Can't stop thinking about winning the lottery

[Anonymous]

It's becoming obsessive. I'm so displeased with my current options in life that I just think through elaborate but practical fantasies of what we'd do if we won the lottery. My current fantasy involves moving to another city where we have friends but don't know too many people, because then we could start over at our new socio-economic level without the weirdness of moving way up in wealth in our current friend circle where it's sure to create awkwardness. Once we got DC settled at school and were settled in our house, DH and I would pursue our passion projects, which for him I think would be getting a PhD in something esoteric and for me would involve starting a business making beautiful things (either a flower shop or maybe interior design).

Currently trying to figure out if we'd buy a home with a pool or just buy a nice house near a great pool club. We really like hanging out at the pool and DC loves to swim.

Also trying to decide if we'd get a great house in the middle of the best walkable neighborhood, since that's the lifestyle we'd want, or something further out near nature, as we've always fantasized about being able to go hiking right from our backyard. So now I get why people wind up with "country homes." But inherent in all of these fantasies is the idea that we need to be practical about how we spend money and also not adopt a lifestyle that requires a massive roster of employees to manage. We do best at a smaller scale.

Anyway, this is what I've been doing all morning instead of, you know, my job.

I don't even buy lottery tickets, folks. My DH does occasionally. I just do the fantasizing.

[Anonymous]

Ha I always fantasize about this. But my housing goals right just include "closets" and "an office" lol. I only need a million! Come on lottery gods

[Anonymous]

Sometimes I buy a ticket just to legitimately fantasize. I bought a ticket last week and randomly the first two numbers were my birthday and I thought it was a sign. Sadly, not.

As a single parent who has faced serious health challenges, all I’m asking for is just a couple million to make life smoother. But if I won the whole thing I have fantasies of flying first class to some amazing places I’ve always wanted to visit and then coming back to the dMV and buying a huge Victorian house that’s completely renovated inside and helping foster kids. Maybe a few rescue cats and dogs, too since I could afford the vet bills.

[Anonymous]

I buy tickets even though I don’t need them. My younger sister is in remission from cancer, and I buy them so that she can have the money to do anything she wants because I cannot afford to give her all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's becoming obsessive. I'm so displeased with my current options in life that I just think through elaborate but practical fantasies of what we'd do if we won the lottery. My current fantasy involves moving to another city where we have friends but don't know too many people, because then we could start over at our new socio-economic level without the weirdness of moving way up in wealth in our current friend circle where it's sure to create awkwardness. Once we got DC settled at school and were settled in our house, DH and I would pursue our passion projects, which for him I think would be getting a PhD in something esoteric and for me would involve starting a business making beautiful things (either a flower shop or maybe interior design).

Currently trying to figure out if we'd buy a home with a pool or just buy a nice house near a great pool club. We really like hanging out at the pool and DC loves to swim.

Also trying to decide if we'd get a great house in the middle of the best walkable neighborhood, since that's the lifestyle we'd want, or something further out near nature, as we've always fantasized about being able to go hiking right from our backyard. So now I get why people wind up with "country homes." But inherent in all of these fantasies is the idea that we need to be practical about how we spend money and also not adopt a lifestyle that requires a massive roster of employees to manage. We do best at a smaller scale.

Anyway, this is what I've been doing all morning instead of, you know, my job.

I don't even buy lottery tickets, folks. My DH does occasionally. I just do the fantasizing.

You can always move to a new state, get a side gig to earn extra to achieve some of the goals, seek therapy to keep focus on reality etc. That being said, you already won a lottery, by being born in US, not having a disability, having education, being married, having healthy children, being employed. More than 90% of humans are less privileged. Keep a gratitude journal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes I buy a ticket just to legitimately fantasize. I bought a ticket last week and randomly the first two numbers were my birthday and I thought it was a sign. Sadly, not.

As a single parent who has faced serious health challenges, all I’m asking for is just a couple million to make life smoother. But if I won the whole thing I have fantasies of flying first class to some amazing places I’ve always wanted to visit and then coming back to the dMV and buying a huge Victorian house that’s completely renovated inside and helping foster kids. Maybe a few rescue cats and dogs, too since I could afford the vet bills.

OP here. I hear you! Chronic health issues the last two years with no end in sight, and winning the lottery just feels like the only way to just solve those problems in a real way. Also just seeing the toll stress has taken on my health in the last few years, on top of the medical issues, I can't help but dream about what it would be like to just NOT worry about money, college for kid, retaining my ability to work so that we can pay our mortgage, etc.

It's funny because when DH buys a ticket, he's always like "why did I do this, it's for suckers." And I tell him he did it so that I can fantasize about winning -- he's a sucker so that I can dream. It's almost romantic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's becoming obsessive. I'm so displeased with my current options in life that I just think through elaborate but practical fantasies of what we'd do if we won the lottery. My current fantasy involves moving to another city where we have friends but don't know too many people, because then we could start over at our new socio-economic level without the weirdness of moving way up in wealth in our current friend circle where it's sure to create awkwardness. Once we got DC settled at school and were settled in our house, DH and I would pursue our passion projects, which for him I think would be getting a PhD in something esoteric and for me would involve starting a business making beautiful things (either a flower shop or maybe interior design).

Currently trying to figure out if we'd buy a home with a pool or just buy a nice house near a great pool club. We really like hanging out at the pool and DC loves to swim.

Also trying to decide if we'd get a great house in the middle of the best walkable neighborhood, since that's the lifestyle we'd want, or something further out near nature, as we've always fantasized about being able to go hiking right from our backyard. So now I get why people wind up with "country homes." But inherent in all of these fantasies is the idea that we need to be practical about how we spend money and also not adopt a lifestyle that requires a massive roster of employees to manage. We do best at a smaller scale.

Anyway, this is what I've been doing all morning instead of, you know, my job.

I don't even buy lottery tickets, folks. My DH does occasionally. I just do the fantasizing.

You can always move to a new state, get a side gig to earn extra to achieve some of the goals, seek therapy to keep focus on reality etc. That being said, you already won a lottery, by being born in US, not having a disability, having education, being married, having healthy children, being employed. More than 90% of humans are less privileged. Keep a gratitude journal.

I agree I am privileged, though I actually am disabled, so there's that. I've kept many gratitude journals and am actually a pretty happy, upbeat person generally. Doesn't mean I don't sometimes dream about winning the lottery.

[Anonymous]

Honestly if I could move somewhere with a bathtub and a dishwasher I'd feel like I won the lottery!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly if I could move somewhere with a bathtub and a dishwasher I'd feel like I won the lottery!

OP here. When I poke around on Redfin looking for our lottery winner house, a soaking tub in the master suite is a dealbreaker for me. Like I will definitely not imagine buying your 2200 square foot, perfectly updated Craftsman with the gorgeous patio and the peony bushes out front if it turns out I have to go down the hall to the kid's bathroom to take a bath.

To be clear, we don't have a bathtub at all in our current home. We do have a dishwasher but it's broken, so I guess one of the first things we'd do with lottery winnings is replace it.

[Anonymous]

Hah, I also have elaborate lottery fantasies but never buy a ticket. Mine involve paying off the current house but not necessarily moving - instead I'd buy out the neighbors and move my parents, sibling, and good friends to our street.

[Anonymous]

I don't anymore because I'm very down to earth. I'm really getting to the point with my finances where I have more than I need and want.
Beside being comfortable, all else seems to be going well also. The other day I made $5k in under a week. It wasn't a fluke and I can do it over and over again. I'm too busy waiting for the 2nd opportunity which will come. All this really puts dreaming about lottery on back burner. Nobody needs $600 million or whatever it is after taxes. Couple of million is nice and I'm working towards it and enjoying the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't anymore because I'm very down to earth. I'm really getting to the point with my finances where I have more than I need and want.
Beside being comfortable, all else seems to be going well also. The other day I made $5k in under a week. It wasn't a fluke and I can do it over and over again. I'm too busy waiting for the 2nd opportunity which will come. All this really puts dreaming about lottery on back burner. Nobody needs $600 million or whatever it is after taxes. Couple of million is nice and I'm working towards it and enjoying the process.

OP here. Don't be coy -- what are you doing? Day trading or dominatrix?

[Anonymous]

It's a mental escape op I get it.

[Anonymous]

I always fantasize how I'd give my money away to family. How much would I give to siblings/parents? Cousins? Cousins kids? DH is from a poor town in Appalachia. I would start 529 plans for all of their kids and even allow them to use the money for their own educations. I would give each family $500k to buy a house/pay off theirs and get new cars or do whatever. They have to promise not to mooch any more. I'd give parents and siblings $10M each. I'd want to stay in my current house but may quit my job. I don't know what I'd do all day though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always fantasize how I'd give my money away to family. How much would I give to siblings/parents? Cousins? Cousins kids? DH is from a poor town in Appalachia. I would start 529 plans for all of their kids and even allow them to use the money for their own educations. I would give each family $500k to buy a house/pay off theirs and get new cars or do whatever. They have to promise not to mooch any more. I'd give parents and siblings $10M each. I'd want to stay in my current house but may quit my job. I don't know what I'd do all day though.

I specifically don't fantasize about this because I know the bolded is unrealistic. DH and I have had conversations about how careful we will have to be if we ever come into serious money because while we are willing to help his brother with some things, the risk of him coming 100% dependent on us, and then angry at us for setting boundaries, is so, so high. It's what has happened with DH's parents. BIL has a personality disorder and very quickly becomes abusive. But also since he has a personality disorder, he needs money and struggles to be financially independent. It's such a catch-22. I wish we could tell him -- here's 500k, please use it to set yourself up well for the future but no more money-- and have faith he wouldn't be back in a year telling us we were terrible people for only giving him that much and how selfish and greedy we are and how his parents always loved DH best and we don't do enough for him.

So I try to avoid thinking about how I'd used the money to help family because I think this would be the messiest and most stress-inducing aspect of having a lot of money for us. Even though it should just be a joy.