So, if you were to receive $100,000, how would you spend it?

[me b zola]

I read a letter to the editor of the Oregonian proposing that for the $$$ being spent bailing out these big banks, they could for less money give $100,000 to every US citizen. The writer went on to say that this would actually achieve the stimulus to the economy that all of these corporate give-aways are purported to accomplish. I'm no economist, but I agree.

We would buy a plot of land (20+ acres) and begin outfitting it for renewable energy. What would you do with that much tax-free $$$ handed to you?

[NorCalDem]

1. I would buy gold with it....

and wait. I'm to cheap to spend it now and the economy sucks to much to invest it, so i'd buy some gold...

[Ganja Ninja]

8. Yup, pay my bills and put it into gold coins.

Maybe buy a new car that gets good gas mileage too.

[me b zola]

9. Gold is high right now

There isn't anything else that you may be inclined to invest in? Bonds? CDs?

[KittyWampus]

53. Coal.

[me b zola]

58. I hope that that commodity will lose value

Sorry, but I'm hopeful renewable energy will take hold and oil and coal will fall off of the map. I'm all for wind-turbine factories in the WV and the Appalachian Mountains.

[KittyWampus]

61. Not for at least a quarter century. I don't like coal either, but instead realize it's importance

and necessity.

Better to fight for regulations and enforcement. For now.

[Xenotime]

124. Coal only has value because you put value on it.

We should be putting value on things like hydrogen and wind that will save this earth not destroy it. Try to think about the planet sometime.

[TheFarseer]

130. isn't coal still the most cost effective energy?

I know it's bad for global warming and all but I have to bust you when you say it only has value in the same way people talk about a dollar bill having value.

[Mister Ed]

137. Better take possession of the gold

My step-brother, the portfolio manager and all-around financial guru, tells me the total amount of gold mined in all the history of humanity doesn't nearly equal the amount of gold people hold certificates for. In other words, if and when push really comes to shove, a lot of people who think they own gold will find they own nothing.

[Winterblues]

2. Fast

That is how i would spend it. I do that. I spend money faster than I make it. :-(

[me b zola]

4. Well, that would stimulate the economy

:D

[RaleighNCDUer]

37. That would be the way to do it -

before such an infusion shot inflation through the roof.

The way to make it work as a stimulus would be to dole that $100k out at $2k/month for fifty months. People would start with paying off or paying down their bills, then start buying. Some would save it back for 8 or 10 months to buy a new car, some would hold back to get down-payments for houses.

Have to reduce the shock to the system to keep it from collapsing.

[me b zola]

38. I heard that is what they are doing in Russia

They are losing value of their currency, so people are buying up...stuff.

[rateyes]

3. Pay for my children's college education.

[rateyes]

5. BTW, the letter to the editor is mathematically incorrect.

$700,000,000,000.00 divided by 300,000,000 people is about $2300.00, not $100,000.00 per citizen.

[me b zola]

10. Perhaps the writer meant adults or HOHs?

:shrug:

[Speck Tater]

26. The letter writer was mathematically illiterate

And probably just took as face value some totally bogus email that's in circulation saying pretty much the same thing. As has already been pointed out the real amount is about $2300.00. Even if the average family had five people in the household, that would only raise it to $11,500.00 per head of household. To make it $100,000.00 per head of household would take an average household size of 43.4 people per house. I don't know of many families with two parents and 41 children.

[scheming daemons]

36. Correct..... It is shameful how many people can't do simple math

[ColbertWatcher]

91. ...

[lukasahero]

59. And we wonder why we're in an economic crisis

Maybe we should spend the money on education? ;)

[Blu Dahlia]

79. give it to every taxpayer, not every citizen

[sledgehammer]

97. That's what I was thinking...

Even if you take half the population (for whatever reasons - let's say tax-payers only), this is what it would look like:

$100,000 * 150,000,000 = 15,000,000,000,000

That would be $15 trillion in bailouts.

The bailouts so far are around 800 billion, but even if they double to around 1.5 trillion, it would be $10,000 per citizen (if you include tax-payers only) or $5,000 (if you include every man, woman, and child).

[anigbrowl]

113. Latest in a long string of innumerate people spreading this meme

It's bad enough seeing it on the internet, I don't get how newspaper editors print this Bs without thinking about the numbers, or at least reaching for a calculator.

[SOS]

160. The total amount committed is $7.8 trillion

Comes to $26,000 for every man, woman and child in the US, or $56,000 per tax payer.
If you live in a home with two tax paying adults, your share of the committed funds is $112,000.

[donco6]

6. Pay off any interest-bearing debt.

Outfit the house with solar.

Redo my backyard landscaping with xerascape.

Buy a hybrid car.

Use money to save money.

[me b zola]

12. Sounds like you would be an economy stimulator

:D

[donco6]

17. Well, my ACE Hardware would be busy.

And the solar place in Boulder I looked at a while ago. Pretty cool. Several of my neighbors have done it, and it looks fine and works well.

Yes, I would spend, spend, spend. But end up saving money in the end . . . I think.

[CrispyQ]

29. Namaste in Boulder?

http://www.namastesolar.com/

We've been considering this, too. I'd love to hear what your neighbors think of their systems. We don't have air conditioning so we think our meter would run backwards most of the summer. Also, what kind of tax breaks or other incentives did they get? I spoke to one woman who said their entire system was $36,000 & they ended up paying $12,000. That seemed like an incredible (unbelievable?) break to me!

[donco6]

That sounds very similar to the deals they got.

Yes, Namaste. Everyone I've talked to says they work great. Don't even notice them, except for the lower bills.

[awoke_in_2003]

102. Add a Macbook Pro...

and I am in.

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

7. Pay off my debts and use the remainder on my parents' mortgage.

[JVS]

11. A car and a house

[me b zola]

13. Aha! Another economy stimulator

:thumbsup:

[JVS]

16. Buy LOW! That's my motto!

[Xenotime]

125. capitalism is dead.

Why would you want to put money into it?

[JVS]

140. Until we have a centralized economy, it's still alive even if it is in a sick bed.

I'd rather own a place to live than hold onto $100K in cash. That money could become worthless. The place to live has utility value.

[Daphne08]

14. I would move back to the country, put a down payment on a

modest home and a parcel of land... and grow my own vegetables again.

[stuntcat]

76. the Right On answer!

I'm waiting every single hour for the day I can finally get away from the suburb, out into the hills!

[helderheid]

15. I'd pay down my debt.

[lady raven]

18. If this was 100k after taxes

I would replace our cars with reliable used cars- One we are about to outgrow and one that we can't keep running. (This would take about 30k) I would pay off our credit cards (about $2k) and pay off our house (We owe about 50k).

I would buy a used hot tub (They are going around here for $1k or so). We don't have a bathtub here, just a shower, and I have some muscle pain issues. I'd put the rest in the bank.

I should add that paying off the house would REALLY stimulate the economy. I'm buying from my mom and paying monthly payments to her. She is a BIG spender- She'd likely spend it all.

[Shiver]

19. I actually worked this out during the financial bailout

Well, actually, I worked it out using $1,000,000 (Better than 700b for those people, just give everyone a million; it'd cost less)

$30,000 to pay off my student loans.

$20,000 to get back into school (includes new computer and other supplies; two-year technical college.)

$10,000 for random crap.

The rest, I think, I'd use for a nice apartment and the furnishings... no set cost for that, and admittedly, after a few months, I'd have to pay for it without stimulus money.

[scheming daemons]

35. You need a new calculator too

$1,000,000 for every citizen = $300,000,000,000,000

$300 TRILLION



Why are Americans so bad at math?

[Shiver]

39. Truth be told, I am horrible at math

Was better with English, Art and History.

But I figured it out a little differently, eliminating everyone under 18 and everyone for whom $1,000,000 wouldn't mean squat, as well as convicted felons, etc... :shrug:

[Tyrone Slothrop]

20. I have zero debt

I've been very careful with my money. 30 years old, and I don't have any CC debt, no student loans, anything.

I'd probably use it to buy a house, do some traveling and invest the rest.

[MazeRat7]

21. Use it to generate income via various investment vehicles...

So when I do move to the country and off the gird I would have a few $$$ coming in to keep the place up and running.

Peace,
MZr7

[darkism]

27. Investments, of course.

We're at the bottom and under President Obama things can only go up...so buy now!

[Mr. McD]

22. Thats about half of what I have lost so far due to the economy.

Most of that in property value. I would save it toward my retirement which will need be postponed a few years at least. It was to be in about two years. Now who knows.

[tabbycat31]

23. pay off debt, fund my tuition

a little to live off of until I'm done with school.

Then bank the rest. Eventually use it for a downpayment on a house.

[closeupready]

24. Pay off my credit cards and then honestly I'd probably buy stuff

to replace all the things I've been putting off due to my existing credit card debts.

[jmg257]

25. Play the current market a bit, as it goes up and down every few days now - make more cash!! nt

[mikelgb]

28. Two chicks at the same time

[Tommy_Carcetti]

40. Fuckin' A, man.

You stole my answer.

[awoke_in_2003]

103. That was my answer

assclown :)

[CrispyQ]

30. I'd do a few upgrades on my house

& use the rest as down payments on 2-3 rental properties.

[NoPasaran]

31. Finally get those gold-plated socks

[Ilsa]

32. Erase all debts, fix up house, place in savings for retirement. nt

[scheming daemons]

33. The editor of the Oregonian needs a new calculator

300,000,000 citizens

X

$100,000

equals

30,000,000,000,000


$30 Trillion dollars. That is NOT "less than what is being spent bailing out these big banks".


Are people so bad at math nowadays that they can't even bother to pull out a calculator?????

[me b zola]

44. In fairness to the editor, it was a letter *to* the editor

But the amount of the bailout to the banks is growing, it seems to be well in excess of a trillion dollars at this point, with more likely to come.

The thought behind this thread was not exact numbers, but how individuals could stimulate the economy if they were bailed out. Relax and go with the larger thought. :)

[Greyhound]

47. Apparently going into self-operating calculators is a good business.

:rofl:

On a slightly more serious note, only taxpayers would get any money, so the number is considerably less than 300,000,000 but it would be tens of trillions.

[Blu Dahlia]

81. 25 to 30,000 for every worker and retiree. Kids and non-workers

(meaning never having held a job) would be excluded.

[NoPasaran]

34. Get my computer fixed up to eliminate double posts

[Greyhound]

41. It's not your 'puter, it's DU's servers/apps.

and searching through Google sucks.
:hi:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

42. I would pay off my debt and use some for my kids' college tuition and save

what's left.

[sam sarrha]

43. pay off debts ..fix up the house sell it, might only lose $20,000 if we dump it now

[csziggy]

45. Pay off my debt, install solar panels, invest the rest

Maybe finish some of the projects around the house, but that could be funded from the income from the investments.

[leftofthedial]

46. hookers and blow

[pointblank]

93. Good answer!

Seriously though, you laugh but a friend of mine ended up with around 80 grand after his dad died...I'd guess my friend was around 24 at the time... and here it is 8 years later and he lives with his mom and still hasn't kicked the blow habit...

though I hear his hooker problem is under control (they scoff at his living arrangements) :rofl:

[awoke_in_2003]

104. Like the old man said...

"I spent most of my money on motorcycles, booze and women. The rest I wasted"

[OwnedByFerrets]

48. I would get out from under 80% of my bills....nt

[kestrel91316]

49. Get caught up on late bills, pay off debts, sock the rest away for

retirement/emergency savings/down payment on 5 acres of fairly level land where it rains. Oh, and a Yaris.

When my mom passes away there is some money. Not $100k for me, but still a good chunk. So I already have a detailed plan for the windfall should it happen - very likely in 2009.

[Ignis]

50. A down payment on a house.

Well, this being California, I should say "a teensy weensy little fraction of a downpayment"...but you get the drift.

[LWolf]

51. I'd replace the

old, tattered, worn-out, broken mobile home I live in with a real house.

Small, but real.

[MilesColtrane]

52. Platinum grillz for each day of the week

[ItNerd4life]

54. It would cost $30 TRILLION dollars to give each person $100k

300,000,000 million people in the country. Sorry, not going to happen.

The person must be a Bush voter, it sounds like Bush math.

[Blu Dahlia]

80. it's more like 25,000 per worker or retiree

[ailsagirl]

55. I'd pay off my credit card (not very much) then donate the rest

to one of my charities

[kskiska]

56. Medical and dental work

If there's anything left I'll be off to Paris.

[Initech]

57. Pay off my credit card and car loan, use the rest toward buying a condo.

[gollygee]

60. Pay off the house

and live debt free.

[hfojvt]

62. I would not spend it

I would put it in the bank and give two weeks notice at my job, and live off that $100,000 for the next ten years or so.

[Regret My New Name]

96. heh, $10,000 a year?

That sounds pretty hard to do...

[hfojvt]

101. don't forget $3-5,000 in interest.

According to my paycheck, my take-home so far this year has been $9838.99
Of course, I will presumably get back the $588.18 put in my retirement account and also the 225.94 in Federal taxes and the 896.4 that went to FICA.

It ten years I will be 56, almost 57. Not too far away from being able to collect social security and also tap my IRA accounts too.

[RB TexLa]

63. I wouldn't spend one dime of it. I do not enjoy giving my money to other people.

[dysfunctional press]

65. then how do you get groceries, gasoline, electricity, furniture, clothing, internet, etc...?

:shrug:

[RB TexLa]

71. So you took that to mean I do not spend money?

If I said "I do not enjoy changing a flat tire on the side of the road," you would think that means if I have a flat I would stay on the side of the road forever? Or would you be able to understand that it means it is something I would not enjoy doing?

As to the not spending one dime of the fictional $100,000 lump sum. I would not spend any of it and still be able to purchase the various necessities you mentioned with my normal income. I do not enjoy giving them that money for those things either, but that doesn't mean I don't give them my money for those things.

I do hope you are now able to understand this?

[dysfunctional press]

72. you equated spending money with giving it to other people...

spending and giving are two different things.
or is that a concept that's a little too difficult for you to understand?

[RB TexLa]

74. Only in the aspect that you receive something of monetary value for one.

Both still require me giving my money to someone else, and that is something I do not enjoy.

[anigbrowl]

114. You're not giving it away, you're exchanging it

What's the alternative, people give you stuff for nothing? This is the silliest sub-thread I've seen in a long time.

[RB TexLa]

120. I said giving my money to people, I didn't say giving it away.

I do not expect anyone to give me anything for nothing.

I do not enjoy giving my money to people, the fact that I get something for the money doesn't change my not enjoying the giving of the money to them.

[anigbrowl]

123. Get therapy.

Seriously - it's irrational to complain about not enjoying giving your money to people if you are getting something in return. The whole point of money is that it is transferable to other people. Indeed, it doesn't have any other purpose. If you just want to accumulate more of it just change jobs or invest it in something.

[RB TexLa]

129. I do invest. When I have to give my money to people for things that is less money I have to invest

That's part of the reason I do not like to give it to people. I have no reason to change my line of business.

I didn't just make a thread titled "I don't like giving my money to people." I posted a reply as to what I would spend a fictitious $100,000 on. I stated I would spend it on nothing and gave a reason. Many people gave and answer and quite a few of those gave a reason for their answer. I'm sure you can find something you think is irrational in other people's answers as well. I'll watch for your letting them know.

[anigbrowl]

132. It's beyond me why you didn't just say 'I'd invest it'.

OK, so you're a miser. It's not your desire to invest that I find irrational, but the idea that you don't like giving anyone money in exchange for things. If you hate having to eat because it reduces the amount you have available for investment, you've missed the point somewhere.

[me b zola]

67. LOL, you are so much like Mr zola...

...I would have guessed that from you.

You would not be an economy stimulator. :spank:

[Lorien]

145. That would make you a conservative. n/t

[dysfunctional press]

64. his math is kinda off...that would come to $30 trillion...

but if it were so- i'd spend the money making our house self-sufficient, energy-wise.

[TheKentuckian]

66. I think the calculation is based purely on taxpayers

but that still wouldn't come close to 100k but for kicks I'd scoop up on some depressed value property, pay off some debt, and replace some of my crap I lost between my storage fiasco and the fire.

Luckily, my debt is pretty low.

[XOKCowboy]

68. Sorry but I take it immediately out of the country...

I've got a nice piece of paradise picked out down in Central America I'd buy and spend the rest of my days looking at beautiful blue waters.

[Xenotime]

126. Exactly. Move it to a county that will do some good with it.

[XOKCowboy]

135. My motives are selfish but you are right...

When I buy groceries here I'm giving money to multinational corporations. There I'm spending my grocery money with local grocers, open air markets, local vendors. Same with the cafes, bars and all other services. It all goes back to the community.

Even without a hundred grand I'll still end up down there. The people are too friendly and the place is too beautiful not to.

[Cleita]

69. As a retiree, I would invest it for income.

Sorry, at my age anything else would be foolish.

[boomerbust]

70. CORVETTE ZR1

<<<<<<<

[flvegan]

107. Right now, you'd need another $20k.

[crispini]

73. Pay off the house!

Then at least I could get any ol' kind of job and just make enough to eat and I'd be fine.

[snooper2]

75. First thing I would do is drive to VA, buy this truck...

and bring it back to Texas...

Wait, may do that anyway :) :) Was thinking newer Toyota Tacoma- but fuck all the car companies...I'm going old school for next truck :)



1950 Chevy STD Cab 3100 Pick Up. 99.9% original & complete.
Sale price includes $2-3k worth of extra new & used parts such as wiring harness,
floor mats, yellow pine bed boards, gaskets, extra 16x4” wheels, etc..
The Jack & Handle are under the seat. I have replaced Brakes, Radiator Core,
King Pins, Shocks, & Clutch. Solid Body but it does have some dents.
One small rust through on lower right cab corner.
Good compression but could use valve guides.
I have a sheet metal patch as contingency to repair dent in front center front of roof.
Contact me to discuss details or provide more photos.

$7,500.00

[Blu Dahlia]

77. exactly! And those who are past due should be forced to pay their back bills

mortgages etc first. Those who aren't, would spend everything as they see fit. I think that would do much more for the economy and for ALL businesses, not just a select few

[stuntcat]

78. get solar panels and have someone finish my pond.

:headbang: also get this shit-colored shag carpet replaced with a nice wood floor.

that's all.. if anything's left save it for my travels.

[Catherine Vincent]

82. Pay off my mortgage.

I'd be on Cloud Nine. :)

[mondo joe]

83. Remodel my house, if I needed to *spend* it. NT

[JuniperLea]

84. I'd pay down my mortgage... that would give me greater cash flow...

That I could use toward other things.

[ceile]

85. pay off my student loans and credit card debt.

use the rest to buy some land.

[sarcasmo]

86. Be Debt free, including the house.

[KSDiva]

109. Debt Free and enhance my kids college accounts ...

Even if it were just $30,000, I think the "trickle up" idea is much better than trying to bail out companies that suck and do things like buy other companies and outsource to the Phillipines.

OR massive debt-forgiveness nationwide -- between banks, citizens, municipalities. We all start over again with whatever assets we have and move forward. Good night -- if suddenly everyone owned their home and was able to upgrade because their 100K in student loans was suddenly gone? WOW.

[Blue_In_AK]

87. That would just about finish off my mortgage,

or I might pay off the credit card (I only have one) and the HELOC, and then stick the rest under a mattress.

[blue_onyx]

88. Buy a new car

[slackmaster]

89. Machine tools, collectable firearms, and ammunition

(After paying off my house with the first $90 K.)

:hi:

[skeewee08]

90. I would tithe & pay off mortgage!

[sarcasmo]

112. Give the church ten grand, Really?

[Rebubula]

92. Land

Deep in the heart of Iowa.

Grow corn and make baseball diamonds...

[Regret My New Name]

94. Bad Math. Anyways, I would donate it to a millionaire CEO

I'm used to not have hundreds of thousands of blow money, but they are not. I can't stand to see other people suffer.

[rucky]

95. I would "rescue" the mortgage and credit card industries

from my risky paper.

[remember2000forever]

98. Buy A Bahamian Shack on the beach

Their economy needs stimulation also

[yasmina27]

99. Our local congress critter actually proposed this

during the debate about the first 700B bailout. Except his figure was something in the ballpark of $250,000 per person. Sounds good to me - either figure actually.

I would pay off all my bills.

[buckettgirl]

100. Easy answer - become debt free

My husband and I gross about $60,000/yr. We have no children.
We owe: $64,000 on the house; $36,000 in student loans; and $6,000 on my SUV.
I would pay off the house first, then my SUV, and whatever was left would go on the student loans. Then all the money that we freed up from not having to pay bills anymore, we would probably save most of it and live pretty good on the rest of it (at least we wouldn't have to worry much anymore; and we could spend with out calculating the effects of large purchases).
Actually, my main goal in life right now is to become debt free. And since we are doing a debt snowball, we will be debt free including the house in about 5.5 years.

[onethatcares]

105. house paid off, all credit card bills paid off

stash the rest in some rolling cds, 6 month/12month/24 month. Pay the damn homeowners insurance ($2880.00 this year). Buy a bottle of rum and watch a sunset.

[Edweird]

106. Buy a house. Or maybe just a piece of land....

[flvegan]

108. Hmmm...'06 Aston Martin DB9 or an '07 911 Turbo.

Nah, actually I'd pay off most of mortgage and do some home upgrades.

[lunatica]

110. I would pay off my bills and live within my means forevermore

[Thothmes]

111. Hire a part time care taker to look after my wife

for two or three hours a day. Pay off the mortgage, reside the house and probably replace my 20 year old ranger pickup.

[anigbrowl]

115. On crack. The letter-writer clearly spent some on that already so it must be good.

[proud patriot]

116. Wow !

pay off approx 3000$ in debt .

Fix the Well on our property . Do it ousevles.
Build an addition,driveway and garage w/ a
MIL suite, a beautiful Garden and walkways.

Go on a nice vacation and invite My MIL to move in .

[pipi_k]

117. Pay off my mortgage and still have some left over

to maybe pay off one of the car loans or update my kitchen.


Wanna make that amount a million or so? I can think of an awful lot more things I could buy

:7

[tammywammy]

118. I would

Pay off my car, around $10,000. Put some towards my mortgage. Pay my college tuition. Save a lot.

[vixengrl]

119. I'd put some plumbers to work! (And other contractors.)

I'd start off by paying off some debts, but I've been putting off re-doing my bathrooms since, well, I got the house six years ago. I've sat up nights with a hardware book thinking about new vanities, sinks and fixtures that way little girls might dream of their wedding day. Bigger, better storage options. Better shower. I could get both my little bathrooms re-done, new carpet in my bedrooms, new floor and up-dated appliances in my kitchen, and still put a good chunk away for the retirement fund.

[yellowdogintexas]

143. I too would have a few home improvement projects that could be easily done

with some left for savings and so on.

[Dukkha]

121. pay off mortgage

which would give the bank a stimulus and make me debt free. win win.

[pitohui]

122. i heard that they could give $200K to every usa citizen for cost of bailout

i haven't run the numbers myself but i heard a far higher number given (the higher number may have assumed that only citizens age 18 and older received the bailout package)

it matters not what *i* would do w. the money, the objectors in our group to giving the money to all adults was the large numbers of Rx drug addicts and crack heads who would spend the money on drugs, it would end up being a bailout of gangsters and crack/cocaine billionaires and might cause every greater harm to new orleans unless there was some restriction on how the money was spent
-- in other words, it would have to be on a debit card or something where you couldn't just take out the cash and put it into the underground economy, as the drug economy is killing us as it is!

me, i would just buy food and medicine while the $100K held out...i'm sure it wouldn't take long!

[Liberal In Texas]

127. I'd buy one of those grease gun bags from NASA.

:evilgrin:

[TheFarseer]

128. new car

certificates of deposit and stocks. It's not enough to do anything like buying farm ground - which I'd like to do, although you could get a good start on buying a house, but I have my own reasons for not doing that right now.

[ChazII]

131. Pay off my debts.

Put some in a trust fund for my son
Donate to the Children's Tumor Foundation (Neurofibromatosis -- no cure at the present time)
Some to DU of course

[lutefisk]

133. I'm with you: land. . . n/t

[SmileyRose]

134. house and the car - poof it'd be gone for most people

in my case car and retirement savings.

[mymessageboardid]

136. I would give $50,000 to the person who broke Coulter's jaw

I hate that guy with a passion.

[dakdirty]

138. I'd use it to re-start the family business

A nice little food store in my old neighborhood in Ft. Lauderdale. Put a little aside for the kid's education.

[StreetKnowledge]

139. Pay off my bills

Then use the rest to buy precious metals - Gold and platinum. Those aren't likely to lose value.

[qwlauren35]

141. It's not that much.

I would bet that a LOT of people would attempt to pay off or pay down their debts and mortgages, and that would eat most if not all of it.

I would pay off all unsecured debts and see if I could refinance my house. I might also buy another piece of property to rent.

Just thinking about it makes me want to cry. It wouldn't pay for med school. It wouldn't pay a lot of house notes in the better areas of America, it would barely cover any kind of surgery or serious medical treatment for anyone with no health care.

I guess that's the other thing I would do with it. Create credit balances with various utilities and credit cards. Oh... and my husband and I need a newer cars. We could buy them for cash, and pay off the insurance in advance. That would take an easly $25,000. For two CARMAX subcompacts.

Major ouch. The $100,000 would be gone before I was able to do much fun with it. I'd really like an addition to the house. And some solar panels.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

142. Significantly pay down our mortgage (would have only $17,000 left). n/t

[Lorien]

144. Pay off my home

and sink anything left over into gold.

[SammyWinstonJack]

146. Pay off mortgage and car and be debt free!

:woohoo:

[WCGreen]

147. Lots of cocaine and some loose women...

[shanti]

148. i'd do what you are doing

buy a house in the country on acreage, preferably with water nearby. living off the grid. animals, gardens, fruit/nut trees. it's always been my dream.

[Indenturedebtor]

149. I would move to some 3rd world country and live in a shack with my lovely wife n/t

[MattBaggins]

150. Take 25K and pay off half of my existing mortgage

and put the rest in a money market account and wait a few years then get a new house.

[Dem2theMax]

151. It would be retirement money. To be used only when absolutely necessary.

Lucky for me, I'm debt free. Took five years of hard work, but all the credit cards were cut up and paid in full.
And I had a ton of debt. So if I were lucky enough to get that kind of money, heck, ANY amount, it would be saved for my future. I have no one to count on but me. So that money would be a life-saver.

[DainBramaged]

152. Keep a little for me, give the rest to people/organizations that need it

Don't have much in the way of debts. Find out who has their electricity shut off and help them out. I know some people who need their cars fixed. There are some animal shelters nearby who are struggling because of the downturn. I'd go to the local elementary school and find out from the Principal who are the neediest families who need help. And I'd go to the Target parking lot this Friday and look for the shittiest cars in the lot and wait till their owners come out and give them a little Christmas cheer in an envelope.

I'd give DU a bunch too. Why not. Where else can we abuse each other and not get into fistfights.


Happy Thanksgiving.

[Quantess]

153. pay my bills, buy health insurance, upgrade my vehicle, go back to school.

in that order.

[XemaSab]

154. Either:

Try to pay off my mom's car and house, or pay off my bills THEN the car and house.

I'm not sure if any of that would help the economy AT ALL.

[Quantess]

155. You aren't sure how paying off bills would help the economy?

Bad debts... Wasn't that a major cause of the economic crisis?

If everyone paid off their debts, that would be a huge boost to the economy, don't you think?

[XemaSab]

158. Let me put it differently:

If I spent 100,000 on American-made goods at local stores, the money would go to the people working at the store, the owner of the store, and the people who made the goods. Those people would in turn spend the money on something else, and eventually, optimally, the money would flow back in my direction.

I'm sure if you give Wells Fargo their 200,000 back, it creates jobs somewhere down the line, but part of it also goes towards stuff that hurts the economy or at least doesn't help it. :shrug:

[Hippo_Tron]

156. I would spend some of it on my one vice: clothes

And by some of it I mean no more than 1k, not spend all of it like Palin did. Maybe when I actually get a job and have to wear suits to work I'd spend another grand or two to buy some suits. The rest I would just save and use to supplement my income during the years when I'm working an entry level job and not making jack shit.

[verdalaven]

157. Pay off my house

and my credit card. Then have a freaking Merry Christmas!

[Swede]

159. Invest in the stock market.