Friday, March 28, 2008

A "Big Money" Friday Five

This week's RevGalBlogPals Friday Five is short and sweet: What five things would you like to do with a million bucks?

Well, maybe it's not so short and sweet, because I've been spending some moodling time wondering whether to respond in terms of, once having the check deposited in the bank, spending it on five different things, or whether to come up with five completely different spending scenarios. (And, yes, I've had waaaay too much caffeine today.)

Let's assume the former: That I've been given a million dollars and have to divvy it up five ways. Let's also assume that I tithe to my church. Here's one way I might spend the rest:

1. Set up some sort of income-producing investment fund that would generate a decent regular household income enhancement, and then not touch the balance, at least for the next three decades or so. With any luck this would generate some money for, among other things, our favorite charities and "random acts," and, if there was money left upon our passing, at least some of it could go toward some cause we truly believe in and wish to support in a significant way.

2. Set a (relatively) small chunk of change aside for my Vehicle Fund. One of my chronic life anxieties is to some day run out of funds for purchasing vehicles as I need them.

3. Set another chunk of change aside for handyman services, and be able to keep a reliable tradesperson or two on retainer to do all those home-maintenance and improvement projects that make families brux their teeth because we either don't have the time or the expertise to do them the right way.

4. Set yet another chunk of change aside for a Family Recreation Fund. FT and I, and our four-legged beasties, very much cherish our recreational time. This would be our fund to draw upon for trips, for books and magazines and music, for hobby supplies (let's include recreational cooking and wine tasting here), for our outdoor activities, for games and entertainment. (Gertie says, "More loofah dogs! I want more loofah dogs!")

5. Reserve a final, much smaller, chunk of change for small personal luxuries -- a massage here, a pair of art-fair earrings there, a foot spa there. I might call this my Crappy Day Comfort Fund.

Keep in mind, of course, that it took me five minutes to come up with all this, and if you asked me five minutes from now it might all look different. And I've had no input from my better half, either. But the above is what I might do with a million dollars, if I ever found myself with such a thing.

13 comments:

PrJoolie said...

It is so NOT wrong to want a crappy day comfort fund! Lately I've been doing that with Visa, a poor fiscal choice. The idea of having a fund to draw on, once in a while...or regularly, in the case of massages. It's called self-care, it's important.

Unknown said...

I think you thought yours out pretty well.

Diane M. Roth said...

I really like your crappy day fund :)

Sally said...

a crappy day comfort fund... I love it :-)

Rachel said...

a fix it person on retainer! truly brilliant!

Auntie Knickers said...

I like the Crappy Day Comfort Fund, and I especially like the fixit person -- I might add a gardener, because I like flowers but am not good at gardening.

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

This is the most original list yet!

Processing Counselor said...

Can my Monopoly Man hang with your Daddy Warbucks? I guess I save on the handyman (super) and the vehicle (subway.)

Anonymous said...

Lovin' the list!!!!! I think I will trade my list for your list... except I still need to do some things to help momma out. You were obviously have a brilliant streak today!

Terri said...

Yup...good ideas!

Anonymous said...

Crappy Day Fund...I like that, but in my case lately, I would have to set aside a larger chunk.

Elaine (aka...Purple) said...

Loved the tag line "Comfort Fund for a Crappy Day"...I am keeping that one. Thanks.

Wren said...

That's a great list. It covers all the extras people forget to plan for, things we all hope to enjoy when we retire-- and before then too.