$33 Million?

Krystal over at Give Me Back My Five Bucks brought up the fact that the 6/49 is estimated at $33 million tomorrow. I asked what she'd do if she won and she posted about it. Then she turned the question back to her readers.

What would I do with $33 million?

• Although most people seem to think they'd jump up and down (just like in the commercials) I think I'd sit down fast and stay there until I was sure I wasn't going to faint because, you know, starting my new life as a multi-millionaire with a concussion wouldn't be very much fun.


• I'd obsessively check and recheck the numbers.


• I'd arrange to collect my money from the BCLC office in Richmond and, ideally, I'd work an elaborate scam to get all my family members to the BCLC office all dressed up without knowing what was going on, by saying that I'd won a family photo that had to be done at a specific time and just giving them the address. Hey, it wouldn't be a lie, they do a free photo of your family as you collect that giant mockup of a cheque!


• I'd deposit the cheque and take 20% off the top that would go to charities I've already picked out. Many of them are religious but some of the top secular ones are Children's Hospital, the Rick Hansen and Chris & Dana Reeve Foundations and Habitat for Humanity.


• Pay off every penny of debt right away.


• I'd pay for new cars for hubby and all the adult kids, including the annual ICBC premium and pay for Young Drivers for an adult child who still only has a learner's permit.


• Buy each of the adult kids a home, which would be specific to their individual situations and preferences. This would include paying out the mortgage on Eldest Daughter's home (where we also live).


• Finish renovations both at this house and at our rural home (even though I would ultimately be selling it).


• Buy the land I want in the Okanagan, with a lake view. Plant lavender and grapes. Build my "dream house" (about 2,000 to 3,000 square feet in a country style with extensive gardens, including lots of fruit and vegetables).


• Build a kosher winery.


• Plan to travel, whether immediately or when school is out. I have a long list of countries I visited as a child and want to return to with my own kids. I'd also like to travel by RV around the US and Canada and see a lot of historical sites. We've also talked about doing a family trip (all the kids and grandkids) to Disneyland at some point in the next couple of years but are waiting for the baby to be at least 3. I wanted to be able to pay cash for the trip and we could certainly do that!


• Go on a very non-frugal spending spree that would include furniture I've been wanting or needing for more than a year, lots more books, some clothes and accessories and a laptop for my hubby (so we don't have to share).


• Get new glasses and have a considerable amount of family dental work done.


• Go back to school (easier to do if I stopped working).


• Spread out my money at different banks and credit unions and invest most of it very conservatively. Then live off of the interest and dividends.

Things I'm not sure I'd do:

• Quit my job. I kind of enjoy it and I only work a little more than half time. It also wouldn't be fair to quit unless I'd hired and trained a replacement. So I certainly wouldn't be one of the folks who go in and tell the boss they quit on the spot. I might take a Leave of Absence or two though and then retire a little later.


• Disappear for 3 to 6 months. That's okay if you're single or just have a spouse but it's pretty complex if you have kids in school.


• Allow myself to be talked into business deals. I have some specific business ideas of my own but I don't need to help my high school buddies open a restaurant or a long-lost relative open a sports bar, or whatever.

As I pointed out in my comment on Krystal's blog, the really nice thing about lotteries in Canada is that What You See Is What You Get. You get the full amount of the win right away and there are no income taxes due on that! Lotteries are a form of voluntary taxation and people pay for lottery tickets with after-tax dollars.

But, if I won, I'm afraid I'd have to stop blogging because it's pretty impossible to stay even semi-anonymous when you win an amount like that. And that would make me sad.