Ha ha. Well, perhaps we never grow out of the need for a refuge from our parents, but we do have to grow into the age where we can sign and fund a lease on our own. 
I always remind myself that this is how millionaires stay millionaires! (Well, some of them. others exploit those below them. But you get my gist.)
“Live opulently so that others may simply gawk” is one of my mottoes.
But I’ve scaled down my wants in the event of a massive cash influx from this greenhouse to a less grandiose model.
Alas, I, Mrs. J. and Pluto must be content with our simple country life.
I understand and agree. That kind of wealth is just a totally foreign concept to anyone of middle class or lower means. I think I would end up using a lot of it for charitable causes like scholarships and the alleviation of human suffering.
I would have a main home in this region and a couple of smaller, seasonal homes. One would be up along Lake Superior in the Duluth area, and another would be in a warmer but not humid area. I’d take care of my brother and his wife, and I would give a generous monetary gift to my cluster of close friends.
Thanks to the posters who mentioned keeping a second room for my daughters even if they do not feel like staying with me much anymore. I now understand it’s important from a psychological point of view.
I think I’ll just tell them that I intended to leave the apartment and ask them what sort of place they would like.
“within reason.”
There’s your answer right there! Pay someone to do a bunch of the routine crap you do every day.
For the OP: I agree that keeping a spare bedroom is a good idea, if you can afford it.
Would we live a lavish lifestyle if we came into money? Er… some things, we’d splurge on (no more flying coach!!). But I don’t think we’d go crazy in other ways.
Having read the OP but not the replies (intentionally), I simply can’t imagine people with so little imagination they wouldn’t know what to do with 50M.
Having loads of money doesn’t need to have anything to do with opulence. The world has millions of worthy causes of every possible ilk that desperately need money. Most people care about at least some of them; research into cures for illnesses, nature preservation, animal welfare, fighting poverty, enabling talented people of limited means to realize their innovations / creations, ad infinitum.
You could do a world of personally chosen good with 50M, while continuing to lead a simple, even frugal life.
I live quite frugally in relation to my means. Little place, very inexpensive which I’ve owned outright for years and have no desire to upgrade. I’ve always driven used cars, and I economize on a lot of things in my life - I actually enjoy the challenge.
The most significant action I’ve taken to achieve the simple life I have is not having children. Never wanted them, and I’m grateful I knew that early on. It’s also my primary form of rationalization because my job is terrible for the environment. So at least I haven’t burdened the planet with my offspring.
When I see the complicated lives of some I know… I just can’t imagine the responsibility and stress. Multiple properties, cars, lots of people in the mix… Ugh.
If I came into life changing money, I’m not sure how my life would change day-to-day. Might eat lunch out more, because I do enjoy a leisurely lunch. But once certain of my security through old age, I’d probably give a lot away.
This is apparently something Keanu Reeves actually does.
Me, I’d like to set up a free 24/7-daycare for people who can’t afford one so they work, then expand it into offering GED classes or job training/etc. (After I take care of a few less than frugal wants, like a house centered around a huge library and buying all the books.)
Amen to that!
Sometimes it just happens, though, without planning - seriously. We did not anticipate supporting 3 households, to be sure - including a condo in Florida for the parents (since I have a problem with leaving elderly relatives to live on the street), and most of the rent on a place in Vermont (ditto, for special needs adult kid). As such, we’re kind of stuck needing to stay in a higher income bracket as long as we can manage to work.
Lottery money would be a life changer for us, even if we did not change our overall lifestyle at all. As my husband and I frequently say to each other, “When do WE get to stay home, not work , and have someone else pay our living expenses?”.
I can attest to this! My wife and I don’t have children (we are in our early 50s) and our life was very simple and inexpensive. We go to work and then have all the rest of the time to ourselves and we enjoyed it. It was very low stress. Even our work commutes were low stress as I ride a bike and my wife walks. We recently agreed to house a 13 year old through completion of high school and that has all changed. I definitely have more empathy for those with children. It’s a stressful pain in the fucking ass. And yes, our bills have gone up since we are now buying crap food to feed this picky eater, there are clothes, school expenses, etc. But the money is minor. It’s the loss of the freedom and privacy we previously had. I look forward to this person completing school and moving out. Do we regret this decision? Depends on the day.
Good point and, come to think of it, I’m sure that I’d find a couple of causes that I’d like to support financially but… that’s not the point of this thread.
This remark was just meant as an in introduction, in passing, to what I was trying to articulate : the older I get, the more I realize that I don’t need a lot of material possessions. On the contrary, I find the idea of owning only the most essential CDs, books, clothes, etc. more and more appealing, just for its own sake.
So, forget about dreams of winning the lottery. I shouldn’t have opened with this remark.
That’s pretty much how I feel except I don’t view it as a challenge. It’s more of a natural, almost instinctive yearning for me.
That sounds like art. Give each one a title and a little sandwich tag with a big price on it. It’s not hoarding when it’s art - it’s investing.
That’s my thought. I’d pay off my mortgage and get the interior finished (finally), set a good amount aside for my own medical needs and start sorting worthy causes.
I don’t see any particular need to be “frugal” for its own sake. Life is short so if I can afford something, I see no reason not to buy it. That said, I’m also not into opulence. If I came into tens of millions of dollars, I would certainly use it to improve my current situation. I don’t know that I would be buying gold toilets or other ridiculous stuff. Maybe a few nice cars and other toys. But even then, I’d maybe be thinking about a $100k Porsche or something.
This is what my wife and I are coming around to. We are naturally frugal and also feel it’s good for the environment/world. But we have plenty of money and our individual effort isn’t worth a good gawd-damn so why not waste when we can have the convenience? What’s the point in trying to save the world when the majority of the population doesn’t seem to give a shit?
I don’t spend a lot of time on routine crap any more. My desire to do interesting things far exceeds the time I have to do them. I can’t pay anyone to read my books, write, work on my conference, or waste time reading the Dope. And I like to cook.
So, I need the hours.
I dream of some day living in a camper, and if I outlive Mrs. Homie, that is exactly what I intend to do. I don’t need a lot of stuff – a PC, a gaming system, clothes and bedding, kitchen supplies, and I’m set. If I had millions I’d do exactly the same thing, except I’d travel to exotic and fun places, too.
I sort of fantasize about that too - though I’d want a NICE camper. and I suppose I’d like a “real” place to come back to after a while.
We love to watch those “tiny house” shows and they truly are a good reminder that we could do with far less. 20 years ago, when we moved from a townhouse to a detached house, we had a lot of empty space - which has since now been more than filled. We keep talking about how much less we could manage with. While it’s convenient right now to have spare room (as things shut down for COVID, we realized it would not be tolerable in something like a 1 bedroom apartment or a tiny house), we really don’t NEED as much space as we have even now.
I’m working in my daughter’s bedroom (she moved out 3+ years ago). I could just set up a rolling desk in our bedroom instead. We have a separate office - my husband uses that, but he could do the same in the family room. The formal living room gets little use. The guest bedroom, ditto. We could easily manage in something with the square footage of our townhouse (though on 1 or 2 levels, please!!).