to think a large sum of money would give you life long happiness we can't even imagine

[SillyBud]

Just pondering on the person who win the 109 million last night and think that yesterday they were just like us-stressed about so many things that could be eased/abolished by money-mortgages, rent, work,health and fitness,appearance...

Can you actually imagine waking up today to discover you are 109 million richer and free from so much the rest of us are prisoner to?

I'd love to win a million so I'd never have to work again, but £109 million would be way too much. I'd feel like I had a target on my head if I had that much. Imagine all the begging letters and people trying to inveigle themselves into your life to try to get some of it.

Could you cope with it? Your children are set for life and their children. But will it affect them or your partner. Will you hand out money or worry about your security. There are the legal issues,wills, inheritance tax etc If you don't have your health the money will get you healthcare but might not be enough. We had a family member die recently. He was well off but it wasn't enough to save him. @catwithrabbit think you have to prove who you are, give your account details and get some advice

@lockthedoor36
Oh get off your bloody high horse. There’s a lot in between winning £109m and living in poverty. I don’t think anyone should have £109m. Not when a fraction of that amount would provide financially comfortable life for someone and their family.

If you don't have your health the money will get you healthcare but might not be enough. We had a family member die recently. He was well off but it wasn't enough to save him

it's not always about saving them though, it's about ensuring the best comfort in the illness that one can get up to the end. I'd much rather have full time carers in and stay at home of I was dying of a terminal illness than have to go into a home/hospital.

Oh get off your bloody high horse. There’s a lot in between winning £109m and living in poverty. I don’t think anyone should have £109m. Not when a fraction of that amount would provide financially comfortable life for someone and their family.

ok mother Teresa so if you were offered 109 million would you turn it down?

He died in hospital and it was the best place. But I could manage 109 million. 100k to people I work with. That's about 2 million gone but may get them mortgage free or retired early. Same to friends who have been there forever. Simple things like giving my in laws 2k a month extra. It's only 25k per annum but that's heating on 24/7 and spare money for treats without going crazy.

Security would bother me. You’d have to pay for security and worry about your kids being kidnapped. I wouldn’t like that much money. A couple of million would be nice though.

There is a big difference between having enough money to live comfortably (by living comfortably I mean not having to worry about buying food, affording heating, being able to LIVE without awful money stress) and £109m.

Of course if your basic needs aren't met, then money is the answer. Agree too that things like private medical help and so on need money. These things don't cost anything like £109m though.

£109m is SUCH a massive amount of money, and I'm not convinced that the huge responsibility that comes with it could make many people 'happy'.

How much of your 'free' lottery money and your luck could you actually enjoy? Admittedly I'd probably get a nicer house, upgrade my car, have a few nice holidays... even if I had VERY expensive tastes I'd still have £105m in the bank though. So then I'd probably use the interest and/or some capital to do good... but everyone would have an opinion on my philanthropy choices and everyone would feel justified in having a negative opinion on my choices. There is no respect earned with a lottery win, and I'd probably be torn to shreds no matter how good my intentions were.

No thanks.

Will also add that a relative of mine is insanely wealthy, and one of the least happy people I know.

All you need is enough money to live comfortably enough to be happy. Once basic needs are met like food/warmth/health then I don't think money does create happiness. Certainly £109m would be a burden.

Security would bother me. You’d have to pay for security and worry about your kids being kidnapped

if you are stupid enough to broadcast it, there are plenty of multi millionaires living around the world with no security who get no hassle.

‘ ok mother Teresa so if you were offered 109 million would you turn it down?’

absolutely not. I would happily take the money and set up a foundation with the sole Aim of giving as much of the money to causes close to my heart as possible.
I would keep what I think would allow my close family and friends to be comfortable and use the foundation to manage the majority of the money, invest, use the interest to have a viable foundation focussing on giving money to smaller, grassroots charities.

absolutely not. I would happily take the money and set up a foundation with the sole Aim of giving as much of the money to causes close to my heart as possible.
I would keep what I think would allow my close family and friends to be comfortable and use the foundation to manage the majority of the money, invest, use the interest to have a viable foundation focussing on giving money to smaller, grassroots charities.

then if you'd readily take the cash yourself get off your own high horse xx

£1m would keep me comfortable for the rest of my life, so why the hell would I need the rest? I’d Jack in the job, start my foundation, hire some friends and family and pay them well and start giving the money out where it could really make a difference.

£1m would keep me comfortable for the rest of my life, so why the hell would I need the rest? I’d Jack in the job, start my foundation, hire some friends and family and pay them well and start giving the money out where it could really make a difference

sounds ambitious/unrealistic with a million.

‘ sounds ambitious/unrealistic with a million.’

That’s a joke right? I don’t give a shit about turning left on a plane, I don’t care about the car have so long as it goes, I don’t wear labels and care about those even less. I think I’d be okay with a million quid, on top of what I have a the moment.

We are fortunate enough to be comfortable (very far from wealthy, but no money worries), but with that sort of money I could make so many other people's money worries disappear.

I'd buy my mum a house and give her a monthly allowance so she doesn't have to struggle by on her pension.

I'd buy my best mate a house, and set up a trust fund for her disabled son, so she won't have to worry about his future (she's a single mum).

I'd start university funds for my nieces and nephews, so they can do what they want in the future without incurring a lot of debt, and I'd pay off their parents' mortgages and any other debt.

I mean, it'll never happen as I don't play the lottery, but it's nice to imagine.

@lockthedoor36

I can't think if any that are in category 3. Genuinely. Interested in other people's examples

something like a huge regret from the past one lingers on, so I met a person on holiday a decade ago. Really liked him and he seemed interested but for reasons at the time I couldn't pursue it and left without getting his details. To this day I bitterly regret it and no amount of money can undo that regret.

Others would be getting badly dumped once by a man I still dream of, he was my 1st love, we met at 21 and to this day I am still not over him, well over a decade later. He got a chronic disease too and oh it's a long story fill of pain and sadness...But we parted on very bad terms and he shunned me, Again yes I could get counselling etc and I did at the time but no amount off cash and counselling can stop my pain over him.

Others would be of a terrible row in my family amongst siblings which has left the family shattered, it is far from a trivial row and I have my regrets over my actions in it but again no money could fix it.

For me I think the terrible problems that can't be fixed by cash are things that happened in the past and the marks they leave on us. As the saying goes no man is rich enough that they can buy back their past. Of course tragedies can't be fixed by money really either.

You can pay for expensive therapy to help you get over your regrets. 🙂

There are very few things that keep me awake that money in the bank wouldn’t fix tbh. If I had enough to look after myself and my family I would dedicate myself (and my finances) to helping others in the same difficult situations I’ve been through.

I think some people lost the sense of what's truly important and can't understand that some of us still get it. And to clarify: I KNOW CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY IS NECESSARY TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE, but no, I don't think having millions in your bank account will make you happier than people who have less than you.
There are universal things that make us happy: it's love, friendship, being a part of community, having a purpose in life, being in good health. You don't need to be wealthy to have that, but you can be multimillionaire and not have those things.

@Furbulousnous

‘ sounds ambitious/unrealistic with a million.’

That’s a joke right? I don’t give a shit about turning left on a plane, I don’t care about the car have so long as it goes, I don’t wear labels and care about those even less. I think I’d be okay with a million quid, on top of what I have a the moment.

Depends on you age really. I'm 37 and if I lived a modest life style I could stretch the 3.6m that you would win on set for life lottery the rest of mine and my wife's life.

2.5k each a month to live off
1k for mortgage
4k to save for when the 10k a month stops after 30yrs

Depends on you age really. I'm 37 and if I lived a modest life style I could stretch the 3.6m that you would win on set for life lottery the rest of mine and my wife's life

Yea but there is a difference between a million and 3.6 million.

£1m would keep me comfortable for the rest of my life, so why the hell would I need the rest? I’d Jack in the job, start my foundation, hire some friends and family and pay them well and start giving the money out where it could really make a difference

I don't know if you are being tongue in cheek, obtuse or just plain clueless but a million would not get you far in that plan. The level of ignorance on this thread is quite alarming.
I think all the people banging on about only needing a million really don't release that a million isn't what it once was, just look at property prices these days especially around the South East and if you want to set your kids up on top of that a million wouldn't het you as far as you'd think.
BTW a million to me would be massive money and I live with my mum and 2 daughters and son in a council house living on a modest wage but I am still not naïve enough to think a million would set us all up for life. It would help but I couldn't give up work etc and live like royalty.

I think the people saying they'd only need a million obviously already have considerable assets and money and are quite oblivious to exactly how much property prices have soared over the last few years.

@lockthedoor36

Imagine burdening your children with that wealth, how would you keep their lives ‘normal

so would you rather burden them with poverty? and you can keep it as normal as you want, many of the Euromillions winners remain anonymous and we never hear a peep from them.

There is a middle ground you know, somewhere between nicking food out of bins and having gold leaf applied to the bodywork of your Ferrari. No one needs £109m.

@THETFORD

Depends on you age really. I'm 37 and if I lived a modest life style I could stretch the 3.6m that you would win on set for life lottery the rest of mine and my wife's life

Yea but there is a difference between a million and 3.6 million.

Well yeah, I know how numbers work.

I was saying even with 3.6m I would still need to be careful so I think saying 1m would unrealistic

They will still experience bad times though obviously could afford to have them in comfort. I wouldn't want £109m, it would terrify me! I'd probably give most of it away, discreetly. I am content as I am.

As a younger person times were hard and I would have liked to have more money. However, I survived.

@THETFORD

£1m would keep me comfortable for the rest of my life, so why the hell would I need the rest? I’d Jack in the job, start my foundation, hire some friends and family and pay them well and start giving the money out where it could really make a difference

I don't know if you are being tongue in cheek, obtuse or just plain clueless but a million would not get you far in that plan. The level of ignorance on this thread is quite alarming.
I think all the people banging on about only needing a million really don't release that a million isn't what it once was, just look at property prices these days especially around the South East and if you want to set your kids up on top of that a million wouldn't het you as far as you'd think.
BTW a million to me would be massive money and I live with my mum and 2 daughters and son in a council house living on a modest wage but I am still not naïve enough to think a million would set us all up for life. It would help but I couldn't give up work etc and live like royalty.

I think the people saying they'd only need a million obviously already have considerable assets and money and are quite oblivious to exactly how much property prices have soared over the last few years.

Why would I care what the property prices in the South East were? I don't want to live in the South East.

I bought my house in 2019 as a first-time buyer for £130k with a 10% deposit. After a lot of overpaying I am now down to owing £95k. I've got some renovations I'd need to do but between that and the £95k outstanding I'd still have change from £200k.

With the mortgage paid for, my bills/food etc. would be as little as £10k/year. If I live for another 50 years that £800k would stretch to £16k/year (remember that many people subsist on that WITH rent to pay, mortgage-free would be a doddle).

So yes, I could (in my late 20s, no dependants) retire now if £1m fell into my lap, with a few quid left over for the fun things. So I certainly would give away the other £108m to causes I felt were worthwhile.

I wouldn't retire though, I'd find myself some employment, even if only part time just to keep be sane. I'd probably actually stick with my current employer as some of the non-monetary perks are quite worthwhile.

I think the people saying they'd only need a million obviously already have considerable assets and money
I own 40% of the roof over my head. All those slates are certainly invaluable to me but it's not really a "considerable" asset measured in financial terms. Nor am I swimming in cash. I'm doing "just about OK". That's good enough for me. No, I don't want to be poor, but I don't see much attraction in being filthy rich either. The Goldilocks zone is fine.