Million dollars

If I had a million dollars, I would probably spend it on buying a modest home with cash, so I wouldn't have to owe the bank anything, and then I'd buy a nice car with power locking, a CD player, and a digital clock inside.  If I have any leftover, I'll split it 33/33/33 with a savings account, a luxurious travel trip to Europe, and the beginning of a college fund for my future kid.

I'm pretty practical about it, I think, so I don't really have anything else to say about the million dollars except for where it may come from.  Did I save it all up, or did I acquire it suddenly?  Like through an inheritance or the lottery.  I don't think I'll ever win the lottery, you know.  My luck just sucks that way.  But if there's a lottery pool at work I'd definitely join.  I mean, someone has to win, and playing the game sounds like a fun way to get together and frantically check out the pile of tickets.

A lot of people who suddenly obtain money often waste it all and then lose it all.  I've learned from all those TV shows about people who won the lottery to know better than them - at least I should.  Maybe I'll even go a little crazy with my house and buy a nice TV or something.  And I would definitely buy a game console!  Even though I suck at all really competitive online games, it'd be nice to have the option.  I'd buy an Xbox AND a Playstation.  But not a Wii.

Anyways, if I had a million dollars, I would be a very happy person.  But there's no way I could ever retire safely on that kind of nest egg - nowadays, you need 2 million stocked up to retire comfortably at 65, and by the time I'm 65, I'm going to want to have a much higher standard of living than just barely living through everyday.