If I were a rich (wo)Man.......

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One of Melissa's Earlier posts got me thinking....

Just why are we tightwads-Actually I hate that term, but I can't come up with a better one. Are we stingy? Do we love money-I have heard that accusation hureled at Amy D., that she loves money so much she dosn't want to part with it. So, my question is (lets be honest!) If by some miraculous twist of fate you became a millionaire, how would your life change? Lets say you found a winning lottery ticket, (we all know true tightwads would not actualy BUY a ticket!!!)

We would eat at better resteraunts more. I would love to take my kids to real Japenese, Thai, Greek, etc resterants. We would not get more fast food-though Pizza Hut would be a temptation.

I would buy a new car. Not a fancy oneI would get a new Volvo, they are expensive, but they are safe and dependable.

I probably would buy my kids at least one really fabulous toy, but I would not get them stuff all the time-I think that spoils what they all ready have and it makes them cranky and greedy.

I would go to Ireland with my husband-kids could stay with Grandma. I would plan a really great family vacation-say, rent a beach house on the Outerbanks just before the season started. We would not go to Disney land.

I would get the house finished, add on a sunroom, and pay off our morgage. I would not buy a fancier house.

I'm not interested in furs, or jewelry. I would spend some money on nice yarn and quilting supplies.

I'd spend money on books I'd like for once to walk in my favorite bookstore and get everything I want! -but I would still frequent used book stores.

I would buy my husband a sailboat, but we would not get a moter boat or a Bass Fishing Boat.

I would be sorely tempted to get a housekeeper-Hey! I'm being honest!

If I had money, I would spend it, but I would still get quality, useful items. For me, its worth giving up the little cheap unnessasary stuff to get stuff that I really want, that I think adds to our life.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 28, 2002

Answers

Kelly, I do not think we are cheap or greedy; we just do not want to belong to a system that controls us. Our time here is limited, we would rather plant food crops, experience outdoors, see kitten and chicks, smell nature than to bust our hinies to please an ungrateful tyrant who is making money from our labors.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 28, 2002.

I like to think of myself as "frugal" ;)

If I were rich, I'd live much the same, but I'd do it on a big spread in Texas.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), January 28, 2002.


Hey Kelly! Tightwad is a nice word!!! Why I am a tighwad actually ties into a question I had planned to post tomorrow (I try to plot out several days worth of posts ahead of time...) so I will not touch on that today, but for the second part, I can have some fun with that!!

I don't think I would move. I really like it here, and the greatest thing would be that Cale wouldn't have to work. I would do these things though: Build a sunroom/greenhouse addition on my house, build a bigger barn so each kid could have their own horse and fence in more pasture, and probably do lots of adding on to my gardens!!! I would like to travel to so many places, I think that would be a great adventure to see all the things I have only read about.

Then I would give a lot of money to worthy causes that would benefit children. I would probably set up scholarships, and afterschool activites for children for free, like lessons in computers, music, art, sports etc... whatever there was a need for. But the kids would have to help pay back in some way like community service or something!!

I think it would change your life, but I would still reuse aluminum foil and hang up laundry and garden and can, and most of the other things I do, because most of them I do for reasons in addition to money!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 28, 2002.


Books also!! I would buy every book I wanted and probably have to build on a room to put them in!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 28, 2002.

I can't imagine what ALL I would do, but I do know that since unlike Melissa and Cale, our house is not paid off, I would pay off my house and that stupid suburban.

I would go ahead and finish all the plans we have for around here: turn the garage into a game room and make my sewing room, remodel the kitchen and finish the floors out the way I want them (not with this pale beige carpet), and repaint/wallpaper/decorate all the bedrooms NOW instead of one at a time. I wouldn't move, I really like our location, and land around here is outrageous (for Oklahoma, that is).

I'm sure Lance wouldn't quit the fire dept., but we would probably get rid of the lawn care.

I would give more money to the church, and try to help a friend of mine who is a single mom living on next to nothing. She would go back to school if she could pay off the student loans she is in default on, so I would pay them off for her.

Truth be known, I would be happy if someone would just pay off that stupid suburban! I'd sell it, but no one wants it!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 28, 2002.



Oh, and I would build the new chicken coop, and finish the garden, and build my greenhouse, and finish out the circle drive, and put in that wood stove instead of the fireplace, and.....

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 28, 2002.

I would get just what we need for setting up my dream homestead--20 acres of land (half bush for firewood), fencing, improvements on any existing buildings, two cows (both bred, but at different times), a couple of pigs, some sheep, and a horse for my daughter. A tractor with accessories. And let's not forget the 15-passenger Ford van.

Then I would set my dad up so that he could REALLY retire instead of working into his 70s. I would send him off on his dream of hiking the rest of the Appalachian Trail that he hasn't seen yet.

I would ask my brother what he needs for his mission work in Papua New Guinea. I would get my sister's family set up so that my sister would not have to work out of the home.

I would arrange for a huge family reunion of all my mother's family; we haven't had one since before my grandma died six years ago.

I would take my own children on a fabulous camping vacation; we've been dreaming of canoeing the entire length of the Susquehanna River. We would pay a young farm boy to do chores while we're gone.

I would do all the above as frugally as possible. Then I would give something to all the people in need who have helped us out from time to time and give the remainder of the money to various missionaries around the world. Then I would happily go back to lower middle class status and enjoy life.

-- Cathy N. (keeper8@attcanada.ca), January 28, 2002.


Dh and I just discussed this over breakfast Saturday morning. While we would like more land, we decided we really didn't want to give up more time to take care of it. We thought about just about everything we could possibly want, and decided we didn't want the headaches that came along with "more stuff". He is retiring this year, so quitting work doesn't figure in. We would like to give our children a nice sum of money, but would rather see them have the self respect and satisfaction that planning, working and saving for things brings. While I wouldn't turn down a greenhouse, we're planning on building one anyway. I love to buy books, but I just buy those I want at thrift stores and have the fun of hunting for them. We decided that for ourselves, there isn't anything money can buy that would make us any happier. The one thing we would do if we could win the lottery (yeah, I know, ya gotta blow money on a ticket first), is that we would LOVE to have a fund to disperse to charity, especially those of the "teach a man to fish" variety.

Although when I asked dh if there wasn't ANYTHING he would love to be able to buy for himself, he did rather wistfully reply, "Gee, I wonder how much used F-14 Tomcats are going for...."

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), January 28, 2002.


Since I can't think of much that I want or need (not that I'm rich by any means, just don't need much) I would probably give most of it away to people who need it and to different ministries and my church. I guess I'd also save some for retirement too. I once had a patient who had won the Ohio lottery and she told me that it had ruined her life and her teenage kids too. She said all of a sudden her kids had lots of friends and they were expected to pay for everything.

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 28, 2002.

Hello Kelly,

I was given to great pieces of advise about what to do with a million dollars. The first one was from my deceased father. He said, put the money in the bank and live on the interest! The other piece of advise came from a millionaire. He said, if you have a million dollars you have a million problems! My advise would be to put the money in the bank and be very cautious how you spend the interest!

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), January 28, 2002.



If I had a million dollars I would first help my yongest son with his college tuition so he no longer would have to work full time and go to school full time..he has done that now for three years and still maintains an "A" average God bless him..it would be so nice to give him a break! Then we would go ahead with our dream of 5 years of starting a real Christian home for drug addicts. We have worked with them for eons and have all the expertise to have a good solid program, but not the cash necessary to pull it off. Our plan would be to have a large farm so that all could learn the value of work and responsibility, moving from the simple kitchen garden to the livestock as they gain confidence. Most of these folks have been so caught up in their addiction that they do not know how to boil water! Neil wants to teach woodworking and car painting while I handle the basics of cooking and cleaning and shopping, etc. We keep praying for this to materialize and I would sure not turn down "found" money in order to accomplish it! It's always nice to have a dream!

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 28, 2002.

I would first pay off the mortgage, finish putting my oldest 3 through college, and finally be able to be a SAHM. I would also give my folks and my husbands folks enough to not have to worry about money for the rest of their lives, and put away enough to pay for health insurance forever, since thats the main reason I still drive to town to work every day. After finishing the outbuildings and buying a tractor, I would set up a fund to pay for medical expenses for people who need life-saving treatment and surgery and have no insurance, been there done that. If there is any left, it would go to my church(after the first 20% I'd have already given). I've been a frugal tightwad all my life, and I know that wouldn't change!!

-- Gina NM (inhock@pvtnetworks.net), January 28, 2002.

Y'know, its kinda funny. I played powerball this weekend. The Jackpot was 92 million. Then I got to thinking about it. I'd probably take the cash option. That translates into about 25 million by the time you factor in the "annuity" loss and taxes. So, here I sit, 25 million just sitting there waiting for something to do.

Of course I'd pay off all the bills, new roof on the house, upgrade the cars (no NEW cars) just better ones and mundane stuff like that.

But 25 million invested at 10% (not an unreasonable expectation from solid mutual funds) what I just spent would leave us with a paltry 2.4 million for this years income. OK, so now we'd help out family to the tune maybe another 100K and we're still left with 2.3 million.

There's lotsa worthy causes around and I'd select a few of them and would be their benefactor but the actual "reality" of that much $ was almost scary.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), January 28, 2002.


But I like being a peasant. (Are there rich peasants?) Maybe I would go back to college. But the university I would want to attend is too far away from my home. So, I don't know.

I like to travel, and because I am a tightwad I find a way to do that now. Maybe, I could go more places more often.

I would buy all the books that I ever wanted.

Most of it would end up going to charities.

Tom wants a different truck. One without lots of rusty holes and a resident mouse.

Money for Kyle's college education would be guaranteed or maybe money for his own business if he so chooses.

-- vicki in NW OH (thga76@aol.com), January 28, 2002.


After the suual, I'd plant a lot of trees and help stop women's circumcision-even becoming a problem in this country.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), January 29, 2002.


About 10 years ago, one of the teachers in our local school won 33 million in the lottery. When first interviewed about what they were going to do with all the money, she replied that she was going to buy a new pair of pants. The money was not going to change them at all.

Now, 10 years later, they had a small mansion built, they divorced, and one child is in jail. Money doesn't buy happiness.

-- Charleen in WNY (harperhill@eznet.net), January 29, 2002.


Well I guess I could start off and say I am rich. I know God, so how much richer can you get?

Now If your talking about being financial weathly then I think one of my first purchase would be a UNIMOG.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 29, 2002.


Gary??? What is it????!!!

I agree with most, while it is fun to dream, I feel we must make ourselves content with what we have.

It would be nice to be able to help others, but maybe we don't have to wait to have a lot of money to help others! There are many worthwhile projects and causes that just need people to help not necessarily more money...

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 29, 2002.


Melissa Here is a nice page of UNIMOG campers. They are Extreeme offroad 4x4 campers. Most conversions from military vehicles.

See http://www.xor.org.uk/unimog/campermog.htm for some photos. Some of the photo's even have extended web site info.

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 29, 2002.


They are even good if your hunting dinosaurs. check out the one used used in the film, "THE LOST WORLD, Jurassic Park" Check out http://www.eurotech-services.com/lostworld.html

-- Gary in Ohio (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 29, 2002.

I wouldn't want to change things, just be able to help more and give more. My kids would each get a computer--something they are longing for and one is saving for right now. College tuition would be put aside, house paid off, newer truck for DH.

We are rich when we have Jesus--heirs of the KING!

But it is fun to dream about what we *could* do, I know.

-- Dena (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 29, 2002.


All of you have really good answers. But I have a question - if it turned out to be a real headache and heartache, could you turn your back on it and start over?

I just ask because at one time, my ex and I were worth just less than 1 Million. With him it was a "love of money", and the show of having it. He is now ex cause people, family did not matter.

So while I dream of having enough not to worry about the checking account, and hope to soon be in a position to someday get my little piece of land with a "cabin" (whatever style it ends up being). I don't think I would want that kind of heart ache again.

So when people say they want to be rich, I look them in the eye and ask, 'Are you willing to pay the price?"

I love reading all of you, I don't post much, but you feel like family and I sit in the corner crocheting and listenig and rocking.

Regards - AngieM2 in N. Ala.

-- AngieM2 (ameininger@yahoo.com), January 29, 2002.


I know what you mean Angie, while I might like to have a little extra money, I don't think I really want to be rich. I always say I like being poor,I've gotten used to it!!!I think a lot of us think of all the good we could do in the world if we did have some extra.

I really think if you want to be truly rich (in money) you will be, because if you want it that badly you will give up everything else to obtain the money. I myself, and Cale also are not willing to give up much to be rich, so we are content to work only a little and live the rest of the time.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 29, 2002.


I would want to keep about "only" a million for each of us (3 so far, 1 due soon) and leave the money in the bank in seperate accounts, to accrue interest. Even at 2% interest, that is $20,000 per year apiece, more than enough, if you live within your means.

Would want to move to larger, better built home on one acre lot (I hate mowing lawns). Same size living space (3 bed, 2 bath), just add 15' x 20' workshop, 15' x 10' Hobby room, 10' x 20' screen porch, and 30' X 10' STORAGE SPACE! Fix up my present (1986) Suburban; 5,000 would make it better than new.

Give the rest away to charities, lots of people need REAL help more than we do. Sad thing about that much money is that bottom feeders are bound to be attracted, looking for a lawsuit looking for easy settlement. Or K and R (Kidnap and Ransom). Sure don't want that kind of attention in our lives.

-- j.r. guerra @ boultinghousesimpson.com (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), January 29, 2002.


The Kidnapping and Ransom is one of the prices. I did have to live with an armed body guard for 2 weeks due to perceived threat (cops perceived) of me an my family possibly being kidnapped. Also, the house was wired for everything alarm, even the screens. It is no way to live. BUT - I did get to do some good while it was there, and I did have some fun. (Bookstores and fabric stores and flying lessons)

But the best fun of money is what good you can do with it for others, and nothing is wrong with it as a tool, but when you basically worship having it....oh wow.

Enough preaching from my soap box. Thanks for being out there,

AngieM2

-- AngieM2 (ameininger@yahoo.com), January 29, 2002.


Very good point, Angie. I have lived very comfortably, and I have been so poor I didn't know how I was going to feed my kids their next meal.

When I was a divorced mom, I gave a lot of thought to this, and did a lot of praying about my future. I essentially ended up praying Proverbs 30:8, that the Lord would give me neither poverty nor riches, but only my daily bread. With too much, we become smug and unappreciative and with too little, there are too many temptations to do wrong. Everyone, rich or poor, still has to live on a budget, and while I have no desire to ever be poor again, I do NOT want the hassles of being rich. Many people will not believe that, but that is the truth. I thank the Lord that he provides adequately for us, and no more.

-- Lenette (kigervixen@webtv.net), January 29, 2002.


Would like to have a bit more money not to much, just enough to have no mortgage and be able to live comfortably and not have that money worry side of things. But would prefer health for all the people I love, as money cannot buy that.

-- michael (crass6@hotmail.com), June 11, 2002.

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