Thursday, April 8, 2010

Question of the Week....

Thursday, April 8, 2010....



I've decided to make Thursdays my "Question of the Week" day because I always have questions and am always interested in people's answers.


This Week's Question: If you won lottery, how many people would you tell?

YogaGirl and I have a tradition we started a few years back. When MegaMillions is over 75 million she buys us tickets and I do the same with PowerBall.

Of course, I call her the night of the drawing and tell her to start packing up her desk because she'll be giving notice to her employer, BUT, do you really want people to know you won it big?

I wonder how many people would come out of the woodwork with their hand out (visualizing the priest in the movie the Jerk asking for a donation to help fight cat juggling) and also wonder if people would treat you differently?

YogaGirl and I know how we'd accept the prize money anonymously, but it's the people who heard about it indirectly.

Just for the record, we played Powerball last night and won NOTHING -- not even $3.

26 comments:

Melanie's Randomness said...

I know my ex would love to talk to me again if I had money...he's about 30 grand in debt. lol.

I would tell my family & immediate friends but that's it.

DB said...

Hey, we won big this week - $2 in MM. I totally forgot about that scene in The Jerk but that is such a great movie.

I would tell most immediate family, a few close friends, and my employer. That's about it. And only after we had engaged the tax accountant, attorney, and financial planner.

Let's go lotto!

Luna said...

i wouldnt really tell anyone except for a few close people. i might tell my boyfriend if we are together at the time. i would tell my parents and maybe my best friend. and even then i wouldnt say how much i own. if i won a million dollars i would say i won like 100k or something like that. i dont trust anyone to keep their mouth completely shut. it would somehow get out. and no matter how anyone is, family/friends or not, everyone at some point will have their hands out. i dont mind helping friends and family but anyone can get greedy w/o realized it when it comes to money.

BeckEye said...

I'd just tell my family and my closest friends.

FunnyGal KAT said...

The Pretend Husband and I discuss this frequently. We would definitely accept the money anonymously and tell only our closest family members. We also say we would keep pretty much the same lifestyle, but who knows?

Also, our plan has the one fatal flaw that neither one of us ever buys a ticket.

Mandy_Fish said...

I'd only tell my sister and my husband. Well, I'd have to tell him because half of it would be his. Ha!

I wouldn't tell anyone else. I'd just surprise my family members with new cars and maybe my mother with a new house. I'd just tell her the husband won some really huge case.

All those tales of LOTTO woes seem to indicate that you shouldn't tell anyone.

Green-Eyed Momster said...

I'd blog about it! I'd tell all of my bloggy friends, throw a party for all of us!
I'd tell my sister and fly her out. I'd love to see her and meet my nephews. I'd visit my favorite in Aunt in Minnesota.
I'd tell my neighbors and throw a party for all of us but as for the rest of our extended family, they'd probably never find out. ;)
Hugs!!

Brian Miller said...

lets see how many people read my blog...lol.

Unknown said...

A couple I know who won did the smart thing - arranged with their lawyer to put it all into controlled trust fund, then and only then let it be known who had won. It stopped all the grabby-loos in their tracks to find that the money was already encumbered in the trust.

Me? I'd probably develop a really hard nose telling people no.

Maria said...

LMB, I would keep it to immediately family, a few close friends and my employer. But just like YG, I would speak to my lawyer, tax accountant and financial planner. Next oldest sister makes me nervous, I can see her causing a problem with wanting her 'fair share.' Sometimes winnign the lottery can be a curse!

P said...

I would probably only tell the people I was sharing it with. So family and close friends.

The Sorority said...

Considering my current situation, I would love to tell my soon to be ex husband that I just won money that he has no access to...however I would probably have to call my lawyer before I did that...so, I would have to say my closest friends and my family. Then I would call the lawyer and the accountant! And then I would call Chanel and tell them to keep the store open late because Mama needs a new, expensive purse!

rachaelgking said...

A new Thursday meme! When one dies, another rises from the ashes... :-)

Adrienne said...

only my hubby =)

Richard said...

I would tell nine people.

I'm not sure who those nine people would be, however. :D

Anonymous said...

Ohhh, I love this, I play lotto evry week and buy scratchies.

On one hand I'd love to tell the world, but bad people do bad things, and leeches come out of the wordwork in the guise of relatives, co-workers and so-called friends so that may not be such a good idea.

On the other hand, I'd probably tell next to no one and go on a big massive shopping spree by myself.

Frogs in my formula said...

I would tell everyone, right after I hid 90% of it in a Swiss bank.

Andrea said...

I never thought about who I'd tell, just what I'd do with the money!!! I think I'd try to keep it quiet, but I have no faith in anyone else's ability to keep it a secret. I would never do what those people on the TV show about lottery winners do--never. People would end up knowing, though, because I'd leave my job and spend half the year abroad!

Unknown said...

I would tell close family & friends, then my bank and then my chocolate supplier... he should expect a monumental increase in my chocolate orders!

www.charliestribe.com

kk said...

Apparently you and I are splitting the Powerball jackpot.

I would tell my employer immediately, followed by "see ya!"

Oh, and then my parents.

(If you win big enough, the media is going to tell everyone for you.)

Jeanie said...

I won $36 on Wednesday...I don't think I told anyone and I still have all of it in my wallet. I'd be surprised if there are many bloggers who could keep from blogging about a big wil. ha ha

Mike said...

I would tell only the people who I was going to help with it. I would not want everyone coming out of the woodwork.

Salt said...

I won money on a scratch off once. It was $50 and the way I reacted to it, you would think that I had won $1million. I think if I actually won the big jackpot, my head would just explode.

5 Kids With Disabilities said...

What a great question. I would TRY not to tell anyone. I would take the money and put it into a bank account. I would tell my husband I got a big raise at work so we could start fixing the house up. I would NOT tell my kiddos because then they would want THINGS. (New car? IPad?) Then I would use the money to happily live the rest of my life without having to worry about money!
Lindsey Petersen

Claudya Martinez said...

I love that I've actually thought about this imaginary windfall situation. I think I would want to keep it on the down low or I'd really have to develop my ability to say no.

Sunshine Mama said...

I think it would be a better idea to have a game plan for how to make a million than for who to tell when we "win" a million.

But...say I was bored and decided to daydream about the chances of me winning the jackpot which is less likely to happen than you would believe...

I would tell my husband and then we'd think about it and make a decision based on the current circumstances.