Don't Ask and I Certainly Won't Tell

K had to go to the grocery store before work today and he came home--as he does, at times--with a couple of lottery tickets.  As he was leaving for work, he told me to scratch the tickets, but "If you win, don't tell anyone. At least until we have the money in our hands."  I DID have to chuckle--as IF we would ever win enough to HAVE to keep it a secret, but, we can dream.  ;)

K and I aren't what you would call 'gamblers.'  He will get in the football pool at work and buys lottery tickets on a semi-regular basis.  We have been to Las Vegas once and a couple of times a year we will go to an Indian casino and 'donate' some money to the Native Americans.  ;)  As we don't go out to bars, etc, and spend money that way, the money we spend at the casino is for a form of entertainment--and cheaper than some other forms, actually.  If you can curb your spending, sitting in a casino isn't really all that expensive.  And who knows, you just MAY win some money.

Every so often, we will go off on a flight of fantasy and discuss what we would do if we won a lot of money.  First thing, I would NOT want a lot of people to know about my winning big--I just don't need that kind of attention.  K has a definite number in mind that he would need in order to quit work and if he won that amount, he would only go back long enough to sign his retirement papers.  Neither one of us has a lot of material things we would want to buy.  A new (modest) house and a couple of new vehicles and we would be pretty set.  Really, $1 million would be more than enough for us to elevate our life style!  (And $1 million doesn't buy nearly as much today as it once did.  ;))

Of course, if we ever won A LOT of money, then we would have some decisions to make.  We would need to decide who would benefit from our winnings, besides us.  We would want to 'do' for our kids and their families, naturally.  And several charities would benefit, as well.  But after that, just who do you 'help?'  I have always been family-oriented, but being estranged from my parents and brother would keep me from wanting to 'spread the wealth.'  We probably would help out my parents and K would want to do something for his oldest sister, at least, but beyond that, we would have to think long and hard about who else.

One question that has come up when talking the 'winning' scenario with friends is "HOW would you help your kids?"  I would be too afraid to give enough money for my kids to never have to worry or work again, but I definitely would want to ease their burdens.  I would like to set up a trust fund--or whatever it would be called--that would pay their bills and allow them to live a comfortable life, but not give them enough to become lazy and entitled.  I would want them to HAVE to continue working, if for nothing more than all of the 'extras' they would want to have.

So, have you ever done the 'what if' game?  How would you spend your money?