I WON THE LOTTERY….?!

I like money. Like, I REALLY like money. I like getting money, I like spending money, and I especially like finding out how I can get more money. Aside from the obvious channel of making money via work, another way you can make a lot of money fast is through winning the lottery. Because I like money, I don’t really enjoy gambling with it. I don’t like that there could be a chance that I could lose whatever money I have and that just doesn’t sound appealing to me in the slightest. So if I were to win the lottery (let’s assume I randomly decide to play and even more randomly, actually win) there would be two things that are almost immediate. First off, I would quite literally freak out. When you play the lottery, you’re not wagering the possibility of winning a couple dollars, its more like millions. I’m 99.9% sure that anyone would freak out because I’ve never seen someone calmly win money. After the freaking out stage and probably a new prescription of Xanax due to now added anxiety, the worst thing would happen – TAXES WOULD COME OUT. There’s a good chance that all my energy for my emotions would be balled into straight tears. Can you imagine having a ton of money and then having a massive chunk of it disappear? That’s not something very fun to experience. It hurts me when it comes out of my measly paycheck now, so I can only imagine what it would be like to watch it leave my extra large winnings.

Okay, but let’s say hypothetically that I’m still left with a ton of money. What would I want to do with it then? I have compiled a list (in no specific order) of how I would handle/distribute my winnings.

• I’d pay off any debt I had. Debt sucks. Being a person in your 20s who is getting a college education, you know a thing or two about accumulating a massive amount of debt. I would like to pay off any educational debt as well as debt related to luxuries like my SUV. We can’t forget about pesky credit card debt either – SAYONARA!

 

• I’d by a house. I think it would be great to invest in a house. I would probably purchase a house somewhere coastal because I’ve always wanted to live near the ocean. I’d have to have a huge house built so that way I can customize everything as well.

 

• I’d travel somewhere. I’ve always wanted to go somewhere like Greece, Italy, or New Zealand so I’d probably book a trip there for a couple weeks. If you have a large amount of money lying around why would you not use it to have those experiences?

 

• I’d give money to a charity or a cause I support. I’m a very opinionated person so I always have a point of view I’m trying to get out there. I love supporting people who are fighting for a cause. I think its our right and duty as humans to make a difference and I’d love to in any way I can. If I had the money, I would give it for sure.

 

• I’d invest it or start a business. I believe that if you put your money into something, it might as well be making money for you in some way. Honestly, what’s better than making more money from your money you already have – nothing. I could invest it and have someone else take care of it, or I could start a business. Because I like to be a part of something, I think I’d have to start my own business so I can be hands on in how it is distributed and be able to watch it come back to me.

Although this is all completely hypothetical, it’s still a lot of fun to think about. What would you do if you won the lottery?

The Importance of Traveling

If you could go anywhere, where would you choose to go? Money, responsibility of planning aside, where would be your ideal destination? What makes you want to go there? Is it the mountains? The sandy beaches? The culture or the food? What makes your number one destination so appealing?

Speaking from experience, traveling is so very important. If given the slightest chance, I would tell anyone to make a way to travel. Traveling does not have to be out of the country, but rather you can travel to another state or city even. There are oh so many things to benefit from when you travel that you wouldn’t have the chance to if you do stay at home or within your comfort zone. For obvious reasons, you should travel because it is nice to get a break and to get away from the monotony, or busyness rather, of your everyday life. It’s nice to see and experience a place you haven’t had the chance to yet. One of the most important reasons to travel is because it definitely increases your knowledge. Just by visiting a place you haven’t already been to before vastly expands your knowledge. Furthermore, it teaches you responsibility. Your responsibility may come from planning the getaway from the get go. You have to make sure you have all of the details in place before heading off to your destination because it is not wise to go with the flow in an unfamiliar place. You also learn very quickly, by basically being thrown in, how to navigate around a new place. That speaks volumes about your adaptability. I think one of the biggest piece of information you get from traveling is the differences in the cultures. Whether you are traveling hundreds or thousands of miles, you are bound to come across someone who does something different than you. Not only does traveling make you more sensitive about other people’s social or cultural cues, it also makes you appreciate their culture as well as your own.

As stated above, given the chance I would encourage everyone to travel in some way. It will make a world of difference in how you see both yourself and others. Once you travel and have those experiences, you have a new piece of knowledge that can never be taken from you. So get out there and make a way for yourself. Find a way to make your dream of traveling into reality and watch yourself grow.