# You come into a huge fortune. What NON-frivolous do you buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683 "2010-07-14T17:46:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/21 "2010-07-15T01:37:22Z")
Pay off mortgage. Buy new house someone warmer in the winter. Travel. Maybe buy some sort of motor home, and a trip to see the Alps. Give my brother and sisters enough money to make them financially secure. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/22 "2010-07-15T01:57:12Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 5 acres of land in northern San Diego county to establish a cat ranch. You’ll need to hire some [catherders](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8). ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/23 "2010-07-15T02:25:19Z")
I would like to secretly pay off a friend’s college loan and set aside a fund she can use for her dream retirement of traveling. She’s had a difficult life. She is a great person and a wonderful friend and mother. I don’t want her to feel beholden to me. First, I gotta come into the money, then I’ve got to figure how to not let the cat out of the bag. Second, I would invest some money and time into the local crisis nursery, where the care for kids in emergency situations. I’ve volunteered there before and the children are wonderful. I’d like to see their parents get the help they need so the kids can get the parenting they deserve. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/24 "2010-07-15T02:28:30Z")
> [@FordTaurusSHO94](#): > > I could use a house. It would have frivolous stuff in it though, I’m afraid. Same here. I don’t owe anything but my apartment is rather small. I would also buy nice things for my friends, I have a few who could use a new car. Mind you, I am not talking BMW or Caddy- but maybe a Chevy or a Subaru. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/25 "2010-07-15T02:36:26Z")
> [@carnut](#): > > … then I’ve got to figure how to not let the cat out of the bag. You’ll need to hire some [catherders](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8). ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/26 "2010-07-15T02:37:44Z")
Set up a grant to help struggling writers. Maybe something where they can get money to live on while they write. Maybe something to help get their work into the hands of publishers. Something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f08c70/32.png) [@Crowbar\_of\_Irony\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crowbar_of_Irony_3)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/27 "2010-07-15T08:32:02Z")
Pay off my university loans. Get an apartment. Create job opportunities. Somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/28 "2010-07-15T09:11:03Z")
Since we’re talking of sudddenly having more than $100 million, paying off debts etc. is pretty small change. I’d love to buy a vineyard and make wine. Last time I checked, if I were to do this in the Napa Valley, the minimum investment is at least $10 million. That’s a pretty non-frivolous chunk o’ change. ---
**Author:** ![InterestedObserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@InterestedObserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InterestedObserver)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/29 "2010-07-15T09:14:16Z")
First, set up a foundation/trust and pay myself/others a stipend/salary. Buy a house(s)/land. Fire the landlord. Pay off the few debts I have (even to date, with student loans, a relative pittance) College funds for the kids (at this point, my son is entering college and I am back in college myself…hope he gets some funding or he will have to work his way through like I had to the 1st time…not the worst thing in the world, but harder) Buy some state of the art equipment and start my own indie film studio. (or some other business…that’s just my current fantasy) Share with family (elderly in-laws, my mother, and maybe one of my 3 sister-in-laws) Invest in things like renewable energy, hemp, micro-loans, independent media. With that kind of money (“CRAZY money!”:eek::D) I could do ALL these things without spending a cent of it…just live off/use the interest. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/30 "2010-07-15T09:17:39Z")
A house in the country with land so that I could take in unwanted horses and ponies and either rehabilitate them to rehome or just give them a good home to spend the rest of their years. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/31 "2010-07-15T09:29:09Z")
I’ve just covered the frivolous stuff in the other thread - basically a dream house for geeks. Non-frivilous stuff, well, two cars of course, a big comfortable station wagon with lots of leg room in the back seat for family journeys, and a fuel-efficient sedan for just running around town. I’d want to give some to my sons’ elementary school, a small private school that does a wonderful job teaching all sorts of kids in spite of a lousy physical plant. I don’t know what the law says about that but this is a fantasy, dammit. I’d love them to own the land and building outright, and for it to be large enough for all their dreams, practically designed for both teachers and students, and handicap accessible. And although I don’t want to run a business, I’d love to be the partner/venture capitalist type that finances an attempt at a good American import business for Norway - something like [Gray’s American Stores](http://www.grays.se/) in Sweden except maybe with some non-food items as well. (And actually I’m wondering how it’s going with Gray’s, since the website doesn’t seem to be functioning - maybe they’re going to purely importing and then selling to supermarkets and such?) If it makes money, terrific. If it just manages to stay afloat, I’ll win the admiration and gratitude of my friends 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/32 "2010-07-15T09:30:59Z")
Over the years, I’ve worked at several companies which, from my point of view, were quite mismanaged. They must have been doing decently financially, since they’re still in business, but I saw practices which were obvious money/time/resources sieves to anybody on the floor but, whenever a “peon” dared point out a better way to do it, he’d be told to Shut The Fuck Up because, evidently, any suggestions from the peons have to be against the company, even when following that suggestion would mean not having to throw away several tonnes of product in every shift :smack: This was (and still is in at least one case) accompanied by very ugly labor practices. I’d look into the possibility of buying some of those: I’ve got the notion that it’s possible to keep the company working while/by improving both the workers’ lot and the productive processes. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/33 "2010-07-15T10:51:55Z")
My friends and I make short films, and we want to make a feature film. I’d fund and fully kit out a studio of our own, covering all its expenses for our own small scale productions, but hiring it out to others for a standard fee. I’d consider partially funding a feature film budget, though I’m not convinced that would be a good idea. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/34 "2010-07-15T11:16:58Z")
I’d be buying a home in Northern Scotland- probably at Laid. ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/35 "2010-07-15T13:14:54Z")
I would buy a house and land in Hawaii. It’s my dream climate and I would love to have enough property to grow most of my own food. I still have to convince my husband that living on an island is a good idea but I think a nice dive boat and crew would help. Building a guest house so people could visit without living with us would help too. Hmmm, now that I’ve got it all worked out I want my hundred million. Is that US dollars? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/36 "2010-07-15T13:38:50Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > You’ll need to hire some [catherders](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8). Too frivolous, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/37 "2010-07-15T13:59:37Z")
Huge? Security and a manager/agent of some kind. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/38 "2010-07-15T14:20:09Z")
I would set up a foundation in my hometown to encourage the study of languages. Then I would hire a coach/ghostwriter and write that book I have had in the back of my mind for years. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/39 "2010-07-15T14:54:09Z")
Let’s see… Start a college scholarship fund for underprivileged youth from my old neighborhood, letting my little sister pick the recipients of each year’s grants. Covered benches for the bus stops in Memphis. (I know I mentioned it in the other thread, but it’s not really frivolous.) Start a K-8 private school with a strong emphasis on science, engineering, & business. All the students there will be on scholarship, but they won’t have any particular advantage when it comes to getting the college scholarship my little sister would be in charge of. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683/40 "2010-07-15T14:59:53Z")
A very very private place to live with very difficult access and very limited communication with the outside world. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-come-into-a-huge-fortune-what-non-frivolous-do-you-buy/546683.md?page=3)