The drawing for the largest jackpot prize ever was held last night. One lucky ticket was sold in the great state of South Carolina. Assuming the winning ticket wasn’t part of an office pool, the winner will walk away with over a $900 million check if they decide to take the cash payout.
Many of us had quick dreams of what we would do if we had one. Buy an expensive car, donate to charity, move to paradise. These were a few of the things that ran through the minds of the individuals who played. However, those dreams were abruptly ended this morning when the tickets were checked.
YOU COULD GO ABOUT THINGS AS NORMAL
If someone wins the lottery the first thing many of them say they’ll do is quit their job. While this sounds good on paper it could bring about additional life stresses. For example, you’ll have to worry about getting healthcare coverage and the structure of your day might fall apart.
Psychologists have said it is important to keep things as normal as possible after a big win like this. Immediate changes could bring about results you hadn’t planned on.
YOU COULD PURSUE A PASSION
If you are miserable at your current job, you can always have the opportunity to quit. Like I said previously, don’t make any rash decisions when it comes to this, but it does present you with an option to pursue your passion.
After winning almost a billion dollars you in essence can put the worry of money on the back burner. If you enjoy painting, be a painter. If you enjoy volunteering, make that your life’s goal. The point is now you have the chance to pursue a life where money isn’t a byproduct.
YOU COULD GO ON A SPENDING SPREE
We’ve all heard the stories about people going broke after winning the lottery. Most of the time those stories center around individuals who win a million or ten million in winnings. With over $900 million in winnings, you shouldn’t have to worry about such an event.
You now have the chance to build that dream house you’ve always wanted and drive luxury cars. You can travel to exotic places for weeks or months at a time.
CONCLUSION
The possibility for the things you could do if you won the $1.6 billion Mega Millions jackpot are endless. You could do any of the three things above, or a combination of all of them. Now back to reality.
You didn’t win the Mega Millions. You still have bills to pay. You still have to go to work. Life is the same as it was yesterday. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. I woke up this morning no different than yesterday. I continue to budget on a daily basis, save for retirement, and enjoy all of the blessings I currently have in my life. You should too.
Budget Smart, Invest Wise
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James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.
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