It's everywhere -- the Powerball jackpot will likely reach over 1.5 billion dollars for Wednesday's drawing. Which is an insane amount of money. Everyone seems to be talking about two things -- what they would do if they win the lotto, and advice for what financial and legal things to do first if you actually win.
But I'm here to take that a step further.
If you take the cash payout all at once on a 1.5 billion dollar jackpot you would walk away with $930 million. So what absurd things could you do with that money?
Provide a New Pair of Socks Every Day For Everyone You Know
OK, maybe not everyone you know if you count social media. But at $10/pair you can provide 367 different people a new pair of socks every day for the next 60 years including tax. I mean, who wouldn't want a fresh pair of socks every day? And obviously that number goes up if you decide on cheaper socks.
Buy All the Available Real Estate in Detroit
Seriously - and this made me sad when I went to double check this. There are currently 20,419 properties listed for sale in Detroit and only 2,776 of those are listed for over $10,000.
Order 1,335,911,602 Variety Bars of Hershey's Chocolate
And this includes shipping and tax, as long as you buy through Amazon.
Raise 2,647 Children
While the chocolate bars may be tempting, if you're looking for something basically the opposite you could raise 2,647 children. This is based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual report. The report shows that a middle-income family with a child born in 2013 can expect to spend about $245,340 ($304,480 adjusted for projected inflation) for food, housing, childcare and education, and other child-rearing expenses up to age 18.
Visit Space Once a Month For the Next 50 Years and Still Have $700 Million Left Over
Virgin Galactic is offering space flights for $250,000. It honestly gives me anxiety just thinking about it.
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Now I'm obviously not advising you to do any of this if you do happen to win. But it puts the money into a bit of a different perspective, doesn't it?
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Alexandra is a Chicago area blogger at www.myurbanfamily.com. Her writing includes life advice, random musings, and details about her family's journey into urban life in Chicago. Make sure to follow along HERE for helpful and witty post updates.