That's one reason I'd give most of it away.  Money usually causes far more problems than it solves, when one has a lot of it.

WorKid wrote:

Seriously though anyone else think actually winning the lottery would just bring massive problems.

Im sure there would be problems, I have quite the addictives problem, hence I never started smoking properly, I think drugs would be an issue for myself.

There would be bitter and jealous people, boredom and arrogance to deal with too.

Those reasons are why I wouldnt set a certain figure for charity, so noone would be expecting anything. Same reasons I wouldnt give up work until I could set up my own business, I would need to be kept busy or I would end up killing myself through booze or drugs.

So yeah me and Kow have the same fate!

They did research and found that people that won the lottery generally did end up a lot happier. The whole meme thing of lottery money making people miserable is basically just people bullshitting themselves.

That's more like it.

I think me, Kow and DJR need to hang out.

WorKid wrote:

Seriously though anyone else think actually winning the lottery would just bring massive problems.

this. Elm may think I was being funny about having a plan to earn some reasonable money but I think you appreciate it more if you earn it.. These are good stages to consider. How do i earn a tenner? what do i do to make an extra 1000 for me? Can i do something to make me 100k over the next couple of years? Most of the guys that make decent money have an idea that is scalable. this allows them to achieve a reasonable income. @Tempy is going to uni, sounds to me that is his plan to stick an extra 10k in the bank if not more. Looking at most of the lists on here its clear most of you would be happy at the 1m mark. Above that becomes the stuff of dreams. just saying like.
This is when i put down a link to my dodgy money making scheme that earns millions on tinternet ...


Once you earn a certain amount, you can then avoid tax, and all that good stuff!

EDIT - i might sound greedy, etc but my focus has changed recently quite simply because my dad passed when he was 61. Lucky he retired at 50 due to ill health and got to travel a lot. but it made me think that im 37 now and i might as well make that extra effort to be able to quit work as soon as i can. 25 years to make something happen. It may sound greedy, but im driven to not just roll along until retirement age. Because i might not fucking get one.

Liveinadive wrote:

Kow wrote:

Yeah, but I embrace it, you loser.

I am miserable drunk man. I will likely die in a jaccuzi of cocaine and ruin everyones fun.

Now we're talking!

equinox_code wrote:

I would much rather win a million than earn it. Firstly, because I don't believe anyone can actually earn that sum of money, and secondly because winning it leave me more free time.

Yes, being filthy rich would cause some problems. Small trivial ones. Totally worth it though as all my bigger problems disappear.

Wha?

I suppose I see earning as what you deserve, not what you get. I don't believe anyone deserves a million per year.

equinox_code wrote:

I suppose I see earning as what you deserve, not what you get. I don't believe anyone deserves a million per year.

Lots of people are (quite deservedly) self-made millionaires. That's very different from being paid a £1m salary every year. A member of my extended family was a self-made millionaire but he was on a salary of c.£60k. He just worked hard all his life, lived frugally and put plenty of money away over the years until he amassed an estate worth a little over £1m which he left to his family when he died.

igorgetmeabrain wrote:

equinox_code wrote:

I suppose I see earning as what you deserve, not what you get. I don't believe anyone deserves a million per year.

Lots of people are (quite deservedly) self-made millionaires. That's very different from being paid a £1m salary every year. A member of my extended family was a self-made millionaire but he was on a salary of c.£60k. He just worked hard all his life, lived frugally and put plenty of money away over the years until he amassed an estate worth a little over £1m which he left to his family when he died.

this. except for the leaving it to family bit.

adkm1979 wrote:

Revel, while I appreciate that you have a plan, it does seem that you're muddling the point somewhat.  The suggestion that winning that much money would be a problem tends to stem from the idea that most of us wouldn't like to have significantly more money than our nearest and dearest, regardless of how we come about it.  If I left my job and got one that paid three times as much, I'd still feel a bit bad about having more than my folks. I've heard it pointed out that people always seem to live slightly beyond their means, regardless how much they have.  We get better paying jobs and then move into houses with mortgages we can still only just afford.  It's why approaches like Igor's are admirable, and hint at someone who is genuinely happy with their life. Meanwhile, you seem to have set your target on an early retirement.  That's fine if you can do it, but what if it goes wrong?  What if you die younger than that?  Would it not make more sense to try to be happy with how things are, than run yourself into the ground in the pursuit of an arbitrary sum of money?

There are a lot of case of people that win the lottery and spend the whole amount within a relatively short period of time, that is where I think it can be an issue.  These people go from being used to live within or outwith their means to having 'no worries' and generally go a bit mad with their spending. At the same time there are those that do manage well with there windfalls and go on to live their lives with  more choice. 
If I earned more money that my family to the point where it was becoming silly, then of course I would help them out. They are family at the end of the day. Would I feel bad about being successful? No way.

My focus is not to allow my family to live in the life of luxury, but to give us choices in how we do things, when we do things as well.  
I'm not hinting at the fact that I'm not happy with my life just now. I'm very content with who I am, who I'm with. Yes, I have kids in a previous marriage, an ex wife and part of me thinks I'm a dog. In general though I would say I'm very happy with where things are. 
What's important to me though is that I would like to be in the situation where the person who decides what time I get up at, what I do on particular days and when I do them is more me than someone else.  
That if my new wife decides that she wants to quit work to look after the kids, or do something for herself then its a case of sure, of course. I'm sure that some of us have had the 'we can't afford to have more kids' chat at some point.   Its all about choices for me. Which unfortunately means that the terrible evil of money has to rear its ugly head and I have to consider tweeking it's nose and flicking it's eye. 
My goals I have set are very achievable, don't require me to be someone who works 80 hour weeks and never is at home. (I'm a 9 to 5 guy ) I'm just not one of these people that wants to follow the normal route, the working until you are 70 (by the time we get to retirement age) and we wont  probably have the energy or cash to enjoy retirement.

If that is what you want to do then great. If you are in a job you love then great too and if you can see yourself doing it until you are 65-70 then perfect. 
  I too am in a job I love, that I find challenging, that is rewarding but not overly stressful.  I guess I believe that I'm here once, for a limited period of time, so I should try to get the most out of it. EDIT - This is a general YOU, not aimed at you specifically Andy.

If it goes wrong? At least I tried. Which is better than getting on with things are bitching about how shit things are but not doing anything about it. If it means I end up more comfortable, reduce my hours a bit, not have to play the 'settle with what I have' kind of life then it's acceptable. 

If it means that I can afford not to work from when I'm 40 odds, then surely its something putting in the effort now?

I think that earning allows you to put a sense of value on what you achieved.  You plan out, the when, the how, the why. And when it's working its because of your input. Every £10, £100, £10000, is proof that your efforts are worth it. I don't think the same can be said for getting lucky with your 6 numbers. 

It's no secret that the lottery offer counselling for people that win large amounts of money because it is difficult for them to adjust. The earning side of it for me would be over a period of time as well.  Not straight away. 
Its also no secret that most lottery winners still do the lottery. For the buzz, not to win more money. 
It's success that isn't really success I guess. I think it would mess with your head, you would have to think about what you want in life for real. I don't think many people can cope with the sudden freedom that a big win gives them. It makes them question the goals they had, because if they are material they become real. All these dreams? You can now do them, what's stopping you? 
 All of a sudden they can get that car they want. I guess that then gets tied in with the guilt of the win. I can buy this big house, or I could buy 10 pieces of expensive equipment for the local kids hospital. It's a burden that when it's dropped on you could take time to adjust.  Some don't spend much, some even come out with the - i'll still carry on working, it won't change me. 



Anyway. I'm derailing.  apologies. as you were.

Does winning the lottery make you happy?

[F]or those who like to engage in Schadenfreude there is disappointing news from the studies that have been done on lottery winners, says Prof Andrew Oswald, of Warwick University.

"Although many people don't want to hear the evidence, it is overwhelmingly that winning the lottery makes you happier and improves your mental health. People find it easier to engage in Schadenfreude."