I’d use public transit, still live in small apartments (I don’t like larger living spaces for a variety of reasons), still use the library. Still eat at restaurants where meals are $5-10.
I’d probably also still buy used cars instead of new ones because I can’t justify the depreciation.
My interpretation of the question was different. My “poor thing” would be buying a fancy sports car or suped-up truck. That seems like a very poor-person-with-new-money impulse. Clearly not all treats and fancy purchases fall into this category, but this does for me. And I’m sure I do it anyhow.
The non-poor thing would be sensible investments. Judge Whitey from Futurama comes to mind; his caddy’s chauffeur had to explain to him that, “a bank is a place where people put money that isn’t properly invested.”
In line with the OP’s meaning, I’m sure I’d still grab the odd bite at a fast food place.
I’d have a reasonably priced house and a reasonably priced car. I’d still walk everywhere (I don’t drive, but if I had that kind of money, I’d learn, as it would probably benefit me).
I’d rarely impulse buy, as now. And I’d refuse to purchase things I deemed unnecessarily expensive and just go without.
But I’d certainly step up a grade or two on most other areas of my life.
I’d still do my job. I love my job. Of course, I’d have my driver drive me to/from my job from my spectacular new penthouse every day, and I’d dress a whole lot better, and upgrade myself on every plane/bullet train/car service I took, but yeah, I’d still work.
I do, but only the ones I knit myself. The others get tossed in the trash.
Probably much what the others say. A sale is a thrill to get! I’m always happy when I get a god deal on clothes that fit me…
:mad: Hey! Mr. Sali has Princess and the Pea - sensitive feet and his socks cost $14 a pair!!! For that price, I actually did darn a hole in one of his socks, you betcha.
I’d go to grad school sooner. Right now it doesn’t make financial sense, but I’d do it if money weren’t an object and wouldn’t be.
A newer car. Mine runs fine, but I’d like something with fewer dents. Maybe I’d just get some body work done on mine; that might be simpler.
More travel. I’d love to see the world faster than I’m able to do it now, so I’d probably shift to a “work six months/travel six months” kind of a standard.
In the end, I have a major life goal of having a house with a room designated as the library. And lots of comfy chairs and a hammock! And built-in bookshelves everywhere! With one of those cool rolling ladders! I’d still probably fill it with used books, though; I like a book to feel like it’s been read before when I pick it up.
Two words: aerosol cheeze.
I’m older than most of you guys, so “the rest of my life” is considerably shorter. My millions wouldn’t pile up nearly as high as yours. So I’d just totally leave my “poor” things behind me. Nothing but luxuries.
The poor things I’d still do, well I’d still turn off lights, not waste water, still not use a dryer. I wouldn’t stomp on the gas pedal from a dead stop and waste gasoline. I’d still re-purpose and reuse. I’d still fix something that broke, if I could, rather than buying new.
For a lot of people this is behavior taught to us by our parents, and it’s become a habit.
I would buy a big honkin’ truck, and put gold-plated faucets in the bathrooms of my modest ranch house.
I would still ride my bicycle but I’d pay somebody to tow me to the tops of all the hills, then I’d coast down.
I would exceed the speed limit and let my dog off leash, because who cares about the ticket? Who cares if the insurance goes up?
I would want a bigger house but i’d stay in the same city. I need space for a library and i’d probably set up a home gym. I don’t know yet if i’d have other family share my new house yet…
I would still get jeans from Old Navy and shop at the outlet mall… I would get a sewing machine so i could hem my jeans more qickly than by hand-sewing
Buy lottery tickets.
I’d still ride the light rail when I want to go into downtown, but I’d have a much nicer bicycle.
I would still buy all of my gear at Goodwill shops, because I hate clothes shopping and only do it when I need stuff desperately. And I refuse to pay any more than five bucks for a decent pair of jeans…no matter how much I have in my wallet.
I would choose to live in the same town, in the same daggy old house (but maybe buy a holiday-house somewhere by the beach 
)
I’d still buy second-hand cars, because new cars are horribly overpriced, and I don’t view them as a status-symbol anyway…just a means of getting me from A to B reliably. Don’t care what it looks like, provided it passes the Vehicle Check thingy, I’m cool.
I’ve never darned a sock in my life btw.
I’d happily give up working though so that my daughter can herself go back to work and I’d be the Babysitting Grandma. That’d be sweet.
I avoid Walmart right now. I’ll shop at Target, but I try to avoid Walmart, except for emergencies. An emergency is something like “Bill brought in a rescue kitty at 10 PM and she needs a dose of Frontline RIGHT NOW and so do the other cats and yeah, I’d better get kitten food too” sort of thing. Because Walmart is open 24/7 most days, whereas Target closes at 10 or 11, and Walgreens might or might not have Frontline.
I’d probably eat some of the “poor food” that I eat now. I’m very fond of beans and hamhocks and cornbread, for instance. I don’t have it often, but I like it. And we like beanie weinies, too. Again, we don’t have this often.
Actually, we haven’t hit the lottery (though Bill does play quite a bit) but we are comfortable. If we did come into money I think that I’d have a couple of live in maids. I’d probably also have a lot of my clothes custom made, or at least I’d have someone assist me when I’m fitting clothes that I’m making myself. I can pin the dress that I’m hemming, or I can model it. I can’t pin it while I model it, though, so it’s a case of put the dress on, see what needs to be taken up or let down, take it off, adjust the pins, rinse and repeat.
I’d probably buy some new furniture, some good stuff, and buy new house linens when I felt the urge. We lived hand to mouth for so many years that it would be tough to break old habits, though.
I would still cook. I love cooking and baking. So does my husband. Yes, we enjoy going out to eat now and then, but we would still cook for ourselves. And I would probably do a lot of my own decorating. I like painting, making curtains, arranging wall decor, etc. I don’t think I would ever hire a decorator.
Same here. I don’t drive at all, so my other choices are taxicabs or a chauffeured car. And frankly, to get where I want to go, the CTA is usually faster.
My main thing is I would still shop at CostCo, and I would still comparison shop. And I definitely would buy my AMC passes because I like getting into the same movie for $8 that other people are spending $12 on. And I’d see them in the regular theater - none of this “luxury” theater nonsense for me. I don’t drink alcohol and I really don’t want anyone walking around the theater asking if I need a drink.
I can’t imagine not buying store brands. I look at the bags of sugar and they vary in price by a lot. It’s the same thing! No difference! Buy the cheapest one!
I just asked my husband - he would continue working - for a while anyway. I’d quit my job because the concrete floors are killing me. I’d keep on with my studies. I’d still do my own housework (can’t stand the idea of a stranger in the house) but I’d get a gardener. We have a big section & neither of us like gardening. We’d buy a new car - but we are going to have to do that soon anyway. & redecorate & get a second tv.
So, yeah we would change quite a bit really.
I’d eat the same, I don’t skimp on purchasing food now, that wouldn’t change. I’d be cooking on a nicer stove in a nicer kitchen, with nicer tools. I’d still try to limit myself to in season produce from as close to home as possible. Just because I can buy blueberries in January doesn’t mean that I should or will.
I’d dress better, probably. I kind of hate my wardrobe but it fits and fits my current lifestyle. If my lifestyle changed (and it would) I’d need better threads. I might hire someone to make things for me, therefore improving the local economy rather than buying stuff made in an overseas sweatshop by a twelve year old.
I’d reduce, reuse and recycle more, because I’d have better facilities for it (more room for recycling bins, etc.) and better objects to begin with that I can fix rather than trashing, and more energy efficient appliances and fixtures. I’d also install solar and/or wind at my new house. (I’d definitely have a new house, in a better location and fitted with accommodations for my mobility needs.) I’d continue air drying most of my clothes and other environmental measures. I’d buy a daggone Prius already or, better yet, a Nissan Leaf if and when they ever become available.
I still wouldn’t buy books, but instead borrow from the library. I still wouldn’t buy DVDs but instead make use of Netflix. (I’d upgrade my subscription.) Those aren’t “poor” things to me, though, just reflections on how many books and movies I consume in a year. I would be poor if I tried to buy them all, and then they’d sit and collect dust. It doesn’t make sense. (I’m not the sort of person who says “I’d like to see X movie right now!” and needs to grab it from the shelf and pop it in that second.)
I’d still shop at Costco because I like their business model and how they treat their staff. I’d still avoid Whole Foods, Walmart and Target like the plague. I’d continue to cast a dim eye at Trader Joe’s, but shop there anyway.