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Tell The National Lottery what you’d do with a fantasy £20,000 - £250 voucher prize draw! NOW CLOSED

463 replies

MichelleMumsnet · 08/08/2013 10:20

You may have heard recently that The National Lottery's Lotto game is changing this autumn and is introducing a new Raffle where 50 players will win £20,000 in each draw. To celebrate this, The National Lottery have asked us to find out what Mumsnetters would do with (a fantasy) £20,000.

Here's what The National Lottery say: "As of 5th October, Lotto is changing, offering more ways to win more money. The prize for matching three numbers will be increased from £10 to £25, the jackpots will be bigger (£2.5million on Wednesday and £5million on Saturdays) and there's a new raffle where 50 players will win a guaranteed £20,000 each draw. Tickets for the new game go on sale on 3rd October and cost £2 per line. We would love to hear about how Mumsnetters would spend £20,000 if they were to win the raffle prize!"

So what would you do if you were to win £20,000? Would you go on a huge spending spree, or would you be more careful with your winnings and put it aside for a rainy day?

What have you always wanted to do, but have never managed to justify the cost of? Dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant? Buy a piece of designer jewellery? Maybe you'd splash it all on a round the world holiday? Or perhaps you'd save it to make life easier for you and your DCs if they decide to go to university? Or would you take the opportunity to clear (some) debts or pay off a chunk of the mortgage?

Whatever it is, The National Lottery would love to hear about it.

Everyone who shares their thoughts on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £250 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

MNHQ

OP posts:
skyeskyeskye · 15/08/2013 12:27

I would love to pay £20K off my mortgage, but I have a friend getting married in the Carribean in 2015 and I would put aside enough money to go there, maybe £5K. I would also put another £5K aside for other holidays over the next few years and pay £10K off the mortgage.

So be sensible with half of it and treats with the other half

shivs1974 · 15/08/2013 12:40

You know how they say you should have 6 mths salary in a "rainy day" fund - well I'd start one of those and put quite a bit in there.

With the rest I'd request some unpaid leave from work and use the money to do some "we'll never forget" type holidays - dh, dds on a trip round the Hebrides (we went on honeymoon to Skye & Mull), do DisneyWorld for the children
Any left over - well I'd buy a piano and start piano lessons for my dds and myself and I'd get rid of all my clothes and have a wardrobe restyle. Think that should do it.

Lent1l · 15/08/2013 14:13

Hmm £20,000. Well paying off the car loan would seem sensible and would make things a little easier every month. The other thing to do would be to order the kitchen we had designed earleir this eyar but currently can not afford. We've spent the last three years doing up our first house and so far the kitchen has been neglected. Now we've almost completed the rest of the house it would be lovely to have a kitchen (seriously - we have no cupboards or work surface).

miserablemoo · 15/08/2013 15:17

I would want to spend it on something that I would not regret a few years down the line as we would never have that amount of money ever again.

  1. Clear debts so we could both sleep at night again!
  2. Newer car (over 10 years old)
  3. If anything left over it would go into savings for our children and we would treat close family to what they would like.

Not exciting but I would not have one single regret. I would also have to change my username on here as I would no longer be a miserable moo

dasteve · 15/08/2013 19:51

I would spend it on a garden makeover, front and back. A summer house for my wife (she's always wanted one) and a new drive. If there was any left I'd hire a VW camper and take my wife and toddler on holiday, maybe round the Isle of White.

ReadytoOrderSir · 15/08/2013 19:55

A new kitchen for me please. Previous owners refitted it on the cheap, with an awful layout. I just need to get rid of the carpet, move the back door, move the huge boiler ...

revolvenotevolve · 15/08/2013 20:06

Campervan to trav round the UK with my husband and three young children - and a luxury break abroad for my poorly Mum and Dad .

algor · 15/08/2013 20:19

Answer should be that I would put some into savings to replace all that we used up during my ds 6 month unemployment caper, put some towards the mortgage and splurge a little on replacing tired and worn items around the house. But as this is a "fantasy" win I think instead I should spend a great deal on me i.e. shoes, clothes, fabrics for sewing projects, champagnes & fine wines, dirty weekends with dh etc etc etc Grin

algor · 15/08/2013 20:20

Sorry should read DH unemployment, ds is only 12 !

ShiverMeWhiskers · 15/08/2013 22:42

I would put some into moving house, pay off a debt and with the rest give closest family and friends £1k each. Would have to spend some on travelling abroad to deliver money to in-laws personally! What a great way to surprise them!

Coldcuppacoffee · 15/08/2013 22:53

I'd love to go away for Xmas. I've been in the same place for all but two years of my life and I think I might pop if I do it again. So I'd go somewhere exotic.

New bathroom, second car. Normal stuff.

FreeWee · 15/08/2013 23:52

DH isn't earning for a year as he's going back to uni so £20k would cover our household bills for the year and mean we don't have to buy basics/value everything!

k8vincent · 16/08/2013 08:26

Definitely a road trip around the States. Our dream holiday unlikely to be realised any time soon!
That would still leave plenty to give away.

filimou · 16/08/2013 09:05

I really miss the family I have in Australia but cant really travel there with my DS for a few years, so, would pay for them to come here (thay are also dying to come over and see everyone).

PrincessYoni · 16/08/2013 09:26

Firstly, I would list and, then arrange for al the outstanding work on our house to be done.

House looking lovely, we would then go on our first overseas holiday in 7 years and DD's first ever. I would take us somewhere sunny but not too hot with lots of things to do and explore.

I would then put the house on the market.

With the remaining money, I would make a donation to my local food bank as 11,000 children live in poverty in my area.

AnneEyhtMeyer · 16/08/2013 09:38

I would:

  • replace our hideous bathroom and en-suite
  • make an overpayment to the mortgage
  • pay for a course I want to do but have been putting off due to cost
  • take the family away for a fun trip somewhere exciting - maybe Lapland
  • take DD to Build-a-Bear and finally let her buy some clothes for her bunny
DumSpiroSpero · 16/08/2013 16:28

Pay off debts, then it would be a toss up between upgrading the family car or putting it away for a dream holiday for my 40th in a couple of years.

iwantavuvezela · 16/08/2013 16:34

As my family live abroad I would use the money to pay for a family vacation, for both my husbands parents, my mum, andvall our siblings andvthere children. I would hire a big house or villa somewhere in Europe, have that and all food and entertainment paid for. As we don't see our family much (perhaps every two years), this would be the best way for me to spend the money.

Lily311 · 16/08/2013 18:43

Set up a reusable nappy business. I'm passionate and where I live currently there is a huge gap (abroad).

Wheresthecoffee · 17/08/2013 18:49

A camper van and clear the debts!

SarahAndFuck · 17/08/2013 19:54

Get the back garden sorted out a bit.

Buy a caravan.

Take DS to visit his cousins in Australia (but not in the caravan).

Donation to Bliss to fund a midwife to help premature babies and their families.

MrsHarford · 17/08/2013 20:59

oooo ..... dream kitchen granite worktops and all :-)

AnneElliott · 17/08/2013 21:03

I would put some of it towards a holiday in Disneyland and the rest towards the extension.

yoniwherethesundontshine · 17/08/2013 21:59

try and use it to invest in stuff that will keep yielding, I don't know much about camping for instance but probably need to start as holidays are getting out of reach now, so I would invest in the best camping beds, tents roof rack, luggage thing for on top of the car, stoves, so we could go camping even though we are not really campers, or perhaps get an old VW camper and spruce her up, again so we could go away for years to come. I would also invest in a few pieces of real art.

A real painting on a wall brings to my mind the whole house to life. I would also buy for investment and inheritance purposes.

I would put money away for lots of holiday things for my DD's to try, like a weeks tennis camp, swimming, drama, so they could have a taste of lots of different things and have a few fun weeks.

I would give my dad a few bob, probably for a holiday too and a few things that need doing in his flat.

Finally if there was any left over after the good stuff....I would fix our sink, the knob keeps coming off when you turn it on, so I would replace the sink and get a flash tap.

oh yes and get a personal trainer in for a few months until i qas 9stone again

Doubtfuldaphne · 17/08/2013 22:32

I would put some money in to each child's account, then go straight to town for a pair of very shiny and completely unpractical shoes.
All debts would be cleared and I would take my children straight back to the holiday park we have just come back from! My poor dd who is two, doesnt understand that the holiday's over and wakes me up every morning since, wearing her rubber ring and armbands ready for the early morning swim!