Many of us dream of winning money on the lottery. When there’s huge money to be won, it’s inevitable that we begin to think about how it would change our lives IF we got lucky. All the things we could do and the stuff we could buy.
But, when I’ve actually sat down to think about it, my level-headed financial geek brain kicked in and I realised that life wouldn’t be much different for me, even if I had masses of money in the bank. I’m a thrifty girl at heart (I have been my whole life) so I still wouldn’t splash out on the most expensive goods when their lower-costing versions are just as good and often outperform their name-brand equivalents.
I’m more likely to save my money, make some charitable donations, have some investments, help family and friends, and spend money on experiences rather than things. So, having thought it through (a girl’s got to dream, right?) I thought I would share my ideas with you and perhaps inspire you do some of these things right now…
Investing in Property
I’ve always hoped that one day I would be able to invest in property. In fact, it would be a sensible way to get an income when I’m retired so it’s almost essential. So, the first thing I would do if I won any deposit-sized sum of money would be to buy a flat or house. But it wouldn’t just be for my own gain.
There’s a local charity that I already support who help families at risk of homelessness to find affordable accommodation. I like to think that any property I invest in would be rented out to those families – and I bet there’s a similar charity near you. This way, you would be helping people with your lottery win but without actually giving money away.
Learn Something New
I think that, for a lot of people, winning money on the lottery would simply mean that they have more time. They like the idea of having the freedom to give up their job and to spend their time in whatever ways they want. So, really, it’s possible to enjoy this benefit of winning money right now – you just need to figure out how much money you need to live, work the hours you need to earn that money, and then the rest of your time is ALL YOURS!
With my time-freedom after an imagined windfall, I would use my days learning something new. In fact, I already try to spend my afternoons learning a new skill or working on a passion project. You could try a new hobby or learn something you’ve always wanted to – like a new language, how to play an instrument, or take a degree course. What would you do with your free time?
Helping Friends and Family
I’m sure that most of us would want to help out our nearest and dearest if we won a large sum of money – but it’s not always the best idea to give away your cash. Often, money just gets put in the bank for a rainy day and their life wouldn’t be any different. Instead, I would like to invest in other people by helping them to live the life they always wanted.
Maybe they want to retrain and go to university? Providing the financial assistance to do that would completely change their life in the long-term. Likewise, perhaps they want to start a business of their own? Investing in equipment and resources for them to do so would be the biggest help to get them started.
See the World
Going back to the idea of having free time, another great way to use that time is to travel and see the world. And, if you’d just won a lump-sum, what better way to spend it than by broadening your horizons. When money is tight, travel can seem like an unnecessary expense because you don’t SEE anything physical for the cash you’ve spent.
Going on trips and seeing things you wouldn’t otherwise get to experience is life-changing – much more so than just having money in the bank. I think it’s so much more important to have experiences rather buying ‘things’ and that’s what I would do with my fantasy lottery win.
Buy Art
Finally, as my husband is an artist, it’s only natural that I enjoy looking at and owning artwork. So, some of my fictional lottery win will definitely be spent on art. To be fair, it’s an investment of sorts, because the work of notable artists will only every appreciate in value. But, if you love it, it doesn’t matter how much it costs or whether it’s worth anything because you’re buying it to enjoy yourself, rather than to make money.
Sure, this blog post is just a bit of fun, but I think it’s really uplifting and motivating to consider how your life would be different if you didn’t have the restrictions imposed by money (and needing to work for it). Because I’m sure that you can actually make changes to your life right now to free up the hours of your day and live that millionaire lifestyle – in terms of time rather than cashflow. Let me know what you would do with an imaginary lottery win in the comments below and please share how you can achieve this in your own life.
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