What would you do if you had a Million Dollars?

[LutherMac]

This has probably been done before... but personally I've been pondering the ancient "Office Space" question myself quite a bit recently... though my answer usually veers away from the "two chicks at the same time" answer.

So, if you had a million dollars, and could do anything you want with your life, what would you do?

Personally, its a tossup. I've been a software developer for the last 5 years, and personally, I'm tired of it. If I had a Million dollars, I'd probably either:

a) Start working on Automotive Restoration - Currently a fun and interesting hobby that I wish I could dedicate more time and money to...

b) Some form of creative thinking... be it painting, writing, drawing, sculpting... just be a full time artist.

So, what would you do?

[Minx]

Can I buy a small tropical island for that? If so, I'll kidnap a certain someone and go live out the rest of my life having sex on the beach.
No? Damn.
For real...the first thing I'd do is give my parents a whole bunch of coin because they have done so much for me, it would be nice to make their lives worry-free...then I'd buy (or design and build) a kick ass home (acreage probably), invest some, take care of my kid's education and travel travel travel travel travel!

[Plummie]

I'd spend a few thousand on cool stuff, then I would invest the rest.

I know, I'm boring.

[boatguy234]

00

[Peetster]

I'd set up a trust fund for TFP and name Hal as the executor.

[Sun Tzu]

There was a thread in the same theme; only there was no limitation in the amount of the "money" we had to spend. This makes a big difference. I would second the plans that Plummie stated. THat is allot of money; but IMO its better spent to put myself in a situation that I can multiply it. Starting capital is what stops allot of people from moving forward in the business setting.

[The_Dude]

invest most of it, get a good car, a better house, gamble a lil bit.

[fhqwhgads]

"Two women at once!"

"Hey Peter, turn on channel 9!"

[FuddMan]

"I'll tell ya what I'd do...two chicks at the same time..."



damn...you already got to it..

[viveleroi0]

I would buy a house, set aside lots of $$ for childs education, design my own computer room with everything I ever wanted.

[Halx]

I'd build a server farm for which "Bitchin'" would be an understatment, and host the TFP on it.

Then I'd buy a BMW 760
Move into a modest appartment with room enough for a pool table
Then chill.

[phredgreen]

throw the mil into an interest bearing account and live modestly off of it for the rest of my life.

oyeah.. and pay off my car, my sweetehart's car, my mom's house, all of our debts, and probably invest in some property in a secluded yet accessible place.

[BBtB]

Originally posted by phredgreen
throw the mil into an interest bearing account and live modestly off of it for the rest of my life.

oyeah.. and pay off my car, my sweetehart's car, my mom's house, all of our debts, and probably invest in some property in a secluded yet accessible place.

By intrest bearing account I hope you mean mutal funds and NOT a money market account. You would never make enough money of the intrest to cover inflation that way. I would take about 50,000 put it as a down payment towards a home. Take another 30K towards my college education and spend about 15K on a car. The rest would be invested not to be touched for atleast 10 years. Then I would go from there.

Edit: I feel the need to elaborate on that last statement. To educate the uneducate masses if you will. Along with history and philosphy another thing that I really like is finances. Don't ask me why but I spend hours a day (not every day but probably atleast twice a week) mapping out what exactly I would do with money (if I had any) to make more. I could easily be a finanical planner or just someone who gets a small large sum of money and invests all the time to make money... If I didn't think those people were just scum who exploit money market to make a profit for themselves and never offer anything real to society. But at any rate. Just to let you all know why a money market (or local bank savings account) is a bad idea in the long run. Lets say you took 100,000 dollars and put in a bank account making 2% intrest (thats about right...) and left it alone for one year. In one yours time you would have 102,000 dollars. Now when you first look at it it LOOKS like you have made 2000 dollars. However, When you factor in inflation rates of between 4 and 8 percent (thats about right for any given year) for this example lets say there was 5 percent inflation rate in the same year that you had your 100,000 dollars in the savings account. That means this year to buy exactly the same things you could last year for 100,000 dollars you NOW need 105,000 dollars. So you have in effect actully LOST 3000 dollars just by not spending it! I am not saying that saving accounts are all bad. They are a great temporary (less then a year) place to put your money. Had you left that 100,000 dollars in cash you would have lost the full 5000 dollars in value. I am just saying for long term (over 5 years) money you HAVE to put it in mutal funds (or directly into stocks and bonds if you want but thats alot more work) Sorry about the mostly off topic rant.

[mystmarimatt]

I'd pay off my family's house, pay for my brother's and my education. then i'd go skydiving a bunch. and then i'd put it all away and live the rest of my life in a somewhat cushioned existance

[sierra2774]

I would set up college funds for my two children...Pay off my house, sell it...Fly cdwonderful to Ohio immediately!!! Build the house of my dreams on 100 secluded acres with an attached smaller house for my Dad to live in and live there happily ever after.... Oh yeah, Buy my Daughter a Horse...she wants one so bad.

I think I will go play the Lottery tonight!

[gibber71]

I'd give all the money away.

[rogue49]

1) house (3 bd, yard, garage, den, basement, new, near DC...about 500,000)
2) bills
3) lasik
4) teeth
5) car (2 new, corvette & jag)
6) travel (just a bit)
7) toys (just a few, no more)
8) laptop
9) new job

in that order, and the rest in investments...a million dollars doesn't really go as far as it used to.
If any friend or family were seriously in trouble, I'd help.

But I'm going to take my time on furniture for the new house,
I'm picky.

[oblar]

"Nothing....Absolutely nothing.. I would just sit on my ass all day and do nothing."

*sniff* words to live by!

[SaltPork]

People, people, people....a lot of you have some pretty grandiose plans for the paltry million dollars. You must remember that a million bucks is not what it used to be. First, figure 40% goes to taxes...nothing is tax free. Now you're down to $ 600,000, not a small sum of money to be sure, however you must consider that you could buy a nicely appointed house for that money and that would be the end of it.

The smartest thing to do is to invest the $600K. Take all dividends and invest those back in for ten years, then after ten years quit working and enjoy the rest of your life.

Now, if the question were, what would you do if you had $100 million dollars? then my answer would have MUCH different.

[Frowning Budah]

wrkime, you are very realistic but not much fun I am afraid I would be prety boring as well. Pay off some bills give some away and buy a few new toys.

[opentocomments]

Who saw that Story in Entertainment or some magazine like it about the top 100 cult movies. And they had a huge artical about office space. It is a cult movie because who on the forum hasnt seen it and i knew before i looked at this that atleast 1 person was going to say some quote frome it. and thus far i have seen 3.

Besides 2 chicks at the same time...
i would buy
1) a very nice laptop you know the $3k range
2) get involved in a some start up companies
3) Get a more than modest home
4) last but not least i would go on a trip to major cities around the world Paris, london, New York, LA, Istanbul, Tokyo, Bejing ect.

[SaltPork]

Originally posted by Frowning Budah
wrkime, you are very realistic but not much fun I am afraid I would be prety boring as well. Pay off some bills give some away and buy a few new toys.

Sorry to spoil all the fun, but it seemed to me that there was more than a million dollars being spent by some and I would hate to see so many people getting in over their heads.

[MacGnG]

pay all the bills and stuff, buy new computers and stuff we need, invest the rest

[TheDave87]

id buy the station with the breast exam video....
or id buy a big ass server and an assload of bandwidth

[KeyserSoze]

I'd pay people to not ask that FUKIN question

[eyeronic]

I'd save it for later.

(Seriously, a million gets you very little in NYC.)

[Vaultboy]

I take it you haven't watched that show:

"How to Blow a Million" before?...

[Phaenx]

Start a business. Listen to my daddo's advice.

[juanvaldes]

Pay off my student loans, buy a car buy my father a laptop and invest the rest.

[juanvaldes]

Originally posted by wrkime
People, people, people....a lot of you have some pretty grandiose plans for the paltry million dollars. You must remember that a million bucks is not what it used to be. First, figure 40% goes to taxes...nothing is tax free. Now you're down to $ 600,000, not a small sum of money to be sure, however you must consider that you could buy a nicely appointed house for that money and that would be the end of it.

why don't we change the premise to be "After taxes and all that shit you are left with 1 million US $$$. What would you do?"

[snowy]

I'd invest it. It's a great way to start off...and that million dollars could easily begin to grow into something more than a million.

I'm greedy.

[PredeconInferno]

I would buy a dog.

Then I would live in New Jersey with Lorel.

[Pyrate]

I'd probably have a pirate ship (fully functional, seaworthy, etc) built for my personal use, and maybe employ a crew for a while...

I'd also go on a year-long (or maybe six months) stint in Japan.

Then I'd buy a car I could live in, and live a bum's life, going to the gyms to shower and Macdonald's to piss. I like the bum's life. As long as I've got a bit of cash.

Then I'd give about 200,000 to my old dears, and the family. Probably buy them a car or two as well.

[MSD]

If it was 1mil after taxes, 200k would go toward paying off loans, mortgages, college, etc. another 100k would go to fixing up and building on a bit to the house. With a repaved driveway and a 3-car garage, I'd get myself a hybrid car for daily driving, and <a href="http://motorex.net/r33_silverpg.html>this car</a> for weekends. Some parts would go on the weekend car, costing about 15k.

That would leave me with about 600k. I'd give some rather generous birthday presents to friends and family, leaving me with 500k to invest.

[Zotz]

I would buy a big f---ing boat and sail around the Carribean for a year or two. Then sell the boat, invest the money, and write about my adventures.

[Prophecy]

I'd be a land hawk. I'd by all the land the bank was going to foreclose on. I'd build apartment complexes and buy land that hadn’t been developed yet so I could sell it later at hopefully a profitable price of twice what I paid for it. Also, I'd invest whatever I could.

[gibber71]

Originally posted by Plummie
I'd spend a few thousand on cool stuff, then I would invest the rest.

I know, I'm boring.

Boring,..I've seen your webcam. How can someone so hot be boring.

[Darkblack]

I would first pay off all my bills and make sure I have invested enough to be able to get a decent amount each year, maybe purchase a bit of real estate to rent as income.

I would then try and open a free day care for working, low-income families. Each parent would have to take a child care class first. Each parent would have to set aside 1 day a week (two weeks depending on how many parents we have) to work for free in the center. Using the parents as the sitters is how we would keep it free. Donations from outside organizations would pay for supplies and stuff.

Day care is too expensive. Low-income families are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Don't work and stay home with the kids. Live off of welfare and never gain financial stability or work and never make enough to pay for day care and everything else.

[THE MAC GOD]

Yeah... a Million bucks isn't that much nowadays...

First, pay of all debts...
Second, buy a couple securables, such as a nice house.
Third, buy a Langfelter Corvette (0-60 in 1.9s) and appropriate g-suit. I would've bought my first love , the Lamborghini, but at 280k, I don't think that would be a wise investment with only a mil.
Fourth, live off the rest's interest.

[madsenj37]

Buy a car, put a down payment on a house and invest the rest. I could then do any job that i would like, such as installing stereos or being an auto mechanic.