You now have gigabucks, how would the money not change you?

In My Humble Opinion (IMHO)
#1

You won/inherited a bunch of money, after taxes, you now have 10 billion dollars.

I am not interested in what you would buy, pay off, or travel.

In what way would the money NOT change you. Yea, you will still love your spouse, kids, family, etc, but what else wouldn’t change?

This is harder than I thought. Many of the things I do and decisions I make on a daily basis are shaped by how to make use of the limited resources (money, time, attention) that I have. If money is not a constraint, and time is much less so (I don’t have to go to work), then almost everything changes.

My list (still a work in progress)

  1. I would still eat raisin bran every morning.
#2

I think I would be changed in every way other than loving my husband, the rest of my family and friends, and my cats.

Well, I’d still hate mint.

I don’t think it would change my politics.

#3

To be totally blunt, I think I would be a lot more bored. Now I’ve said in the past regarding work/finances/etc being bored isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Boredom means that failure isn’t imminent. It means everyting that was ‘supposed’ to happen does. No uncertainty in the outcome.

Everything I ever wanted, I could probably have. Everything I wanted to do, I’d have time for. Every pie in the sky idea I could try to play out. Crazy business ideas. Stupid inventions. Remote-control Robot Pit Fights controlled by huge breasted topless women. Sky’s the limit!

But where would the fun be in it? For me, anything I can’t get/have/experience I tend to obsess about wanting. Everything I have becomes easy to take for granted (EXCEPT MY WIFE!). If I had gigabucks, it would be like going from working a crappy part-time job to now where I almost make six figures. Back when I was [First world] poor I used to dream about all the stuff I wanted to buy/have/do. Now that I can afford that stuff, the appeal just isn’t there. The accessability just kills the desire.

#4

Probably not much. I’d look into buying a bigger house, and take more vacations, but I like my job and want to keep working at it and I don’t really need a lot of things.

Though I think it might be fun to run a newspaper.

#5

I’m pretty sure I’d still be an insufferable asshole.

#6

I would still like to read, still want my favorite foods, etc.

All the gigabucks would change is that now I can have my robot servants bring things to me. :wink:

#7

I’d still live in NE Ohio. Maybe even in my town. Heck maybe even the same neighborhood! I’d just buy out a few neighbors to give me a bigger plot.

I’d still be a dog person and not a cat person. heh

#8

I’d still do some cleaning up after myself and make my daughter do the same. I don’t care how much money you have, socks go in the hamper, goddammit. Other than that, I would be much more extravagant than I am now, but I wouldn’t be nearly as extravagant as I could afford to be. I would never drive a $250k car or live in a 10k sq. ft. house even if those expenses were pocket change to me. I would never get a kick out of spending money just to spend it.

My taste in food would not mature a whole lot either, I don’t think. What’s better than Red Robin or Chipotle? Nothing, I think.

#9

I completely agree. I think there is value in striving. I’ve told people that I don’t want to win the lottery because I really don’t think it’s good for people to have no need to strive.

#10

I would still get up at 5:30 every day, which I hate, because my kids would still need to get to school.

My taste in books/music/art/movies wouldn’t change. I’d be willing to go to the opera on a lark if someone invited me, but I can’t imagine I’d start listening to it in the car.

I’d still cook the majority of my meals. I’d eat out more, but not more than 2 or 3 nights a week.

My everyday clothes wouldn’t change much, but I’d probably stop shopping exclusively from the clearance rack. On the other hand, my fancy clothes would be freaking incredible.

I still would not use private aircraft, like a biz jet or a friend’s helicopter. Too dangerous.

No servants. I hate the idea of it.

I probably wouldn’t have more than one residence. Much less hassle to just stay in really nice rentals while traveling.

#11

I would certainly hope I would change. It would be a damn shame if I didn’t.

#12

I think I would stay in my apartment. I don’t really like the idea of living in a house all by myself. I wouldn’t know what to do with the extra rooms. My living room is big enough to fit all my hobbies and toys in and the bedroom is small so it is just a sleeping chamber.

I still wouldn’t have to worry about repairs.

The complex is nice and clean and has lots of green areas with bushes and plants/flowers and it has a lawn area for playing with dogs or BBQing.

It’s mostly full of nice old folks, of the ones I’ve met, and we have nice conversations at the laundry room or at the rec center and gym. I really like my adjacent neighbors.

It’s minutes from a shopping center and just a couple more minutes to the freeway. There are quite a few good restuarants within walking distance. There’s a burger place that makes the most awesome milkshakes/malts and it is only a 5 minute walk away. Which is a good and bad thing. When I first moved in I was getting milkshakes/malts every night.

Family and friends are just a short hop down the freeway.

It has a balcony and the sliding glass doors to it are in the living room and the sun sets right in front of the doors. So I get lots of afternoon sunshine and the sun set everynight.

#13

I’d keep my job. I enjoy it, it’s fulfilling, and if I didn’t have to deal with everything else (i.e., had a car and driver, a personal shopper, a housekeeper, an accountant, a cook), I don’t think work would seem nearly so onerous.

#14

I like to think that I would stay engaged and work at stuff, but I’m not sure that I wouldn’t say that while the job was okay and then change my mind the first time it started to get tough because of some circumstance in my life or at the job. Then I think it would be hard to stick with it. It would just be so EASY to quit.

#15

I’d keep the house I have now. I’d upgrade a couple of things but I like the size, location, style, I’d definitely keep it!

#16

This.

#17

I have read many a story where a winner of a mega lottery ended up worse than before. I would like to think I could overcome it. I’ll get back to you on that.

#18

I’d still be a cheap bastard. Like I might buy a TV, an actual TV that is not a cube and 80 pounds, but I wouldn’t buy a Maybach. I might eventually get a bigger house, but not a mansion (or McMansion). If I did get one, I would hate it because of the $700 heating. It’s the principle of the thing. I would just have more money to e.g. hire a housekeeper.

If it were public record, lottery-style, I would probably become a recluse to avoid calls from someone I last saw in 2nd grade.

#19

I’d still make changes slowly. So any changes that happened wouldn’t happen fast. Obvioiusly I’d buy stuff more often.

#20

I’d be willing to take the risk.