This is Day 1 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge held in Nov 2011. The challenge is now over but you can do the tasks in your own time. Visit the overview page for all the challenge tasks.
Hi everyone! Welcome to Day 1 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge aka 21DJC!First off, I’m blown away by your enthusiasm for the challenge. Many of you jumped on board upon the opening for sign ups three days ago. Some of you have experience journaling in the past, while the rest of you do not journal but are keen to give it a shot. We now have an amazing 428 official, registered participants and it’s increasing as we speak!For the 428 of you who have registered, I want you to give yourself a pat on your back. Because you have put your name up for the challenge, you have sent out the intention to the universe that you want to grow. And trust me — it’s going to happen in this 21-day journaling challenge. As long as you commit yourself to journaling the assigned questions every day, you WILL grow — in your consciousness, in self-awareness, and in your connection with your inner self.
Seriously — what would you do? Would you save them in a bank? Would you use them to buy stocks? Would you share them with other people? Would you invest the money in your business? Would you give them away to charity? Would you quit what you’re doing and start a whole new life?What would you do with your million dollars?(Today’s question can be found in #45 of 101 Important Questions To Ask Yourself In Life.)
Hi everyone! Welcome to Day 1 of the 21-Day Journaling Challenge aka 21DJC!First off, I’m blown away by your enthusiasm for the challenge. Many of you jumped on board upon the opening for sign ups three days ago. Some of you have experience journaling in the past, while the rest of you do not journal but are keen to give it a shot. We now have an amazing 428 official, registered participants and it’s increasing as we speak!For the 428 of you who have registered, I want you to give yourself a pat on your back. Because you have put your name up for the challenge, you have sent out the intention to the universe that you want to grow. And trust me — it’s going to happen in this 21-day journaling challenge. As long as you commit yourself to journaling the assigned questions every day, you WILL grow — in your consciousness, in self-awareness, and in your connection with your inner self.Read: 8 Tips To Excel in 21DJC
I’ve written a list of 8 Tips To Excel in 21DJC in the announcement post. Please make sure you read them and follow them to a tee to get the best out of the challenge.Please Use Proper English
Because this is a journaling challenge and there will likely be long passages of text, I require the cooperation of everyone to follow Tip #6 in particular — which is on using proper capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar in your answers.I noticed some registrants using chat speak when signing up (e.g. “i did all d thing wid ney email id”) and some registrants using full caps (e.g. “I LOVE THIS IDEA AND I WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CHALLENGE”). While it’s only a small handful of registrants, it’s enough to ruin the experience of the challenge for everyone.We’re doing this as a community, so let’s be considerate to everyone who will be reading our answers. Use capital letters if it’s the first letter of the sentence and small letters for the rest. Use proper English words that you’d find in a dictionary, not chat speak. Punctuate accordingly: use commas and semicolons where necessary and avoid run-on sentences. Do a quick scan to make sure your spelling is right before you post your answers. Let’s make this a positive experience for everyone taking part!(For participants who do not comply with #6, I’m afraid I’d have to remove your posts for the benefit of the community. I seek your understanding on this. Thank you!)With that said, let’s now move to our first question, shall we? ;)21DJC Day 1
Today’s question is a simple, age-old, yet powerful question:What Would You Do If You Have 1 Million Dollars?
Seriously — what would you do? Would you save them in a bank? Would you use them to buy stocks? Would you share them with other people? Would you invest the money in your business? Would you give them away to charity? Would you quit what you’re doing and start a whole new life?What would you do with your million dollars?(Today’s question can be found in #45 of 101 Important Questions To Ask Yourself In Life.)Your Task Today:
- Reflect and answer today’s question. Like I mentioned in Tip #4 of 8 Tips To Excel in 21DJC, there’s no word limit – whether minimum or maximum. Write as few or as many words as you want. It’s all up to what you want to express!
- Share your answer. After you are done writing, copy and paste your answer in the comments area and post it there.
- Check out other participants’ answers. Other participants will be sharing their answers too, so feel free to read and reply to their answers. This is a group course, so let’s support each other in these 21 days.
(Images: Empty book for journaling, Money notes)
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For the ease of writing, I’ll convert that to 1 million euros.
Phew…. A million euros! Whoa. After the initial shock passes, when I sit down and plan my new life, this is what I would do :
*just to say, I’m 19, university student and supported by my mom and dad- we’re middle/lower middle class*
– firstly,a new home. Nothing crazy luxurious, in fact, that’s something we’re already planning to do, but the money is tight. I would also buy a new car for my parents and a car for myself. That would probably be about 200.000e
– second, I would travel. I’d take my best friends with me. I’d also send my parents and grandparents traveling
– and the biggest chunk of money would go into savings, to bring some new money and also just to wait for me to finish college and that to be used to start my own business. That said, I’d also invest in further education, courses, seminars, learning foreign languages,…
I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t start buying nicer clothes, cosmetics, spending more on night outs, …spending more in general. And I would certainly be tempted to upscale my standard a lot. But I’d resist. I’d have to resist, because ultimately, being reckless about money is not who I ever want to be. So, yes I would let the money spoil me a little bit, but I’ll be cautious about staying firm on the ground.
The other thing that I think is expected to be mentioned, is charity. That’s another big question. The thing is this – I do think charity is important, and that everybody who can, should support people in need, but…I think you need to make yourself first, and than give back. A million is an enormous sum, so I’m not quite sure what I would do with it, regarding charity; but generally speaking, a 19 y/o, college student who haven’t even begun establishing her own future career is not somebody who can be big on charity.
To sum it up: a house, a car, traveling, living a bit more comfortable and saving money to be used once I can start my own business.
Your opinion was interesting to read. Donating to charity is a topic I’ve always conflicted with. I’d do if I could and I agree we all should but sometimes we donate but do not feel happy at all. It all depends on your life situation, your way of being and if you trust an organization or have somebody you truly wish to donate to. At my current life situation I’d have to give a lot to my mom who doesn’t work and has to maintain 4 kids with less than 1,300 a month. 850(more or less) is lost on paying debts. The rest is for paying transportation to my siblings universities and paying my school fees. Thank you for sharing by the way! :)
I am a big dreamer and have always been dreaming about such scenerios! Firstly I will deal with the liabilities first. That includes paying off the housing debt, my education loan, and providing for my sis’ overseas degree education. That will add up to about 150k.
Secondly, I will renovate my current home so that we can live in a pretty, nice and comfy environment. I will also purchase a flat with my boyf (downpayment + hdb loan!). After setting aside renovation and furnishings for the new home, this section would add up to about 150k. Yes flats in Singapore are very expensive
Thirdly, I will set aside 500k for investments. How can I kill this golden goose?! I must continue to grow my money. To be financially free, my passive income p.a. must be more than my expenses p.a. XD
Forthly, I will set aside 50k for liquidity and buy gifts + treat yummy food for my family and friends. I will also give a portion of this amount to my parents, sister :)
Last but not least, I will set aside 150k to travel the world in 3 years!! I am not thinking luxury hotels or tour groups, I am looking at backpack kind of travelling. I will visit all the wonders in the world, sunbath myself in beautiful beaches, dive in the magnificent oceans, swim in cool but safe lakes with waterfall in the background, fall asleep under the starry nightsky, read a book on a green pasture, think about my hometown in a field of sunflowers, play with cows sheeps and horses, enjoy the sunset and sunrise on mountains, explore exotic places, try all the crazy roller coasters and theme parks, eat and shop till I drop in big cities, mingle with people of various races from different countries, dance and sing with the villagers, teach English to the kids in developing countries, attend different kinds of festivals, and immerse myself in different types of cultures. Of cause it will be best if my love share the same dream as me and come with me. Thinking about these make me SOOO happy that I can cry happy tears :”)
P.s: You may think why no philanthropy? As I believe in teaching you how to fish instead of giving you fishes, I will start an organisation that gives back to the society (this goes beyond the 1mil, it will be an ongoing purpose). I like the idea of TOMS shoes, however I am clueless at the moment. Will explore options in the near future! Hehe!
I can completely relate to you! My dream life is to travel the world for some years and get to know various cultures, help others, do as I please and simply be…free. If I were to share my dream is to be free and traveling, dancing, meeting new people, being my own boss,etc. Thank you for sharing. I loved reading your post!
I would pay all personal debts and thereafter pay off debts of the people near and dear to me ! I would give more generously than I did before and help those who need essential stuff.I would send my mum and mum in law on a well deserved holiday to pay them a debt of gratitude for their love and support over the years. I would invest wisely so I never have to experience financial stress ever again !!
For sure I would refine my choices. I would be pickier about the work and tasks I take on, because I could afford to choose. I would delegate the mundane, to open up time for the enriching. I would have more time to actually live, have experiences, make my ‘self’ more available for the hearty. Furthering my education, organizational issues, diet, exercise, hobbies, time for relationships, create a quiet zone, travel – ponder my navel in the midst of some far away place… taking time to just breathe. I would secure my living environment, fix what needs to be fixed, kill my debt, own my home, be more financially independent! (or hire someone to teach me so I can be. That whole teach a man to fish thing…) I would work diligently to get the weight on my shoulders off, so I could be more positively present. I would WRITE! (or should I say ‘right?’)
Reading through all your comments, it’s so nice to think, that we would give a lot of money away. Also, we have realised that a million dollars is not as much as it used to be (how times have changed). But a million pounds to help fulfil a chapter of our lives could be a major catalyst.
Cele, you really have inspired me to do more with my journal writing (look deeper and think more etc) and reading through the comments, I am very happy that so many people follow this blog as i guess we really don’t realise who reads what these days with so much information online, etc but this site, is beneficial as It’s a real motivator to realising our own potential.
The things I would do with a million dollars is:
Sit down and be thankful (that would seriously take me over 8 years to gain that much money in one lump sum, so I would let it sink in that I’ve saved so many years of my life).
As I have no children and I am healthy. I would organise money into a spread sheet to make sure I knew how much could go where. Would go in order of:
1. Money on own home in a nice area
2. Money to charity, Water for Kids, Breast Cancer, Environmental Awareness and research etc
3. I would put money into starting a project, or into a masters that is specific to solar energy ( education is expensive)
4. I would give the rest to my most dearest.
5. Whatever else, I would pay off student loan, and then invest into more property.
This blog has given a sense of internal prosperity, as no matter what I say, I truly believe that I would give all that money away to be healthy etc.
Fortunately, I feel i am very healthy (eat well, exercise) and so this is what this blog has taught me, getting the fundamental things is very good, but to be healthy (to see, hear, love, be able to run, walk) is a major factor of happiness.
Chat soon everyone! vickie
A Million Dollars…I read day 1’s question several times through out the day, letting it process before I answered. 1 Million Dollars = 7.6 Million South African Rands, it’s a fortune! Almost mind boggling as to how I would spend it, but here are some of the ways…
1. College Tuition for my cousin Louis. I’ve never known another child like him. He has a heart of gold, excels in everything he does academically, he is one of the best athletes, loves animals, business savvy & so respectful. All that and he is only 17. I won’t go into much detail, but he won’t have the opportunity to further his education once he completes his final year of high school next year. So I’d give him the chance to do that.
2. Build An Orphanage Community.
I have always had this ‘gift’ with children, even the grouchiest child can’t help, but crack a smile around me haha. We all know more or less how orphaned children live & it’s scary to even imagine growing up like that so I’d build a community for kids of all ages with schools, recreational facilities, sporting facilities and so on to help makes their lives a bit easier.
3. Buy A Decent House & Car In The Rocky Mountain’s or Alaska.
Mountains surrounded by fresh water springs, breath taking views & my favorite…Snow in winter! I’ve only been snow boarding once in my life, but I am surprisingly good at it. So I want to be able to live in a place where I can enjoy the magical winter wonderland, log fires, glüwein and much more, but in the summer I want to be able to soak up all the nature has to offer & of course work on my panoramic photography skills.
4. Fly My Mom To The Maldives.
Ever since I can remember that has been my mom’s dream destination. We’d always browse through travel magazine’s & online brochures saying one day we’d make the trip there.
5. Invest In South African Tourism.
I think when foreigners think of South Africa, first thing that comes to mind is the crime which scares them off. Like any country in the world there is good & bad aspects, but it’s not as bad as the media portraits it to be. So I’d work on marketing our country in a better way. It’s really the jewel of Africa with it’s diverse landscapes, people, food and much more. I am truly lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
6. Open My Own Pâtisserie & Flourist.
When I think of food 3 things come to mind…My Portuguese Grandmother’s kitchen, My Late Uncle, Mr Chef Extraordinaire & My insane ability to absorb endless pages of recipes. I’ve been comfortable in a kitchen from the age of 11 and have never stopped experimenting with food. Creating a culinary master pieces is my way of getting rid of life’s frustrations. If you find me in a kitchen, especially if I’m baking then you know something is up. The 3 things I mentioned above are the elements of why I love food! My uncle was always eager to teach & I always absorbed every detail. After all it was him that taught me to be the great cook that I am. Oh by the way, the flourist idea is to keep my mom busy, she works wonders with flowers.
Just in case you were wondering.
7. Learn How To Dive, Then Dive With A Great White Shark (without the cage).
I absolutely love these giant creatures!! My fascination with them started at a young age, but escalated a few years ago when I visited a marine theme park. I stood by a huge tank filled with ragged-tooth sharks, staring at them in awe. I felt so at peace that day just watching them gracefully glide through the water. A funny thing happened though, whilst blissfully gazing at these magnificent creatures I noticed one shark kept circling in a particular formation & would pause just as it got to where I was standing. I was eye to eye with one of the most dangerous creatures on earth and was so moved…literally! Every time I was face to face with this shark I leaned backwards without even knowing it haha. Anyway, long story short I want to be able to see the most feared of them all…the GREAT WHITE!
So with the money that’s left over after splurging, I’d save the rest & live off the interest, being completely independent! Now wouldn’t that be nice:)
The interesting thing about such a question is that I already have had a million dollars. I am certainly not rich, and I am not a millionaire, however after working for more than 15 years and averaging my salary, rough calculations suggest this to be the case. It is intriguing to think what I would now do if I had the financial reward of my working life to date in an instant.
In considering what I would do now is largely based on what I have done in the past – provide for my family. Only this time, also to my extended family, the people who have worked just as hard as myself all their lives and are certainly happy, though deserve to share in such a reward.
My next thought turns to charity, and whilst I have made small donations throughout my life, perhaps now would be the time for a larger one.
In considering these two actions, do I really need a million dollars to make a difference, or can I make more of an effort as my life and financial position currently stands ? Of course I can.
“The interesting thing about such a question is that I already have had a million dollars. I am certainly not rich, and I am not a millionaire, however after working for more than 15 years and averaging my salary, rough calculations suggest this to be the case. It is intriguing to think what I would now do if I had the financial reward of my working life to date in an instant.”
I like your thinking here. Thank you for sharing such an interesting perspective! :)
With a million dollars, i would buy me and my husband a home where we can retire. Use the rest to pay
Off our bills and invest if we have anything left. These days a million dollars is not a lot, sorry to say.
If 1 Million dollars were given to me suddenly (like I’m assuming happened, hypothetically, in this case) the first thing I would need to do would be taking a few deep breaths and calm myself down. After that was done with I would sit down and think about the best way to spend it.
Being a student right now my first answer would have to be:
– Leave my current University and pay to attend a better one in another country (I believe a good education right now should be the first thing to worry about)
– After that I believe the next important thing would be to take care of the construction of the house my mother and brother are living in right now (I’m living very far away from them due to University) and pay for it entirely so there’s no chance in the future of the banks or what not to take it away form us.
– Put my brother, if he agreed, in a better school from another country as well
– And before I do the thing I want the most (give my parents an early retirement) I would invest a part of the money in a way it would make it grow more. This in my opinion is the most important part of the whole process. To take part of the money I was suddenly given and find a way to multiply it so I don’t have to worry too much about it ending soon.
– Next, and only after I could see the thing I invested in make me a reasonable amount profit that could accompany the expenses I could be thinking of making in the future (buying a mansion for my family, going on trips around the world and all that beautiful jazz) I would kindly ask my parents if they wanted to leave their jobs and enjoy living life the way they deserved… Extremely Well =)
– At this point, after making sure my money source was ok and making me an hefty sum of cash, I would buy the mansion of my dreams for me and my family and the required amount of personnel to take care of it. After we got installed and accustomed to the new home I would start making a profit out of my old houses which, luckily are located in many “hotspots” around Portugal. One in the center of Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, another in the center of the most important city in the island of São Miguel and I also have a farm that I could use as a tourists lodge since it has a very beautiful landscape and it’s in the middle of mother nature (a very good and expensive tourist vacation spot).
– When I finally have everything settled and I can be living comfortably and slightly surer that all my money’s not going to go down the drain all of a sudden I will give money to charities I believe will really be able to make a difference in the world and help make sure people actually notice them and help as well (Television goes along way to help in this one). I will then help my friends out so they themselves can have a great life (thou I would teach them first how to not blow away all the money the money I gave them)
– There are many more things I can do after these because my possibilities and my money (supposedly) will keep on growing. But one thing that throughout all this will never change is my never ending quest for personal growth that I will make sure, through hard work, never ends.
—————————————————————-
I know you’re probably thinking I put a lot of importance and thought on money (even thou that’s the topic of the question) but in other to help others monetarily I most first be able to provide for myself. And like my grandmother used to say “Money doesn’t bring you happiness, but it sure helps!”
Ups… I read the text 5 times before posting and still I wasn’t able to see a few mistakes I did while writing… >.<
– "Next, and only after I could see the thing I invested in make me a reasonable amount profit" (place an "of" between "amount" and "profit")
– "I will give money to charities I believe will really be able to make a difference in the world and help make sure people actually notice them /and help as well/ (please scratch "and help as well")
– "thou I would teach them first how to not blow away all the money /the money/ I gave them (please scratch the second "the money")
– "but in other to help others monetarily I most first (change "most" for "must")
I know I probably made more mistakes while writing so I'm sorry if this annoys anyone out there… I'm not an English speaker but I tried my best
Hello Catarina, your mistakes don’t annoy anyone here. I didn’t even notice the mistakes till you pointed them out. ;)
I second what Anand said. :) Don’t be too worried about the mistakes, Catarina! The English mistakes I am referencing in the announcement post are more linked with being lazy or inconsiderate (i.e. using chat speak or all caps) than sporadic oversights in this case.
I would feel as if I had no limits. Counting up to 1 million it’s seems to me like a huge mountain and I would be up to buying 1 million hugs or 1 million kiss.
For me you can’t buy everything and what I wish dearly and deeply cannot be bought. First and foremost I would take my daughter and her father on a trip, go horse riding in nice places around the world, to know other cultures, other languages, other visions of the world we all live in.
Anyway if I were to have one million dollars I would pause one moment to think about what I would truly wish. And as an afterthought I would wish that thanks to this 1 million dollars I would travel to South America in places like Brazil, Argentina, Mexico as I’ve always dreamed of. There I would manage to visit orphanages, schools in poor areas and support them giving them some funds. I would manage to put networks in places so that the money would be well used and actions settled. I would dearly want to make that orphans live in good conditions before meeting their parents to be.
Putting me in this other reality of having 1 million dollars in my pocket, I would take disabled people who don’t always have the money to do it and offer them the trip they have always dreamed of….
Anyway I would have one million ideas if I had this 1 million dollars to spend. But I sure would like to spend it as pleases me, I sure would welcome ideas however this blank page would not remain empty for long.
Can money buy happiness?
Money is an ancient beast and is embedded in our psyche. It is a kind of happiness.
Money is a medium and we need to understand it before using it – same as with getting drunk.
Do we need to hold on to money?
We sometimes spend money, but we try as far as possible to convert it into something that we can possess, for example, a bank balance, an investment, a house, or a business. If money gets used up, we think it is lost.
We hate losing money and we also seem to think that we earn money.
Why do we work?
Force of habit – we can make ends meet with just a third of the work we do.
Who wanted to pile up money anyway?
I don’t see the need for corporate recognition even if I did work.
What when we die?
I would try not leave anything behind – I don’t think I can.
Do we permit ourselves to be happy?
We are happier unfulfilled and don’t see the point of having everything.
There is no better way to show the futility of life than give them a million dollars.
From what I read you are saying that you would refuse the million dollars? Could it not be used, if not by you for personal reasons, then by your countrymen to improve the lives of those less fortunate?
I think this exercise is to get us to look at our personal desires. Only in knowing that which we desire can we truly find our passions. That which makes us move forward every day, working to improve our lives and that which we do leave behind. The only thing that truly belongs to us that we leave behind is our memories. Those things that we are remembered for, that way that we made another human feel in the walk of our daily lives.
Just asking…
Hello Karman,
I appreciate your being so straightforward. I have diligently learned selfishness and turning a blind eye for the whole of my 30 years. :) It will take some effort to undo it.
I will keep in mind what you said.
If I had a million dollars, I would renovate my family home. And then set up a trust account for my son for his future education and then treat my family to a nice holiday especially my parents. Whatever is left will be put into a savings account for my retirement.
I always imagine that I’ve won 17 million dollars, so it would be tough to work with such a small budget!
; ) Seriously though, my list of what I would do would remain the same, just on a smaller level. First, my husband and I would completely pay off every cent of our debt. We would then set aside money for our kids to go to college-hopefully enough that they could go to grad, law or med school if they chose to. We would give some money to our parents and both return to school to enter completely new careers-I’d go to med school like I wanted to. The remaining money would be invested as safely as possible, with a set percentage of the earnings going towards family vacations with the kids and trips for just my husband and me. Finally, hopefully after having travelled a bit, we would find the place where we would want to build our dream home.
If I had 1 million dollars (after taxes), I would:
–Pay off the rest of my student loans.
–Create a trust for my brother’s college education as well as pay off his car debt to our parents.
–Fund my emergency savings account.
–Quit my current job and use the free time to apply for new positions where I will be appreciated and/or start my own business. Travel internationally and to gain experience and help others while I do this.
–Aid my close friends and family who are currently under/unemployed to find work that fulfills them and pays their bills.
–With whatever is left, invest one-half and give the rest to charities that support abused animals (both domestic and wild); as well as charities that fund ways for others around the world to help themselves out of disease and poverty (e.g.: micro-lending, clean drinking water, sustainable farming practices, vaccinations, etc.)
If I had one million dollars…
I don’t think the million dollars will change how I am as a person, or the way I live. As I am trying to declutter my life as far as possible, I don’t think I will start buying many “stuff” or luxury items.
My first thought is for my kids and their education – they want to study overseas, probably UK – four years each – it would probably take around a third of the million. They will not be needing it right now – so I would invest it (capital guaranteed) for 3 – 5 years.
I would keep part of it in the bank as an emergency fund, specially for health matters as my ageing mother and in laws do not have health insurance.
I would invest the remaining amount, part “safe” either in bank or capital-guaranteed, partly in high-risk, high return investments. I would then use the profits from these to renovate my house, travel the world (one trip per year), help the community (not sure how yet, but in a meaningful way rather than just donating the money).
Quite boring, but I am a practical person
Not boring dear Ish…..you wrote truely about what you feel if you have 1 Million Dollars.
Great Moms like you always think about their children’s education first. After all education plays an important role for what we achieve in our life in the future.
And I liked the idea of “spending from the profits” which you get through your investment. Wow….first Invest…..and then spend from the profit….
Apart from being a practical person you seems to be good at finance management also. :)
Hope one day all your dreams come true !
What Would You Do if You Have 1 Million Dollars?
If I have a million dollars I will pay off all debt, sell my tangible assets and travel the world for a while exploring every culture and every cuisine, writing about my experiences as I go. I will take as many of my children and grandchildren along as wish to go. I will also enjoy meeting and making new friends around the globe. We will take along translators and guides as necessary.
Of course, as a writer, I will publish everything I write and the income from writing will perpetuate this wonderful new lifestyle for as long as I desire it. When the thrill of this has gone, I will have left a rich legacy of life learned lessons, discoveries, experiences and observations which will enrich all who share my life through my writings.
Among the things I will be most curious about as I travel the world are the thoughts, attitudes and life strategies of the most happy and successful in every culture. Is there a common universal thread among them? Then, rather than simply giving the less successful or fortunate temporary respite, I will give them the tools they need to create a life-long happiness and success for themselves and their loved ones.
Charles,
Your desire to travel the world and help others is similar to mine! Let’s do it! :-)
I would use that money to help poor children to get basic education and for adult ones to get skill enhancement training. I think rather than helping any one by giving money, better to give them means and ways to be self dependent. And if we could help people who have entrepreneur skills we can help many to earn their livelihood.
If I suddenly had a million dollars I would begin by making a list of all the things I would like to do with the money and then take some time, possibly a few weeks, to review that list. The only debt I am carrying is a small mortgage, so I would put that as the first thing on the list. After that the list would be in two columns: Things For Me and Things For Others.
Thing For Me might include investing some of the money and travel.
Things For Others would be a longer list because I know many people who could use a hand, sometimes it is a small amount of money but it would have a great impact on their lives. My friend Robbie is a cancer survivor at 48 who lives in a tiny house in the country but can’t afford to buy it. I would buy the house for him and help him complete the renovations, giving him some security for his middle age. Another friend owns her house but needs to finish her renovations so that she an run a bread and breakfast. She is approaching her sixties and would like to be semi-retired, and completing her home would help her move into the next stage of her life.
I prefer to help people on a one-to-one basis, it is so much more rewarding when you can see the results of your efforts, whether financial or physical. Giving money to charities just doesn’t feel as good and I worry about corruption, and transparency. Several major charities where I live have suffered from such scandals and made me leery of giving funds to registered charities.
I would also like to set some money aside to help someone who needs assistance to pay for their post high school education, whether it is studying art, crafts, a trade or completing a university degree. I think education is the most important gift we can give the world. I also believe in helping people to explore their dreams, even if those dreams don’t resonate with me. Fulfilled people are happy people and the world can always use more joy.
Finally, I would use the annual profits from my investments to set up a local foundation that provides assistance with veterinarian care and the neutering of cats and dogs, whether they are strays or already have a family. We are responsible for the well being of these animals and the shelters are already overfull with unwanted pets. Many cannot afford the cost of proper vet care and neutering can be expensive. Assisting with the cost basic veterinarian care and neutering would help ease my concerns about the welfare of these wonderful companions. Katrina
“I prefer to help people on a one-to-one basis, it is so much more rewarding when you can see the results of your efforts, whether financial or physical. Giving money to charities just doesn’t feel as good and I worry about corruption, and transparency. Several major charities where I live have suffered from such scandals and made me leery of giving funds to registered charities.”
You make a valid point here. It always seems like it’s the people closest to us that get stuck between the cracks and can’t get any help. Also, isn’t it nice when you can see first hand the difference in the quality of life when you help? Can you really say that when you just give blindly to charities? I think it would be nice to be an anonymous donor, but still be able to see the joy and relief my help brought those around me, and know that it went to someone who really appreciated it and would pass it on.
“I prefer to help people on a one-to-one basis, it is so much more rewarding when you can see the results of your efforts, whether financial or physical. Giving money to charities just doesn’t feel as good and I worry about corruption, and transparency. Several major charities where I live have suffered from such scandals and made me leery of giving funds to registered charities.”
This is why I’d prefer to donate to families who I can talk to personally and see with my own eyes the situation in need. I don’t trust charities but when I see honest feelings and a physical situation I’d gladly donate. I’d donate to families who are in need of urgent situations, find proof said person exists, legal hospital/doctor papers and meet the person in need. I’d need to be assured I’d truly make a difference in another persons life.
I would give it to my parents and the happiness which I will feel will be much more valuable than 1 Million Dollars.
I am still very young I guess, to invest such an amount myself(I am around 21).
So, my parents would make the best of it.
I can give them my ideas though, like:
1. Investing in a mela(somewhat equivalent to a ‘fair’), which is organized every year in our community,for our God. I want people to appreciate my parents & my family and this holy work can do it,
2. Helping the needy,
3. I would personally love to feed animals, like biscuits/grass to cows and calves,
4. Taking a bigger home,
5. I want my parents and my family(including me) to visit different places (especially, to see and feel nature as we see in travel shows), so I would want to go for it
That is all, what I can of think right now.
If these things are done, I would feel satisfied even at the time of my death thinking that I did something good – Dinesh Rawal
If I had a million dollars…
1 million dollars these days hardly seems like a large amount to some, with all the numbers being spewed out in the news. To me, it still seems like a ton of dough and for that, I am grateful. It means I’m staying honest and humble. I like that.
At the moment, to suddenly be blessed with that large of a sum of money would be a miracle indeed, and to be honest, my inklings of how to use it are not leaning towards the exotic. Pay off debt would be first — both mine and my partner’s. Clear the slate. Start fresh. Breath a sigh of relief and know that money doesn’t have to be a stressor, a depressor, something we never seem to have enough of. Granted, we don’t have astronomical debt, but it’s debt, and it feels big to us. With that gone, the world would be our oyster. We’ve talked about money getting in the way of getting married the way we want to. We’ve been together through thick and thin, and nothing would be better than having a celebration of our lives — past, present and future — taken care of. We could both use a vacation, some time to explore the world together, so I’ll add that to the list… I’m sure a portion would go to our families as thanks for all they have done for us and provided for us. I’d be tempted to throw a big party for our friends to thank them for all they have meant and continue to mean to us…
But when I think about this now, I don’t know how much I would change, on a larger scale. In this moment in time, it would just mean a greater sense of security, if only until it ran out. With that in place, I feel as though everything else would change itself. That being said, this has been a powerful reminder that I am more grateful for what I have than I sometimes believe. Money comes and goes. There are far more lasting forces in our lives that never go away.
I would use the money to start a wish-fulfilment agency.
What type of agency would this be? For children or adults or both?
One Million Dollars is really huge amount for me…..
I will buy land in a good irrigation area and start mass agriculture. I love to do that…Obviously dream car, family and superb home will be in my agenda…
I will tour almost all parts of the world and start small organization to address the real needy people within my reach .Financially support organizations where the mission touches human & other lives on this planet.
Invest the money for sustainable growth to run above missions…That’s it
Ah, the Ultimate Question. What would I do?? With $1,000,000 the possibilities are immense, if done correctly the possibilities are almost endless.
The first $100,000 would be given in tithe, not to any specific church, but to God. I have choices in how I would do this and I think I know but this is between God and myself. He knows my heart and knows the truth of my actions. $900,000 left to decide upon….hmmmm
Secondly, I would get myself and my husband completely out of debt, this will leave me with approximately $700,000 or so. To be debt free at our age would be a great blessing and make the stress of living not so stressful.
There are those I would help because they mean the world to me, yet I do not believe I would just hand them money to “solve” their debt problems because they would before long be right back where they stand today, desiring more from me. The old adage states that if you feed a man you quell his hunger for a day, but if you teach that man to fish you feed his family for a lifetime. I would become a teacher.
A secondary question comes to mind now, would I finish my degree? Absolutely, because money does not solve all the problems I face and my completed education would move me toward who I was meant to be in my life. Once my degree was completed, my tests were passed, and my licenses obtained I would have the necessary funds to start the perfect business without worrying about those “early years” that most new businesses face giving us a chance to be successful.
The one thing I know that I would do for absolute sure is to take a months vacation at a reasonably priced beach house and avoid “family & friends” for that entire month. Give them time to get over the fact that I now have money.
This is absolutely a no brainer for me. I have been spending this million dollars for years and years. First up, a voyage around the world on a ship dedicated to this purpose of travel and education. My cabin has a balcony and I have no roommate. Because I think education and travel go hand in hand, I want to invite 5 female student members from my mother’s sorority. Also, I would invite 5 frat brothers of the female sorority. The students colleges would make the awards to the students. Acceptance would be based on several factors.
The traveling students would receive a stipend of several thousand dollars to help them prepare for the adventure. They would also receive financial assistance for travel to and from the sailing as well, as a monthly stipend for boat and land expenses. All they have to do is go, do their homework and enjoy. Their lives would change forever. They would not know who had made the travel possible. Approximate cost $400,000.00
I would then have a section of freeway in the city my parents lived permanently dedicated to our family name. Lastly, I would engage the major public park that was near my parents’ home to have them create and plant a major rose garden with a large overhead trellis, dedicated to my parents. And of course a rose named after my mother, sister and grandmother. Approximate cost $200,000.
The remaining funds would be put into an account to live on for the rest of my life. Oh yeah, I know how to enjoy that million. Oh yes, I would go to the gym every day!
If I have $1m, I will:
Rejoice and be happy
Spend $390K on 30% downpayment for a landed property as my new home, valued at $1.3m (freehold or 999-year leasehold), balance $900K will be serviced by monthly installments of about $3,141 for 30 years.
Spend $210K on renovating and furnishing my new home.
Invest the balance $400K on varied of investments including stock, and starting my own Business is definitely part of the plan. If no good opportunities are available at the point in time, I will not proceed, but shall await the right opportunity. Bottomline: Grow the money!
If I had a million dollars I think I would first like to refuse it. I know that when we get too much money suddenly we find there are far too many claims on our sympathy, our charity and there are too many people who become enemies.
Apart from that I would definitely like to use the money to travel to different lands. I’d choose Rome, Greece, England, USA and the Holy Land.
Perhaps I would start an organization that would invest the money, some of it, and with the interest, use it to help those in need.
You are correct in that when someone comes into money there is an influx of “Best Friends” that just love them to pieces. Usually it was those individuals that barely spoke to them the previous day. That is why I would take a vacation for a month with no phone, no access, and only the one that loves me rich or poor~my husband.
It is strange to think of having one million dollars in my possession. It just seems so far from my reach, nearly impossible. However, I have thought of this many many times before. I have an idea of what I would do with it but not specifics in the amounts. If I had one million dollars, I would first pay off the debts of my mother and myself. The debt amount isn’t an extreme number by any means so that would leave a lot of the million left over. I would then give part of the money to mother, two sisters, and brother so they can do what they please with it (hopefully save it and spend wisely). My mother can then live comfortably and not have to worry about money and can then possibly move to a place with a warm climate year ’round which I know nothing would make her happier. What is left from that I would save, purchase a reliable car, and donate some to a charity. Even though I am far from rich, I do donate currently to a charity when I can so that would make me happy to give more. I am a very simple person. I don’t want anything luxurious or grand. Just knowing that I have money in the bank to pay my bills and a reliable car to get me to and from would make me more happy than anything because then I can focus on other things in life rather than worry about money and how I am going to pay my next bill.
– Vanessa
Well, I’m not that addicted to money but there are a lot of things that I would do with all that money.
First I would buy a shop or maybe two and rent them. I consider that the best easy way to make money. Than I’ll use the rest to make my dreams come true, like studding for becoming a screenwriter, study for becoming a pilot, becoming a phonographer, helping people in charity. So i don’t see it like an opportunity to make things with, i see it like an opportunity to start making things with because most of the things don’t really need money to be made, they need will and i know that and i truly believe in it and even if I don’t manage to have this money it doesn’t mean that I will stop dreaming and i’ll wait for these money to come in order to make my dreams reality. I’ll still try and put my best into make all those things true, and I believe with all my hart and I’m very enthusiastic about making them an amassing reality!
The first thing that comes to my mind is starting my own business.
This could be an Online-Shop that sells vegan stuff (Food, Clothing, etc.) cause I’m vegan myself and I think the Shops around could improve A LOT.
Being responsible for eCommerce is also part of my current job as an employee and I love doing that.
Having a million dollars I would probably also buy a Appartment/House somewhere in North America and work a lot from there.
I would go Whale-Watching a lot and spend a lot of time reviewing all eCommerce-Activities of my new company.
First I would spend some money on my next few years at university. Maybe get a little appartment and a car. Nothing big or flashy, but something I could call my own.
Next I would spend some on my family, take them to a restaurant or a vacation.
I would also set up a saving account for the future (think about marriage, children and so on.)
Further I would donate some money to scientific research.
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