We've all asked ourselves that question numerous times, right? And I'm sure the answer has changed over the years. Of course, a million dollars was a whole lot different when I was a kid, than it is now. Don't get me wrong....I'd take it still! Just saying, life's expensive these days! So, really...what would you do? And why do I ask? Well, I just happened to hear one of my favorite songs recently by the Barenaked Ladies, 'If I Had A Million Dollars' (are you singing it in your head now? If not their version, the older versions. C'mon, yes you are! :}). I also happened to see one of my favorite movies of all time, Office Space, recently. (You know it's great when there's so many catchy lines that people quote for hours....and trust me, if you've been in any of those conversations, you know what I mean :}). Which, that show brings up the discussion as well. After all, their plan was simple & made sense! :}So, anyways, back to the question......where do you start? What dream would be your 1st reality? I would say just taking care of your own debts, smart investments & coming up with a good plan is a great place to start. That's a must! But, what else?......
- Of course you'd want to take care of your family/good friends as much as possible. But, how do you decide that? Does everyone get the same, do you see who could use it most? Who would be smart with it? Would that be for me to say how they use it? Who needs help with medical care/bills? Hummm..
- You can't forget to take a % to give back, in however you see fit. It's not like there's not enough charities to go around!! Giving would truly be the biggest gift...as it pays back your heart & soul tenfold!
- Being able to not work & just be able to go back to school would be nice (and keep my same plan I had when I attended the U.....always having 1 fun class each semester! :}). Besides, I've never taken tennis or guitar lessons! :}
- Being able to travel the world would sure be nice too. And being able to send my loved ones somewhere they always wanted to go (& have one heck of a family reunion there :}). Again, that in itself could soak up a million dollars all too fast (back to the smart investments 1st)
- Having a cabin on some fabulous mountain property has always been high on the list. I'd say in Utah somewhere; but, I certainly wouldn't mind having one in Lake Tahoe either! :} Of course this would have to include toys such as snowmobiles, ATV's, etc. (a million dollars would go real quick on that one!)
- To put my crazy dreams in action, without worrying about the costs involved and whether I was going to make a big profit; but, in building a fun center for both kids/adults, the kind of place that would make a difference in people's lives. It would have all kinds of dance/arts/cultures, it would be a place kids felt safe & could learn how to have fun being active. It's funny, I look at this old run down building by my neighborhood & think what a great spot it would be to build a new place...and then vision what it would look like. Not just "any old rec center"; but, putting all these thoughts in my head together & knowing how to do that exactly is a whole different story! But, having a million dollars would sure help I think! :}
- Just being able to take time to work on "The Bucket List" (since many may involve $ somehow, to make them happen). Of course, everything above is essentially on the bucket list.
- I read a friend's post on her bucket list, and being able to leave a breakfast waitress a huge tip. That would be awesome. As a waitress for many years, I always dreamed of that magical rich customer coming in leaving me big $! :} So, to just randomly pick people, whether strangers or ones you know, to give a $100, or whatever, to would be fun! Don't you think? Just knowing you could make so many people's day with a simple act! Do we really need $ for this? No, not really; but, who wouldn't like to just have some extra cash! :}
- I would hope that, with a million dollars, I wouldn't feel limited to pursue my children's interests...whatever schools, programs, etc. it would take to let them live out thier passions. Yea, that would be cool!
Well, I'm sure I could go on; but, it's always a fun discussion...and since it was on my mind, why not discuss amongst ourselves? :} (and this is called distracting my mind from all the business of the household, restoring computer files, taxes & things that have consumed much of my time lately! :}). And hopefully I can get this song out of my head now so I can get much needed sleep, instead of nonstop thinking of how I could really use a million dollars! :}
