Well, if it was me, I’d pay off the mortgage and any debt, see an investment counselor about most of the rest, and send some nice checks off to favorite charities. Oh, and then take a really nice trip.
Depends on how much it is. $100? Take someone out for a nice dinner. Buy a great bottle of Scotch and share it with some friends. Donate it to charity.
$1M? Pay off debt and/or invest it. That is the kind of money that you can really put to work in the long term - tens of thousands of dollars per year interest…retire early, work less, put people through college, that kind of thing.
Pay off debts, buy yourself a modest vehicle that will last the rest of your life, invest the rest in a way that a responsible investment counselor meets your particular needs. This investment counselor is one you pay hourly for their services, not someone who makes money by having their company manage your money.
Well, my real answer is that you should pay off your credit card debt yesterday. I probably wouldn’t bother paying off a mortgage since it’s such a low rate and you’d be better off investing the money. I wasn’t kidding about the TIPS but you assuming you are fairly young, you should be more aggressive.
I’ll be really pissed if the OP comes back and says it was $.50.
However, I cannot currently access it, as it is in an offshore bank account and I need the local address of someones to operate it. THere is 10,000,000$ (TEN MILLION USD), and I would be willing to bive 10% (TEN PERCENT) of it to anyoen who gives me their addres,s bank account, and SSN (SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER)
Thank you for your kinkins regards,k
The Empror or the Federates of Northe-middle Midwest America.
Treat yourself and a friend or loved one to a very expensive, full-course dinner at an upscale restaurant. Something like The hobbit, The French Laundry or Nobu.
Put some into either savings or an investment account, spend a little on something you might not usually purchase (nice dinner, TV, etc. dependent on the amount), and buy a small something for the people that mean the most to you.
Saving/investing takes care of the smart part, indulging takes care of the instant gratification/“selfish” part, and giving small gifts gives you that awesome feeling of giving when you are able to.
If you run out of people to give stuff to, I could really use a new comforter for my bed.
Also keep in mind that any substantial dollar amount can be seriously life changing for some people. As little as $1,000 can literally turn a debt laden fast food worker into a college bound, future home owner. You might be able to change a life with your own “stimulus package”.
10 percent for fun
10 percent for someone else
50 percent for what you ‘should’ spend it on, and if that more than covers any debts, put it toward educating yourself <doesn’t matter what, just get INVOLVED with something you love>
30 percent for a rainy day
I’d sit on it. The economy sucks so bad now. If you pay off a debt, the credit card company will probably just cancel the card once it’s all paid off. I certainly haven’t seen the economy getting any better. So I’d sit on it till the economy gets better.
It depends on how old you are, and how much you have already. If you are 99, hookers and blow sound good. If you are 20, maximize your investment, probably by paying off debts and saving rhe rest in a good range of investment types.
If it is enough to pay off debts with a lot left over, do have some fun with some of it. But 15 years ago I got a bunch of money for leaving one company for another, and I’ve got more accumulated pleasure from not worrying about debts than I could have from blowing it on fun at the time.
Everyone needs:
A good mattress
Comfortable shoes
A warm coat
A smart suit
A sharp knife
A good Saucepan
An improving book
Tasty, nutritious food
A warm blanket
A soft pillow
A little fun
To do something philanthropic
Beyond that- pay your debts, save for a rainy day and seek advice from Independent Financial Advisor.