I think most of us play, or have played at one point in our lives, the ‘If I won the lottery, what would I do?’ I know that I would buy a house, help friends and family, travel and invest. But would I stop working?
I love what I do and for a long time I did the work I’m doing, for free, simply because I love it. I’m lucky that doing what I love has lead to a career that is just as fulfilling. But would I still want to go to an office every day? Or fish for clients if I were working as a consultant? Probably not. I’m sure that I would keep active and would probably continue what I’m doing for a large part, but on a smaller scale.
If money were no object, what kind of work would you do?
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{ 17 comments }
Oh I’d spend the whole day baking I guess, or I’d learn sewing for real and be an expert at it…
I think about this on long car drives (and use the lottery billboards for my inspiration.) I know what my “big” plans would be: give some, save some for my kids, save some for myself, spend some. The question becomes what to do with the rest? I wrote about this a few years ago, and I think that my dreams were to have a house on the water, to have a housekeeper who did laundry, and to regularly vacation with my extended family.
I don’t think that either my husband or I would stop working – we both love what we do!
I think it is a great question, as it helps to clarify your values and also gives you ideas for how to spend smaller amounts of “bonus” money.
.-= Kate´s last blog ..June Offers Moving Tips =-.
My first instinct was to say that I wouldn’t do any kind of work, b/c I think work is inherently unnatural. Not that effort expended to get food, clothing, and shelter is unnatural, but that what most of do for paid work is unnatural.
Then I realized that there is something that I have done willingly for free, something that other people manage to get paid for. And that is teaching others how to knit, crochet, and spin. Actually, it kind of offends me that others are making money from something that is so natural and ingrained into our DNA…the act of passing on knowledge. That’s how tribes survived. They passed on what they knew to younger tribespeople. And for someone to say, “Give me 5 dollars, and I’ll show you how to bind off your stitches,” is repulsive. On the other hand, we do live in a money economy, and people need money to survive.
So, back to the original question. If I won the lottery and didn’t need to work for money, what work would I do? I’d probably teach people how to knit, crochet, and spin. And before anyone gets all new-age woo-woo on me and says I can do what I love and make money, the fiber arts are notorious for not being a good source of income. Most of the people who do it for a career are married and have a second income coming into the household. As a single person, I wouldn’t be able to support myself.
I would probably travel and go on archeology digs. I love history and I love uncovering history. However, if I only won 1 million, I would probably still work. That’s a whole lot, but after you buy yourself a home, help friends and family out etc, that money would be dwindled down. And the larger the family, the less you’d have in the end. I might take a couple of years off from work, or probably finish up my doctorate before going back to work. That way I could be a little more picky about where I was working.
.-= Tracy @ Sew what…´s last blog ..Food Waste Friday =-.
I would build a big building. Really big. Not that it would be so high, maybe 30 stories or so. But it would have an indoor golf course, airport on part of the roof and be a few miles square.
This is easy to answer! I would love to help people get fit! Or I would love to become a professional organizer.
.-= anne´s last blog ..Movie to see: Babies =-.
First, I would travel all over the world: Europe, Japan, Central America, and Antarctica. Once I got that out of my system I would buy some property on the pacific coast and cultivate an edible jungle, and finally learn how to make stained glass. I would also learn how to keep animals and create a self sustaining outfit which would become my daily work.
As a matter of work I’d love to write. In a perfect world I’d have time for exercise, quiet introspection, playing and learning with the kids and lots of creative expression. That’s the lofty ideal.
If I won the lottery though, and had gobs of extra money, there’s so much more than that. First I’d pay off my bills, do the repairs this house is whining about needing, visit friends in France, et cetera. Then I’d look into a foolish fantasy I’ve had for a long time about starting a wildlife rescue facility in our local mountain wilderness combined with a summer camp so that campers could do volunteer work in the rescue and get by giving and all that. I have complicated daydreams. Now I just need to buy a lottery ticket.
.-= Crystal´s last blog ..Note to Self =-.
I would save the money but wouldn’t change much of my current lifestyle.
.-= Jersey Mom´s last blog ..Sweet Basil’s Cafe =-.
Keep working because I like my work–but seriously cut down on the number of hours spent. Four days a week instead of six would be nice, with more vacations.
Buy a bigger house–though not huge, in a better area of town. Travel more. See a great deal more of Europe–visit the American and Canadian national parks I haven’t seen. Spend more time reading and writing. See more plays and musical events.
Make sure the children in my family had enough money to get through college and graduate school. Give to the my alma mater in areas that interest me (and to which I already give on a much smaller scale!)
Do some volunteer work–especially in the area of animal protection. Give to some political causes, though they’d have to be ones close to my heart.
Other than ensuring our financial future was secure – buying a home, paying off debt, putting money aside for tuitions, and establishing some sort of investement portfolio to provide a nice monthly stipend to live off of – I would invest in my blog! Silly, I know but I’m a SAHM and I love to blog but haven’t put any monetary investment in hosting or buying a domains. I’d take some programming classes and learn more about html, graphics design, etc. Who knows, it might turn into a job!
.-= Jenn´s last blog ..Playtex Bra Makeover to Our Rescue =-.
Well, I’d make sure we owned a home free and clear and I would probably put as much money in savings as possible. After that, if we could both avoid working (for pay) ever again, I don’t see any reason not to.
Although in my profession, teaching, you can do some good in your job, I think you can actually be more helpful and more useful with the same skills as a volunteer in some other capacity. Just my two cents.
.-= Simple in France´s last blog ..Where would you pinch pennies if you had to? =-.
As I hate my teaching job I would stop working, rent a small flat in Paris and go back to University, travel and volonteer.
I would spend my days volunteering at Hospice and the ASPCA
I would keep writing on my own site but quit my day job (also writing), volunteer more, travel more and — after ensuring my family’s security — I would give most of the money away.
Seriously: Wouldn’t it be great to write a check for $25,000 to one of your pet causes, instead of $25???
I would invest in real estate and quit my job. I don't love it nearly enough to keep working at it. Some of the money I would give to my church and school.
Maybe I'd go back to school and become a librarian or maybe I could work in a bookstore or become a masseuse. Something that helps people have a better life anyway.
.-= GC´s last blog ..thoughts from a wedding and a funeral =-.
I think I would settle up the debts of my immediate family, travel, save money, buy a cute little house that was foreclosed on and so is a deal, learn to drive, rescue a dog, stock up on staples, spend a month by an ocean, plant a garden, write!, surprise my partner with something, and give to people in need!