I blogged the answer to this back in November of 2010. And honestly, not much has changed. So here's the post from 2010, annotated for today:
If I had a million dollars...
First, let's assume that this money is tax free, that Uncle Sam isn't asking for a huge cut of it up front, otherwise, I don't really have a million dollars right? Second, let's assume it all has to be allocated to specific stuff. Not just put away for a rainy day. Here's how I imagine spending it:
1. $200,000.00 Create accounts for Rachel and Becca's college education. Sarah is already a junior, so not that we aren't providing for her, just that we are almost done there. $100,000 each should get them four years at a state-level university. (Sarah's college tuition is more than double that figure, but she got some good scholarships!). Being that Rachel and Becca have completed their junior year at college, I don't need this much anymore. I need about $50,000 to get them through to graduation - give or take. That leaves an extra $150,000 to play with...
2. $140,000.00 For Jay - build onto the garage and over the garage, so he can have a space to call his own (he's always wanted a workshop) and we can have a nice master bedroom suite. And while we're at it remodel both upstairs bathrooms - wayyyyy overdue! Ha! This work still needs to be done but prices have risen. I think we need to allocate 175,000 for this project.
3. $285,000.00 Buy a small beach home - probably in Florida - someplace where Jay and I can retire to, or be snow birds. Luckily the housing market stinks right now, so the price tag on this would be less than otherwise. Well, you snooze you lose. The housing market has recovered. I'm guessing that anything worth having would be in the range of $400,000 now, so there goes the last of the extra.
Boy, I blew through $625K awfully quick, didn't I?
4. $30,000.00 Buy each of our kids a decent used car. $24,000. Pay one year of insurance for each $6,000.
5. $100,000.00 10% to charity.
6. $150,000.00 Wedding/Elopement accounts. $50,000 for each kid. They can either use it on a wedding or elope and use it toward buying their first home. Their call. And yes, I know that $50K doesn't go far for a wedding these days. But I also believe they need to have some skin in the game to really appreciate what they are getting. I spent a grand total of $2,500 on my wedding. My parents paid for the band and the flowers. Jay and I paid for the rest. Okay, that was back in the dark ages and all, but still....
7. $33,000.00 Hire a Personal Chef for a year. Just because I can! I did some research - this number is still reasonable.
8. $12,000.00 An electronics spending spree.
9. Now if you've been unwittingly adding this as we go, you know I have a mere $50,000 left to spend. One mill doesn't go far these days, does it? But I have BIG plans for that last $50K. That is going to be used for a huge girls outing. I'm inviting all my best real-world girlfriends and all my wonderful bloggy-world girlfriends. I'm paying for the plane tickets. And the accomodations. And the food. I just need you to come! And we are all getting together for a long weekend of scrapbooking and photography and story telling and giggling and eating yummy food and making crazy fun memories. I can hardly wait!
Since I have no rich relatives and I don't play the lottery, my chances of ever having a million to spend however I like are fairly slim. But it is a lot of fun to think about what you would do with found money and amazing how fast you can make it disappear! I didn't even manage to get DH & I new cars and I sure didn't get to quit work!
5 comments:
I remember this! I started to read and said to myself that this is the one where she puts some of the money aside for a blog friend holiday..and I was laughing when I got to the end and there it was. So it's still on, then? when the million arrives?
I'll definitely be there for the friends get-away!! Great plans . . . it's amazing how quickly it goes, isn't it!
Isn't it scary how quickly that amount could go? It sounds such at lot to start with!
I'm ready to leave whenever! :-) A million dollars sure does go quickly!
Definitely wanna come on that girls retreat :) Wookie always wants to put the money away so he can give up work, these days I'd buy a house and scarily you wouldn't get much change for a million dollars here in London :sigh:
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