If I had a million dollars...

[magid]

Actually, I was thinking about what I'd do if I suddenly came into money, but not a totally life-changing amount like a million plus. Rather, something more life-ameliorating, say, something in the five-digit range. It's enough to do some very nice things with, but not enough so that you'd retire and give all your friends Porsches.

What would you do with $50,000 (after taxes)?


definites

• fund the IRA for this year and last
  
• pay down the mortgage a chunk
  (depending on what was left after doing other things, but a decent chunk of the total; it makes me happy to be closer to freedom from debt)
  
• give extra to favorite charities
  (though this leads to a dilemma: if I give more this year, then they'll expect that level next year, which I won't (necessarily) have. What I'd really like is some kind of middleman to make the donations anonymous to the recipients, yet still get a tax receipt.)

strong possibles (ie, the things I'd juggle to make the numbers work, so probably some of all of these would happen, but not all of everything)

• condo upgrading things
  (built-in bookshelves, redo the floors (including movers to deal with the stuff currently on the floors :-), replace the futon, replace the fridge, redo the porch, rewire as necessary, etc.)
  
• travel
  (somewhere new to explore, perhaps take that trip to Gibraltar I'd thought about last fall, and/or a trip to Israel)
  
• art
  (treat myself to a new painting or other artwork. Also, buy more supplies for doing my own creative things, such as camera accessories, yarn, fancy paper, a sewing machine, fabric, and so on. Perhaps classes as well.)
  
• food
  (I'd definitely have to have some kind of awesome dinner party to celebrate, trying out trendy ingredients and such. If I found more room in the kitchen, perhaps buy some new kitchen gadgets.)

Comments

[hyounpark.livejournal.com]

I'd totally redo the kitchen, clean up the plumbing, fly somewhere interesting once a month for the next year, and save the rest (probably around $20K or so).

Semiresponsibly,
Hyoun

[magid.livejournal.com]

What sorts of things to you want redone in the kitchen?

[hyounpark.livejournal.com]

I'd want to completely redo the cabinets because they make no sense. They only go 2/3rds of the way to the ceiling, leaving a lot of empty space, and they're actually positioned to minimize the amount of space in the kitchen.

I'd want to move the refrigerator next to the sink by destroying the cabinets around the sink. This would open up a whole section of the kitchen for counterspace. I'd get marble countertops because the laminate ones I have now just suck. And I'd get track lighting. And a venting fan that actually blew heat out of the ouse. And a nice pan rack. And a pony.

Daydreamingly,
Hyoun

[magid.livejournal.com]

That'd have to be some makeover, to fit a pony stall in your kitchen!