Living day to day and having some weeks we have to put off a bill for a few days to buy groceries, makes winning the lottery sound like a dream come true scenario.

What would you do if you won the lottery? Sounds like an easy question to answer. However, when you really take the time to really think about things and actually look at the situation as a real scenario, what would you do if you won the lottery?

The first phone call I would make wouldn’t be to friends or family to brag. It would be to an attorney to help me cover my rear end as I enter the new found world of finances and legal matters. Calling an attorney that I know I can trust and depend on to not take advantage of me took some thought, I finally came up with a name.

Calling the officials to let them know I had the ticket would be my next step. Getting the ticket turned in quickly to assure I didn’t lose it would be crucial. I lose everything. I can lose things that never seem to surface again. Every day I am searching frantically for one thing or another. Thank goodness I have never forgotten my children.

I would more than likely get one lump sum. Well, depending on the amount I win. Low amounts a couple of million or so, I may do monthly payments or the taxes would get the best of you in the end. Taking a lump sum opens more doors for investing and getting businesses started to increase your winnings for a life time and beyond.
David Hardy

3/31/08-Lottery, Pg 2 of 4

I would sit aside ample for my children. I would further continue to add to their amounts with investments, if they were good kids. If one decided to become a drug head or something, well, they could kiss the money gone.

I would like to see that my kids could go to school to be what ever they wanted, not ever have to worry about money and just be able to enjoy their children and spouses. I would make stipulations that would have my children being responsible adults. Finishing college and having to maintain some form of work/volunteering in order to benefit from the money. If they didn’t, no money. It would be that simple. I would not allow them to be nothing, with no self-respect in the end when it matters. Besides, an easy road is not always the healthiest for people. Look at all the celebrities and the messes they find themselves in once they have all the fame and fortune.

Investing would be a most important part of my winnings. Before I went out and bought the first thing, I would get money going into investments and businesses. I would take so much per month and invest it wisely. I know with the market being the way it is at times this may prove risk at times, but you just have to make more money.

Once I had my ducks in a row, my kids taken care of and money working for me, then I would start looking at the luxury of having money. When I first answered, before really looking at this as a realistic option, I jumped straight to this point.

I would build my family a house on the lake. I would get a truck, a BIG ONE! Send my wife to the spa for some royal treatment and relaxation. Get a couple of vacation spots.

David Hardy

3/31/08-Lottery, Pg 3 of 4

A place in the mountains with a lake or creek to fish. Acres and acres so I could hunt at my own pace. A nice house in the middle of it all so I could be lost in the surroundings. I would put in paths for four-wheeling, biking, and hiking.

A trip to a nice beach somewhere would be my next vacation spot, otherwise, my wife would kill me and get it all. I would let her do the picking and sitting up of amenities. I would just go along to get along.

Get the normal, everyone new clothes, wife a car, new furniture and the general new household items, big ol’ John Deere tractor and things like that, about forgot, a boat or two–one for fishing and one for the family .

I would take care of my parents. House, car, furniture, and get things in place for them to be taken care of when they get older and will need medical care. Same for my two brothers. I would set my three nieces and three nephews enough aside for their college and a car. For the rest of my family, I would give everyone, uncles, cousins, etc., the same amount, nothing extravagant, probably about $10,000. My friends, the ones’ who were out of the woodwork BEFORE I won, I would give them a chunk too, probably more than my cousins I have seen but once a year for twenty years.

All of this spending would depend on the amount I won. If I had won $432 million and cleared about $300 million, I would be more giving to family. I wouldn’t be greedy, but not stupid either.

I would give to my church, do they take lottery winnings? I may have to wait until an

David Hardy

3/31/08-Lottery, Pg 4 of 4

investment made some profit and they would take it by that means. Not sure how this works.

Charities, I would pick some and give them lump sums. I would pick some that I contributed to each month when profits from my investments came rolling in.

Overall, I think I would be level headed and not go nuts. It seems if I would have been answering this question a few years ago, prior to marriage and kids, I would have had a one word simple answer-party. Sure am glad, just in case I luck up and win, I would do better now.

                                                                           David Hardy