# I won i won **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 28, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378 "2009-10-28T00:28:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildfire\_MM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/1 "2009-10-28T00:28:32Z")
Almost $170 000 on the lottery today:) I’m gonna quit my job So what do you think ? ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/2 "2009-10-28T00:30:04Z")
Congratulations! I think that’s great! I really do. I’m down on my luck right now – can you let me have $500? ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/3 "2009-10-28T00:42:13Z")
Congratulations! Enjoy your moolah! ---
**Author:** ![tacoloco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tacoloco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tacoloco)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/4 "2009-10-28T00:44:17Z")
Pit material? Nice score. Adopt me. ---
**Author:** ![MoodIndigo1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MoodIndigo1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoodIndigo1)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/5 "2009-10-28T00:45:24Z")
Congratulations! Are you expecting people to cuss you out, you fucking, no doubt undeserving, winner? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/6 "2009-10-28T00:45:31Z")
> [@Wildfire\_MM](#): > > Almost $170 000 on the lottery today:) > > I’m gonna quit my job > > So what do you think ? Unless it’s the suckiest job in history, don’t quit. Think about things and form a plan. You can’t live on that money forever. And congrats. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/7 "2009-10-28T00:47:56Z")
Yay! Moved from The BBQ Pit to In My Humble Opinion. **Gfactor** Pit Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/8 "2009-10-28T00:55:15Z")
I certainly couldn’t quit working for that amount, but congrats! ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/9 "2009-10-28T01:00:16Z")
What is your job, and do you like it? ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/10 "2009-10-28T01:04:06Z")
Depending on your state taxes, about $100-110,000. 1\> PAY OFF ALL DEBTS. Then consider what you really need. I mean REALLY need. Like a new car only if your existing car has been on the verge of breaking down for years, and then only looking at something like a Ford Focus (@$15,000) or similar. No Beemer or Prius. Then look at how much you have left. And how much you have in savings, retirement, etc. How long could you live on what is left? Is it worth it to not work for all that time and then have nothing to show for it? (I speak from personal experience of living off about half of that until it was gone) If your job is that sucky, quit with plans to go back to school for something better, or you’ll end up going back to the exact same thing within a couple of years. You could take off through the holidays and then start school in January, if you enroll now. Finally, DO NOTHING for at least a week. Put the money in the bank, pay off debts, let the rest sit while you let it sink in and run through some numbers. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/11 "2009-10-28T01:20:30Z")
Congrats dude but 170k isn’t exactly “set for life” money, stick with your job. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/12 "2009-10-28T01:22:25Z")
> [@](#): > > ‘The game is done! I’ve won! I’ve won!’ > Quoth she, and whistles thrice. > > The Sun’s rim dips; the stars rush out: > At one stride comes the dark; > With far-heard whisper, o’er the sea, > Off shot the spectre-bark. Coleridge, 1798 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/13 "2009-10-28T01:28:47Z")
Don’t get too excited it’s about a one year upper middle class salary after taxes. Use it for education or as a down payment on some income producing real estate. Don’t get cocky it’s not that much money and can be easily frittered away. I’d encourage you to keep your mouth shut about it or relatives and buddies will be after you incessantly. ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/14 "2009-10-28T01:33:36Z")
Seconded. Don’t quit, don’t tell anyone about the win, and don’t blow it on a house or a car. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/15 "2009-10-28T01:42:16Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Seconded. Don’t quit, don’t tell anyone about the win, and don’t blow it on a house or a car. Well what the hell can he blow it on? I say blow it all on travel! Every penny! ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/16 "2009-10-28T01:43:01Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Seconded. Don’t quit, don’t tell anyone about the win, and don’t blow it on a house or a car. Well, there are worse things you could do than use it to pay off a mortgage, buy a new (sensible) car, or make some serious improvements to a house. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime windfall- make sure to spend it on something that will benefit you for your whole life. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/17 "2009-10-28T01:46:56Z")
Congratulations, but $170,000 is not enough to quit your job. No way. Pay off any debts and mortgages if you have them, stuff the rest in a mattress. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/18 "2009-10-28T01:53:58Z")
I think I’d sit down and make some really good plans for that windfall before I quit my job. $170,000 isn’t really job-quitting life-changing, but it could sure as hell give your life a boost. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/19 "2009-10-28T01:55:08Z")
Cool! Do remember that you get tax deductions for mortgage payments, so don’t run to eliminate those right off the bat. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2009, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378/20 "2009-10-28T01:57:44Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Cool! > > Do remember that you get tax deductions for mortgage payments, so don’t run to eliminate those right off the bat. You don’t save money by deducting interest from your tax liability. You save money by not paying interest. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-won-i-won/515378.md?page=2)