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From checkout operator to NZ’s most eligible bachelor

Poor old Trevor Cooper. He just won $26 million through Lotto. And he went public.

I bet he’s regretting that now.

He was on the front page of the paper. On TV. And apparently now he’s having to field requests from people who want money. Who’da thunk it?

The front of a used Mark Six ticket

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If it was me, I’d definitely sit on it. I might not even tell T for a couple days, if I could get away with it. I’d go to work, try to get my head around the news and think about how to proceed.

I don’t do this kind of thing. I’m big on planning and what ifs. But those those theoretical what-ifs are always based in fact.

But I don’t buy lottery tickets and hence will never win the jackpot. So while people love to talk about what they’d do if they won, I don’t, because IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

But since I’ve started writing about poor old Trevor, I guess I may as well continue some way down that path.

I wouldn’t quit my job. T would.

We might up our wedding list by 10 or so people.

I’d definitely turn our honeymoon into a full year off to travel (for which I would have to leave work).

Then we’d come back and buy a house.

There’d be money going to charity. And I’d also want to put some money back into the economy and invest in some startups. That’s not something I have experience in, so obviously I’d seek out local entrepreneurs/investors for that purpose.

I think the big question is what we would do to help T’s family. Regular readers know that’s a sorry story. We would definitely help, but the details of that would require some serious consideration.

But one thing is certain. I definitely would not be going public with my newfound fortune. It can only lead to trouble.

Do you like to daydream about winning the lottery? How would you handle it?

6 thoughts on “From checkout operator to NZ’s most eligible bachelor

  • Reply mmarinaa April 11, 2012 at 16:21

    You wouldn’t tell T for a few days??? How the hell could you keep that to yourself for DAYS!

    That said, I would immediately tell my boyfriend and close friends. (I might downplay how much I had won though.) I wouldn’t quit my job and neither would he. (Work visas are required to keep us in the same country.) But I would immediately move out of my shitty apartment and into an awesome new one, far away from my shitty roommates. I would also buy a car. I would finally pay off all of my debt. I would pay for multiple friends back in America to come visit me. I would finally be able to concretely plan my trip home for the summer. I would start to concretely plan more trips for myself and my friends here. Holy shit how money would make me so absurdly happy….

  • Reply Michelle (@SenseofCents) April 11, 2012 at 16:46

    For some reason my comment didn’t show up! ERRGGG oh well

    Anyways, I daydream ALL the time about winning the lottery. I wouldn’t tell anyone though.

  • Reply Cassie April 11, 2012 at 21:11

    I would probably end up spending the first day or two dizzy and absolutely sick to my stomach in bed. After that I’d be asking my grandmother for her lawyer’s and accountant’s contact information. Then I’d try to go back to business as usual at work while attempting to fly under the radar. God only knows that wouldn’t actually work and the media would get ahold of the info, but I’d try to keep things as normal as possible for as long as possible. I doubt I’d quit my job immediately.

  • Reply My money, my life April 12, 2012 at 03:55

    I think I’d react the exact same way as you. I’d try to get my head around the idea first, and then tell my close friends and family. Money is weird… I don’t even know if I’d tell my close friends how much I’d won if it’s a huge amount. I know expectations would be bestowed upon me and resentment would start breeding. But in any case, I don’t buy lottery tickets because you get the same kind of return as flushing the $ down the toilette. So it’s not a problem I’d actually face :p

  • Reply MommaStar April 12, 2012 at 11:26

    My sister plays the lotto religiously, it’s kind of scary how much dedication she puts towards it. She’s not an addict just really enjoys buying that $1 ticket every day. We always have the talk about what we would do if we won. I will def. not tell anyone for a little while and continue working as if nothing major happened.

  • Reply Link love (Powered by tiny feet and comedy acts) | Musings of an Abstract Aucklander April 29, 2012 at 11:14

    […] And Jacob at My Personal Finance Journey hosted the Totally Money carnival, along with my post ruminating on how winning the lottery (even though I don’t play) would change my life. […]

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