Anonymous wrote:There is a chance DH will be making an extra $750K due to a deal he is working on. Normal HHI is approx $180K. We do ok on the $180K but we have 4 kids, all in parochial private school, so we have high expenses.
After taxes, I assume it will be closer to $400K. Here are the things we'd like to do.
$130K-150K - home addition (we only have 3 bedrooms upstairs and with 4 kids, its tight. We'd like to add an addition for an extra 2 bedrooms and a bath)
$56K - my student loan balace, but interest rate is only 1.75% (worth paying off with that kind of interest rate?)
$40K - DH student loans, interest rate 6%
$20K - buy new/used minivan (prob a 2011-2012)- 8 seater (currently have a 7 seater 2007 minivan and a 2007 sedan that needs a new transmission)
College savings?
Regular savings?
Would it be crazy to spend $200K right off the bat? We have never encountered this kind of money and dont want to be dumb about it but also would love the opportunity to do some major improvements in our life. We dont care about fancy trips or clothes or any of that kind of thing.
What a nice "problem" to have. I would do as you have said.

I would pay off the student loans- that way the monthly savings you have for your budget from here on out and the psychological value IME is astounding. I would do the addition- you need the space now. Buying the minivan is good too- again you won't have to add in the loan amount to your monthly budget. I would splurge on a great vacation with $15-25k of it (depending on where you go understanding that airfare for 6 is expensive). I would put $25k in each child's college fund. College is much more expensive than parochial school. I am assuming you have already have 6-12 months of expenses in an emergency fund (otherwise that is first on the list). Do you make donations? For us we would donate $75k+.
Your ideas sound fine and practical to me.