What if it's really Ender's Game?

[gerisullivan]

I don't pretend to understand the complexities of the financial mess the world is in, but if I just finished the 2009 version of Ender's Game, y'all will be glad to wake up to the news that the economy is saved and the world is rejoicing. At least, that's what the newspaper headlines on my monitor are telling me.

You, too, can play Trillion Dollar Bailout. But please don't mess things up now that I've set them right, okay?

On my own personal bailout front, I'm getting full value from the $2 fantasy I picked up today. Mega Millions is up to $212 million thanks to the fact that no one has hit the winning combination of numbers to take the jackpot since January 13th.

In those 7 weeks, over 9 million tickets have won amounts between $2 and $250,000...and millions upon millions upon hundreds of millions more haven't won anything at all. The overall odds of winning a prize are 1:40. Even the lowest, the $2 prize that several million tickets have won, have odds of 1:75.

So, yes, it's a fantasy. I've always known that. Every so often, probably to the tune of about $10/year, I buy one ticket with numbers I like and one "quick-pick" where I let the machine pick the numbers. Then I daydream until I get around to checking to see if I won.

The fantasies are a useful way of determining what I'm most interested in doing at any given time. They shed fresh light and perspective on problems that are preying on my mind. So far, this time around I'm focusing more than ever on how many friends I'd enjoy helping. If it happened for real, I'd have to figure out how do help in ways that truly are helpful, and of limiting myself even with what sounds like unlimited wealth to me. 'Cause if there's one thing the last 20 years have taught me, it's that I tend to overspend pretty much whatever I have -- money, time, energy, you name it. No one who wins a lottery jackpot wants to be broke again a few years later, yet all too many of them are. I'd be at risk of that.

The surprising part of Saturday's fantasy came when I kept thinking of things I'd want to do here at Toad Woods. Economically, it would make more sense to buy a different (better) place than pour money no one would ever recoup into making this place more comfortable, with more of the visual delight I treasure more than I possibly knew or guessed before moving here most of 5 years ago. The fact that I'm fantasizing about staying here...building onto the back, adding the sunroom, screened porch, and new multi-level deck...hiring a landscape architect, tree service, and gardeners to have their way and mine with the lawn, hillsides, and woods....

Complementing that were the projects I could offer to fund for the town. What would benefit Wales? (And what would merely turn into one more thing for the townspeople to argue about?) The town doesn't want development. Arthur D. Norcross did the area a great service when he established the Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary just two miles from where Toad Woods sits today. The closer I look at the Foundation he funded, the more impressed I get.

The $2 fantasy reminds me that I really do like it here. And it points out just how important it is to me to have a recognizable "home away from home" to offer should a certain young woman who's singing at Carnegie Hall in two weeks end up deciding to head this measure of east for college in another two years. Yes, I know. I carry home with me and I've long been comfortable doing so. But this is the home where she's counted frogs in the pond, made circus-related accessories for several of the denizens of the Toy Room, hung upside down from the rod in an unpacked garment box, watched Dr. Who, read Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels pretty much non-stop, and been her usual marvelous self as her Mom and I talked for hours upon hours upon hours. And so on.

It's not just her, of course. It's everyone who's visited, and it's the hours, the years I've spent here on my own. It's home and I want to make it as solid and comfortable as I can within whatever my means are of doing so.

Winning that $220 million on Tuesday night would certainly add to those means....

Until then, I have nearly 3 days of fantasizing to go. There's nothing wrong with getting $10 of value from a $2 investment, at least not under these circumstances.

Comments

[lauriemann.livejournal.com]

I was Powerball winner last week - a whole $7! ;->

[dhole.livejournal.com]

I get my lottery fantasy money by memorizing a couple of winning numbers from the late 90s. If I'm thrown backwards in time, that's going to come in handy.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Why you clever thing, you. It' about time someone who is *prepared* gets tossed in the time vortex.

[redbird]

It's a fantasy, but you can work with it on its own terms: if you win the Powerball Tuesday night, you won't need to think about your home primarily in terms of possible resale value. It's reasonable to spend money on comfort, if you have the money, whether that's taking Amtrak instead of Greyhound or adding a sun porch to your house even though the addition costs more than the amount it would increase the resale value n years from now, given a statistical buyer.

[maruad.livejournal.com]

I get even better value on my fantasy winnings because I fantasize that my mother or sister bought a ticket, won and gave me a portion. So I get all the fantasy without paying anything for it. Mind you our lottery winnings don't reach the $200 million mark so I am limited to spending 1/3 of C$50 million instead.

[sethb.livejournal.com]

But you don't pay taxes on lottery winnings, do you? Is it paid all upfront?

In the US, you'd typically cash out about 25% of the advertised amount.

[maruad.livejournal.com]

You are correct and we do receive the money all at once, not paid out over time (althought there is a new lottery out that offers a million a year for life).

[frostfox.livejournal.com]

I don't bother with the lottery. I do have about two thousand in Premium Bonds, they win about £50 a year, with the current state of savings, is enough.

In lots and lots of ways I don't want to win millions. I like my life, I like my friends, my home, I fear all that would change if I won the pot. I'd like to win 250k, enough to buy a house in Wales, by the sea, and to retire and paint.

FF

[(Anonymous)]

My experience is that retirement does not leave nearly as much time available to paint as you might expect. Maybe it is different for people whose children are grown.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

:-) $2 for five days of fantasy is a bargain!

[timill]

Certainly cheaper than a Worldcon...

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

I totally saved the economy AND funded light rail! I knew it could be done!

[sraun]

I'm like lauriemann - I won $7 on Powerball last week!

iraunink has a statistic on what percentage of big lottery winners end up declaring bankruptcy within some small number of years - I remember it as being a scary number. If we win, part of what we do is take "enough" money, and invest it in something where it's really hard to get at the principal, and making enough interest to live off of. Interest income target for that is ~$100,000/year. Using conservative interest income numbers (~2%), that's $5 million. Still leaves an awful lot of the $220 million to play with.

[redbird]

That's why I'd consider taking the annuity-style payment instead of the lump sum.

[sraun]

I'm not certain the annuity option helps? Yes, it's nearly impossible to get at the principle (although there are a number of places that will cheerfully buy the annuity from you for a lump sum - I wonder how much you'd actually get?), but whether or not it helps with the spending, I don't know.

For my wife and I, knowing that we've gotten all the money, and now it's all our responsibility helps.

[judith-dascoyne.livejournal.com]

Well I think you are one in a million so you have a better than average chance.
Dream
Dream
Dream

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Love you!