To be a bit frustrated with lottery winners lack of imagination?

[angelos02]

To the couple that just won £33 million saying they'd pay for their daughter to fly first class back from Australia. Get a private jet ffs. Buy a yacht & the staff you'd need. Bring back that 'spend spend spend' woman!

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Forget the begging letters what about the thugs and kidnappers?

[DeoGratias]

I could afford first class and wouldn't pay it actually. I think they should send her back economy class.

[SinisterBumFacedCat]

My DP knows a lottery winner, we regularly wonder why he hasn't done the stuff we would do, (house by the sea, endless luxury holidays, fleet of campavans) I think there's a point where It's too much money to comprehend, especially in terms of helping others. I couldn't watch TV without feeling compelled to send out cheques to anyone who was going through a shit time that would be helped by money.
I remember watching a program years ago about a lottery winner who paid off 6 of his friends mortgages. Years later he had not been invited into any of the houses he'd helped them buy

[Notso]

DH and I had an argument once over a large jackpot because I said I'd keep a million for us and share the rest between every household where we live.
Actually I think Camelot should do that after so many roll overs. If nobody wins everyone gets a share.

[Puzzledandpissedoff]

Reminds me of the old joke:

"Pack your bags dear, I've won the lottery"
"Oh WOW that's amazing - where are we going?"
"No dear, pack your bags, I've won the lottery"

FWIW I (sort of) get the urge to say "it's not going to change my life" - at least initially. A big win can be a hell of a shock, and maybe they feel the need to hang onto at least some reality in the face of all those zeros?

It wouldn't take long for me to start changing my life quite a lot though

[MitzyLeFrouf]

I think initially I'd take myself away to Claridge's for a week to think things over.

[peggyundercrackers]

doesn't matter if you public - once you tell friends/family they will tell the media so everyone will know anyway...

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Nah. The people in your town may well find out but the news would never filter through to anything near the number of people who read the papers or watch the news.

[Notso]

Not always peggy. A ex-colleague of my Mum had a big win and didn't go public and despite living in a close knit village where everyone knows nobody ever told the press.
Aside from helping family, new cars and many holidays she hasn't changed her life much.

[donajimena]

I'm going to buy the house I currently rent, find the most antisocial tenants I can and let it to them just to piss my awful neighbours off. I'm going to have to buy the neighbours on the other side too because he's lovely.
The sad thing is I fantasise about this regularly. I don't want a yacht.

[MitzyLeFrouf]

I don't think £33m would get you much of a yacht anyway. At least not the type you see docked in St Tropez.

[Purplestarssparkle]

Dh and I would be on the first plane to certain country we like chill out for a bit then buy a villa there come back to the UK buy a couple of houses to rent out ( cheaply) but some money into funds to the DC ( adults now) but I would buy some land for my sister and build a house for you on the land in the middle of no where ( she hates ppl) then go back to villa we both don't get on with our families better much nc so no need for cover story

[TheoriginalLEM]

i wouldn't tell any fucker. or anyone else for that matter!

id pay my . mortgage and debts. put money aside for dd1 to buy a house and car. buy my mum a bungalow with a naice garden.

id never worry about money again.

[Stevie77]

there's a big difference between not keeping it a top secret and going public to the nation, on every news channel, online, in print etc.

Of course, you won't be able to realistically keep it from friends and family and perhaps the local community (depending on where you live). But why would you let the rest of the country and world know?!?

[ComposHatComesBack]

To be honest I'd rather win a million and avoid all the publicity and whatnot. Also I'm a bit of a lazy bastard so a 'never work again' sum of money would mean I'd spend my time vegetating. A sim thatlet me do anything I wanted within reason but not enough to allow me to do nothing would be ideal.

This is academic as I've never bought a ticketing my life.

[Bumshkawahwah]

I come from the same town as this couple - a very small town, in a rural area. There's no way they could have kept it quiet. It's a very working-class, modest town, so unless they move away, it's not like they could buy a million pound house, or a yacht, or whatever. Million pound houses just don't exist.

They've already been asked if they'll bail out the mill that went out of business in our town this week - I think there will be no shortage of begging letters :(

[MitzyLeFrouf]

Big difference though between the people in their small town knowing and the people the length and breadth of the UK knowing.

Their local postie will be cursing them.

[Katedotness1963]

I was really annoyed that they were asked, publicly , if they would be helping out the people's whose homes were flooded in the area. Talk about putting them on the spot! They haven't got over the shock of winning, don't know what they're doing for themselves yet, but some arse decides they should be helping out others. It rubbed me the wrong way...

[Havingafieldday]

I wouldn't tell anyone. We live in a fairly affluent area and the kind of house I would buy wouldn't raise too many eyebrows other than "bonuses must have been good this year". So, I'd move to a nicer house, buy a Range Rover Evoque in black which is my dream car but not noticeably nicer than my current car so wouldn't gather too much comment and go on a couple of nice holidays a year, 1st class but air miles could explain that. Kids already in private school so again, no reason for anyone to raise eyebrows

I'd buy a property as investment for each of the children, put away enough money for their education and sit on the rest. I wouldn't give up my job as I love working, I doubt DH would give up his and over time I would set up a charitable foundation which would allocate grants to which ever causes we felt were relevant but again, without using our names.

Shame I never buy a ticket though.

[Bumshkawahwah]

The local postie is quite possibly my Dad!

[Witchend]

I'd love to win.

I'd do some normal things like pay off the mortgage, put a bit in trust for the dc's so they can afford uni and buy a house.

Then there's a couple of local charities for whom £1m would be brilliant and let them do amazing things.

I've a couple of friends who struggle financially and I'd love to anonymously give them enough they don't need to worry about it.

And I'd like to pay for a local car park that's got atrocious surface to be resurfaced.

And a couple of the children's clubs could use a donation.

And lastly I'd have a sewing woom built onto the side of our house.

But I wouldn't go public. I'd want all donations to be anonymous.

[Bumshkawahwah]

Also, but surely when a whole town knows, it will end up being picked up by the press anyway?

[MitzyLeFrouf]

I'm not sure but unless it's been confirmed by the winners it won't be an article that makes much of a splash. 'Couple have been on holiday three times this year, neighbours suspect lottery win' isn't much of a headline!

p.s. if your dad's back starts to twinge he should hit them with a 'no win no fee' for carrying all those begging letters

[Chattymummyhere]

I wouldn't tell anyone. I would let people believe I had inherited from my biological farthers side of the family which my I laws no nothing about and my mother hasn't seen any of them or contact for over ten years. Buy a shed load of properties to let out cheap that would be put into trust in the children's names. Start our own company as a way to explain long lived increased spending.

Would more thank likely also set up some type of homeless charity for ex forceses where they can stay and call home with a proper address until they could get all the support required and a job.

[Obs2016]

Wouldn't people find out?