings to set up a trust fund and charity to provide computers to schools families in depressed areas. I’d also set up a scholarship fund for underpriveleged students.
I’d also set up college funds for my kids, and the other kids in my family, maybe pay off a few relatives’ mortgages.
Then I’d get stupid selfish - house on Maui, classic cars, '58 Les Paul Sunburst, the whole hog. I’d probably wind up having to sell half of it in my golden years - oh well.
If I won more money than I need, I’d use it wisely.
Instead of giving money away to people begging for it shamelessly, I’d find ways to improve the community they live in, or boost their productivity. Perhaps I’d invest in a few start-ups or local businesses I respect, something along those lines. I think that’s the best way to deal with having too much money, and also will help people who are in difficult financial situations, i.e. teach them to fish.
If, on the other hand, I only got just enough money to make my life financially secure and not much beyond that, I’d probably keep news of my winnings on the down-low.
Ooh, yes. I’d probably set aside a good chunk of change for Kiva in addition to local charities and such.
When I drive to work, there’s a lottery jackpot sign on my way in showing what we’re at today.
I turn off the radio and think about what I’d do whenever I see it.
I would pay off my parents’ bills, including the house note, and give them a million straight off to do with what they chose – whether to sell the house, knock it down and build a new one, renovate it, or take trips wherever they wanted. Of course if I had thirty million or so there’d be more available to them.
I would make sure my grandmother was taken care of forever. If she’d consent to it, I’d build a second home on my parents’ property so that she could live near them but not have to deal with Mom’s housekeeping. 
I would pay off my student loans and medical bills and other debts. And my car.
I’d keep the car I have. I LIKE my car. It’s really nice. I might get the Tesla S when it comes out, but I don’t want the roadster.
I’d buy myself a nice small house off South Congress over near Hill Country Weavers on one of those beautiful tree-laden streets, or possibly somewhere in Tarrytown or Hyde Park. Some place in the middle of Austin in an old house with trees. I would furnish it with the furniture I already have, because I like the furniture I already have.
I would hire a personal trainer to help me get into good shape. I would find someone to teach me how to cook awesome healthy gourmet food.
I would pay for grad school and my PhD out of pocket.
I would set up a grant fund for the performance of Shakespeare and other Renaissance playwrights in Original Practice.
I would invest the rest to make sure I could afford to keep this upper-middle class lifestyle, except for a bit of money left over so I could travel.
I would be an awesome millionaire.
Yep.
But only if I get to pick the rich person.
In my view money buys freedom, the ability to not worry about money anymore and a higher standard of living.
I really have no desire for a higher standard of living. A used car is as good as a new one, and I don’t need a 6000 sq ft home. I could go the rest of my life on my current lower middle class lifestyle and feel fine.
Freedom (never having to work or plan my life or living arrangements around work) would be nice, but I think I’d go stir crazy.
Not worrying about money would be nice though. Not having to worry that I would end up losing everything if I became disabled or had a serious illness.
I spend tons of mental energy trying to figure out how to become financially self sufficient and independent (finding deals, looking for ways to plan out my savings, etc). Being rich means I’d never have to do that again and would free up a lot of my mental energy and time. But if I don’t have any good use for my time and energy, I’ll end up miserable.
I’d like the freedom of being able to travel, move around, etc. because right now I have to plan my career and can’t do that. But my understanding is retired people get bored of that in a few years, generally speaking. I’m sure I’d be the same way. If I had a constructive use of my time I’d enjoy being rich. Right now, I really don’t have one. So a good portion of my time is spent at work or trying to figure out personal finances. Sad.
I want to win the lottery, but I don’t want to waste time or money trying to win it.
For about a year and a half, I’d buy a random ticket to the Thai government’s lottery held twice a month. I always bought a cheap ticket, certain “lucky” numbers being sold for more (even though that’s illegal, but the cops don’t care), because I figure it’s an equal chance for every number. Cost a buck or so. Gave up after not winning nary a baht. It’s widely believed to be fixed anyway, a notion that was confirmed to me after one lady won all three top prizes with numbers she claimed were given to her in a dream. The proceeds are believed to go into the pocket of a certain member of a Family That Must Not Be Named.
Yeah. Spending 10 years doing a PhD part time would be fun.
Dick Francis has a character in one of his books (The Edge) who is fairly wealthy, but keeps himself in check spending wise and has a (not-so) regular job.
when in conversation with a wealthy heiress he likens being very wealthy to being in a candy shop where you can eat everything you want… the temptation would be so high to start indulging yourself and don’t stop. (and I think there is some more there, but I don’t have the book nearby)
I think that is a fairly good comparison, and I think I would have the willpower to not to overindulge myself, but I can’t be certain… as such I’d probably be happier if I win 50-100Keuro’s than a really ludicrous amount of money, but I don’t know what I’d rather have 
So your family took a large inheritance and it didn’t significantly change who they are. This does not seem to support the argument that winning the lottery would have such a deleterious effect.
And if you love your job and you win the lottery? Lucky you; lottery law now allows you to keep your job, should so you desire!
You sound like the Aesop fable, the Fox and the Grapes.
Personally, I would welcome the opportunity to see if mega-wealth would ruin me. Twice.
This is something I will never have to worry about, as I send out some kind of anti-winning vibes. Every single lottery ticket I have ever touched has turned out to be a dud, and this includes tickets purchased as gifts to other people. I’ve never even won $1. What are the odds of that?? No, it’s a definite Sign. There’s something pre-ordained in the universe regarding my lifelong no-win streak. I’ve learned to live with it and adjust to the fact I will never get my picture in the paper holding up a gigantic check.
You should see me at a casino. I can disappear my grocery money for the week in less than 10 minutes, while bells and whistles go off at other machines all around me.
And it’s not FAIR. If I did win, I have definite plans to do good in the world. No McMansion, no gold toilet seats, no shopping sprees. Really. Just Good Works. (maybe one small shopping spree first).
'd risk it too, I can always go back to being as poor as I am now.
There’s huge difference between not desiring to win and turning it down it if you did.
Like anything in life money can allow you to make bad choices. Money isn’t happiness, but it can buy you a Porsche which you can part right next to happiness.
I recall an interview with Love Boat actress Lauren “Julie-Your Cruise Director” Tewes. She said she spent all her money on coke. She said, “I knew having a lot of money would give me the ability to do anything I want. But I never thought I’d kill me.”
And that says a lot. Having money enabled her to buy cocaine and almost kill herself. But let’s get real how many poor people have killed themselves on cocaine or crack. And what’s to say if she couldn’t afforded coke she wouldn’t have went for plain old booze.
If people win the lottery and come out worse for it, they have no one to blame for it but their own bad choices. But I would still venture to guess if you stepped back and looked at it impartially they were better off with the money than without. Or they would’ve self destructed in a way that just cost less had they not had the money