Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Thursday Three


What would you do if you all of a sudden acquired $25,000 (or the equivalent) - with almost no strings attached? How would you spend it and why?


Here are the rules. No bill paying, no doing anything responsible like college funds or investing. You can't spend it on anything you need. And it must be for you. Other people can benefit from it, but it needs to be what you want.


How Would You Spend $25,000?



Here's what I'd do...



#1. Travel. Anywhere and everywhere, as long as the money held out. I've travelled a fair amount in my life, but not lately and I'm really missing it a lot. I want to go. As I said, I'll go pretty much anywhere, but there are places very high on my list. Australia, for one. I'd like to spend time really experiencing the country. All over Europe would be great. Asia. Anywhere with a beach. I want to look at the lights of Manhattan from the highest hotel room possible. I want to eat in the dining car on the Orient Express. I've never been to Italy. I want to go.



We have the potential to be able to go abroad for a semester or a year for the Film Geek to teach film production. The three places that are the most likely are Sterling, Scotland, Singapore and somewhere in Australia. I keep trying to find out exactly where in Australia and hear a different story every time. I believe it's Melbourne, but don't quote me. This is by no means carved in stone, as my husband has film projects lined up for the next couple of years and what would we do about the dogs? He doesn't want to do it as much as I do, which of course is a problem all by itself.


But it sure is fun to think about it.



#2. Buy a mini-van. Not because I need one, but because I want one. And yes, I am an old fart. I'm tired of fitting three kids and their friends and all their crap in a five seater car. There's kind of a funny story here. A couple of years ago when I was commuting an hour and a half a day we went car shopping. We had a mini-van, but the gas mileage was nothing to write home about. Well, we ended up buying a good mileage commuter car, figuring that whoever would be schlepping the kids around would drive the van and whoever would be driving a lot would take the smaller one.



I was at work one day and the Film Geek called from his office. We were catching up on events of the day so far and all of a sudden he started screaming. Now, I love the man dearly, but he's not always rock solid in a crisis, if you get my drift. I'm thinking someone has burst in with a gun because he's shrieking "No!! OH MY GOD, NO!!" And just before I wet myself he yells that someone has gone off the road, across a huge lawn, through a very large parking lot and plowed right into our parked van. Totalled it. He has watched the entire thing, from car leaving road to impact out his window. We had owned the commuter car for two weeks.



This is why I want a van.




#3. Have my yard landscaped by a professional. I am so overwhelmed by my property that I don't even know where to start. It's not even like it's big. I have about half an acre of land with a house and a studio on it. There are a bunch of very large trees and a daylily patch that is very large and very old. I have a pile of old house issues, like a brick patio and arbor that need some serious TLC. There are a lot of orphan perennials in bizarre places. We're on a corner and people cut through our yard, which pisses me off and makes me want to plant something really big and intimidating. Preferably with thorns.



I'm not from here, which of course makes it more problematic. I've been trying to get a clue about what likes to grow here and what doesn't, but I feel like I'm in over my head. If someone could come in and design and plant a garden for me I could maintain it. I know I could. They would just have to teach me what to do. I don't have a problem with yard work. I have a problem in not knowing what to plant and where.



I believe my money is all gone at this point. Now you can all spend yours. Please? I hate to shop alone.

14 comments:

Flowerpot said...

Well, I'd buy a campervan. And this is difficult because I don;t really want much. Perhaps a dog friendly holiday. Some clothes. What I really want is to get my novel published, but money cant buy that. Well, self publishing, but I'm not sure about that route.

Beth said...

I would turn my screened-in deck into a 4-season room.

I would pay someone to plant at least 6 more large trees to hide me from my neighbors.

I would bribe Ben & Jerry to make Creme Brulee in quarts instead of pints. Or maybe half-gallons.

Omega Mum said...

I like the van story very much. I think I'd get one of those. Or do something I've always wanted and put it towards a fab camper van thing so I never have to sleep in a tent again. (Have spent over my money - does that count?)

Pam said...

i, too, would want a van..i have 3 kids ages 8, 10, and 12...the older two are only separated in height by a couple of inches (i would say the 10 yr old is almost 5' and the 12 yr old is cpl inches taller). we cramp ourselves into a 4 door chevy colorado truck and we also have an elantra. the kids always fight over who sits on the right side of backseat...which is really a dumb thing to fight over. it's mostly my stepson who wants to sit on that side for WHATEVER reason. i had to tell him once that the right side did NOT have his name engraved on it lol but, since vans, w all the necessities to keep the campers happy, costs over 25,000...i would definitely use this on travel instead, finish that college degree that i STILL don't have lol, and who knows what else.

we're spose to get a van next yr when the truck is paid off, but steve is saying it makes sense to get another commuter car. he was saying he was going to buy me a van, too...all i know is if i don't get a van next year, i'll have someone's head lmao

the rotten correspondent said...

flowerpot - in honesty I don't want for much myself. But it is fun to dream. We're all crossing fingers on the novel.

pixel pi - welcome and thanks for stopping by! I love the B&J idea - do you suppose they make barrels??

omega mum - I don't do tents. Call it a personality flaw - whatever. I think the camper van is a great idea.

ciara - our kids are not far apart in age. mine are 10, 11 and 15 and they also fight over the stupid seats. Only my oldest can be in the front because of the airbags and it's a mess. I want a VAN!!

Motheratlarge said...

We had a camper van in my family when I was a kid. It was great fun. The best bit was the spontaneity of being able to wander pretty much at will.

I would spend the money travelling round deepest rural France, staying in cheap hotels, which are actually still great in France, you don't need to spend a fortune there to find somewhere nice, and living very simply for about a year.

Stirling is a nice place, teeny bit dull, but lovely countryside and family friendly, with good schools. Feels very safe to walk around.

I think you'd love Italy!

Jo Beaufoix said...

Hmm, I'd have a loft conversion.

We have a three bed 1930s semi but Miss M's room is tiny.

If we a loft room (with ensuite ofcourse) then Miss M could have our old room and I could turn hers into an office...or maybe a gift wrapping room like Tory Spelling.

Hmm, I can't decide...

P.S. RC, I sort of have a blog.

Hooray.
It has bugs that we're working on, but I'm home.

Jen said...

*Sigh* this working every day leaves me little time to be first in line to comment anymore...Ah, well. 25-grand? I could pay a lot of bills with that.

That being said:

1. I'd give five grand to my parents, because they've had a rough go, and that five grand would make them so happy.

2. Another five grand to my inlaws, who have already shelled out so much on my husband and I it's embarassing. They deserve it.

3. The last $15,000 would be spent on a fence, and sod, for our bare backyard. It would also go for one really long day at the spa for me, and tickets to Cooperstown, NY so me and the hubby could live his dream and visit the Baseball Hall of Fame.

It'a amazing what you can get for $25,000.

And RC I just want you to know the letter combos to comment are getting weirder. Mine was: xhnmacnk.

Happy in the Abyss said...

Now this is where I specialize...the fantasy of funds!

#1- Like you, I would like an automotible that would fit my whole car. However, I am thinking Suburban...a used one is fine. As long as it seats 7...which gives us a little extra space....God, I can't imagine that...I would feel truly blessed!

#2- I would have liposuction. YES, I said it.

#3- I would take my family to Hawaii....aloha!

Susan said...

This is so hard, but so much fun, and I didn't even have two minutes at work to think about it which is very sad.

Some of the good ideas have already been mentioned, such as travel. I have never actually had a real hankering for a mini-van so no temptation there.

1. I would buy art!

2. I would have the kitchen updated with a new counter and cabinets, and I would have our wood floors re-finished.

3. I would give it to my sister to help with a down payment on a house because she is in a terrible apartment situation and she really deserves a house of her own.

Stacie said...

Daydreaming is fun, isn't it? If I had $25000, I would:

1) buy and have someone install hard wood flooring in the entire house. That's actually on our list of "to dos" because right now we have only concrete in the entry--long story.

2) I would love to go to Hawaii with my hubby. I've never been and I so want to go sometime...

3) I would take as much time off from work as possible to be a stay at home mom. Right now, my check pays the mortgage, so that isn't really a possibility now.

Ahhhh....dreaming!

Anonymous said...

Ok, since it has to be for me, but other people can benefit, I'm going with a penis enlargement. I wonder how much bigger I can get for $25k.

the rotten correspondent said...

motheratlarge - it figures I'd misspell Stirling. I don't mind dull in another country! It's just here that drives me nuts.

jo - dang it! I sort of thought you already had a gift wrapping room. I'm off to your blog. Yay!

jen - spa...yeah, baby. Can't you just feel those seaweed wraps? Aaah...

HITA - I hate to ask, but lipo WHERE??

Mtc - art was way up on my list too. And what a nice sister you are!

Stacie - I think you may already be going into nesting mode. We had a concrete floor too and my feet were always cold.

willowtree - but then you wouldn't be hung like Einstein any more. Or would you?? And besides, it wouldn't really matter. She'll still have dial up.

la bellina mammina said...

LOL! You're so funny! Make Singapore one of your stopover. 2-3 days are all you need.

I would like to travel more (together with my 3 boys)too - but this time to 3rd world countries, Vietnam, Indonesia and just spent my time and money helping them build houses and schools.