Depending on how much the amount was for, I would have to decide from there.

If it was a large amount, in the tens of millions, I would definitley take the annuities, as you would eventually get a lot more out of it. I would first buy a home, and fill it with furniture. I would put at least $200,000 away for my wedding, whenever that comes.

I would take a private vacation- just me and Ryan- around Europe. I would take a huge family/friend vacation on a cruise around the Caribbean.

I would put a large part of it away for retirement, because I do want to keep working, but stop when I am 40.

I would then buy all the essentials- nice car, some clothes, some land with farm animals.

I would also put some away for future children's college fund.

I wouldn't get a lump sum.
I would invest in real estate (spend money to make money).
I would buy two motorcycles, a starter bike, an Aprilia Mille, and necessary protective gear.
I would go to medical school without having to worry about debt.
I would then travel around the world and volunteer for non-profit organizations like the Peace Corps. and on the side work on my photography.
The money I don't spend would go into savings (for retirement or whathaveyou).

And I would feel no obligation to pay a fee to any of my family members/friends/acquaintances, even if they are in times of trouble. It is at my discretion to give money to whomever I want, if I want.

Lump sum baby, you'll end up making way more money!! And as we all know a million bucks will get me two chicks (see Office Space)...I'd have to invest 1/4, spend 1/4 on toys and take the rest to Vegas.

In Canada the prize is lump sum, no tax.

Start my own kind of 4H Club... Holland, Heinekin, Hookers and Hash.
Oh, I would also have to send a photocopy of the cheque to the ex-wife.

Vegas would have a field day with you, Ralvek. At least you'd be helping the economy, I suppose.

Lump sum baby!!!

Buy a place in Cabo and drink the rest of my life away whilst young ladies in bikinis dance around me....

Charity, sure, I'll have to grease the palms of the local constabulatory

Oh yeah

I guess that means it's time to move to Canada and start playing THAT lottery :D

I'd probably take the lump sum...just because. Let's see...what would I buy...a Jeep Wrangler, a house, a modest boat, a new computer, some other little things. The rest would probably go into either a CD or some other type of savings account and a few different charities.

lump sum, pay off debt, get a house, pay off family's debt, get them a new house, and the fucking travel for the rest of my natural days. and get stinking drunk for a week.

If it was a small amount I would try to pay of my mortgage.

Big amount I would travel, open up a bar or a recording studio.

I'd let an accountant figure out which way i'd get more money, and come collect my prize with a lawyer present. if I got a lump sum I would set up a savings account and put in 3/4 of my cash to gain interest. The rest I would use to pay off various debts. I would set aside 100k for the rest of the year, and whatever was left from the 1/4 I'd go spend gloriously and frivolously. I'd probably give quite a bit of that to my best friend, as he is quite materialistic and I can imagine he would be very happy with that.

I’d blow 1 million and then save the rest, make some wise investments and live off of interest, as for the million, id probably travel with a friend to Europe for a year or so. Have some fun.

Paid over time, and being me, I would probably blow the first check.

What kind of chicks do you expect you can get for a million dollars?

I'd get the lump sum. Then I'd start up my own pr0n website and go around campus asking chicks if they wanna do shoots for my site. Of course I'd have to buy a totally awesomely powerful server to run the totally awesome site off of. And umm... it would be the most totally awesome pr0n site ever! Because none of the models would get nekkid until the very last picture of the shoot! Heh. See, I'd be making a killing just off the website. Of course, I'd have to buy myself a nice house. Actually, I think I'd just buy a big plot of land and build a normal house (three to four bedrooms) in the center of it, and have half of it paved so I can drive my F1 around like a maniac in my own property. Also handy for when the kids (someday, if I ever have any) want to learn to drive, they can just drive around on the private property (but not in my McLaren of course, they can have the Skyline GT-R 35 for that) ;) The other half of the land would be one big playground/backyard/garden for the whole family.

Lump sum!!

Things I would do (in no particular order)

--Big donation to the TFP

--Two chicks at the same time (the Olsen Twins preferably)

--One big celebration party/drunken orgy (All of you are invited, clothing optional)

--Bitch slap my boss. (I'd probably do that one first)

--Buy a new house in Paris, London, Canada, Hawaii and Jamaica

--Buy a Harrier Jump-jet to get me back and forth from all the houses.

--Go back and bitch slap my boss again

--Buy the Detroit Red Wings

in Washington your unpaid moneys go to your estate in the event of your death. nice huh?
http://www.walottery.net/cashop.asp
as for me,

take the lump sum anyways, i'd rather have ten million now, than 500k or the rest of my life.

10 million- put 8 in savings, investments, mutual funds, cds.

2 million left. help out all my family financially.

probably leaving one million after that, spend a year on vacation.
Europe, Hawaii, Fiji, all the tropical islands, to find ourselves.

come back build a house, hopefully if i have done well, live well off the interest off my original 8 million. that's the root of it, of course i would do meaningful things with my life, to better everyone.

^^^^I'd hate to do this to him, but I would snake a good chuck of the $ and give it to a variety of charities.
Other than that, the rest i agree on!

I'm a big believer in the idea of "a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush". If you subscribe to the Mike Tyson School of Financial Discipline, you can kiss your cash goodbye, but if you are normal and have kids and don't have a coke habit the decision can be smart and personal and lucrative. I think the annuities are a risk onto themselves.

Id get an annuity (monthly payments) and a financial advisor. Then:

-pay the bills
-get a huge house with a huge underground garage in the caribbean, colorado, british columbia, naples, fla.
-hire a good cleaning company
-hire an in-home chef to cook my dinners
-buy many, many cars, motorcycles, a speedboat or 2
-many, many live-in ho's, I mean girlfriends!
-get lifetime executive suites at all my favorite sports teams buildings
-work as a delivery person
-put my kids in private school
-major de-stress time somewhere warm

I'd take the money up front and do my own investing. I can do a lot better than the annuity. I would set aside a certain amount to donate to viable charities and live a comfortable life. As for leeches that come for a handout, Buy your own damn lottery ticket.

Lump sum, that goes into our family trust.

give each of the six kids a 1/2 million.

Add to my investments..

Buy a new car...

A ranch would be nice...(over 17 acers is a ranch in Texas)
with a swimming pool...

a nice donation to my church...

...and a good travel agent...

we be gone.....