Wednesday, June 15, 2011

if i had a million dollars

money. what do you feel when you hear or read this five letter word?  are you grateful that you have enough or do you cringe at the thought of how much more of it you need?  as much as we try to promote the fact that money is not the most important thing in the world {which is true}, we forget how necessary it is.  of course it's easy to know how necessary it is when you have none of it {hollah!}.  so today i'm pretending i have money to spare, lots of money to spare, and going on an imaginary shopping trip.

here's how i would spend my money:
- sign language classes.
- paying off all of those school loans.
- sending my nieces & nephews to college.
- a tiny cottage in silver lake, an apartment in my old san francisco neighborhood,
and a cabin in the upper rockies.
- a beautiful business venture of my happiness truck, my therapy practice, & classes for underprivileged kids.
- continuing education {classes in art, yoga, meditation, certifications in different realms of therapy, etc.}
- road trips, sailing trips, & traveling the world!
- hiring that talented husband of mine to build all of our furniture himself.
- starting a non-profit where therapists teach mental health classes in schools {so people can learn
self-awareness, how to heal, and how to have healthy communication with others}.
- and yeah, a few new dresses wouldn't hurt either.

{print by little minch art}


things i wish i got paid to do so i could afford that list:
- sitting on the beach and watching the waves roll in.
- coloring, crafting, and creating.
- hiking each and every trail in the LA area.
- attending live music shows.
- sitting at a coffee shop and chatting with random strangers.
- listening to records & reading.
- kissing my husband.
- taking road trips.
- throwing parties.
- dancing in my living room.


{if anyone knows of a real life job involving these things, please let me know.}


how would you spend your millions?

21 comments:

  1. you always pose the most thoughtful questions. i really like your imaginary shopping spree. if i had a million dollars, i would 1) give my family money to pay off their homes 2) buy a home for myself 3) donate to a charity 4) take a vacation somewhere swank :)

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  2. Hmmmm I'd build a house to my exact liking which would have a full blow crafting/sewing/office studio. There's more I would do, but that's the most fun I think =)

    - Sarah
    http://agirlintransit.blogspot.com/

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  3. I would have a gorgeous little 2 bedroom place in SF - with a view - I would start (or donate to) a school for underprivileged kids (like I myself was) - I'd raise awareness about the Bhopal disaster and how evil Dupont is - I'd get all the tea and books I ever wanted - get the boy financing for his dream film - and put away a big chunk of it if I could.

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  4. I think everyone rise that question from time to time and the way to spend varies with my own mood and feelings in the moment I'm making the list...
    But there's no point in having so much and not share and improve other people's lives... I'd love to be able to reach people I don't know - like those parents in my country who are collecting plastic bottles cups to sell to a company and afford a prosthethic arm for their child. As soon as I read the article I thought - had I the enough money and the child would be already on surgery.
    I love your spender list and your dream job LOL.
    Have a Nice Day,
    Teresa

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  5. Oh... pay off all my debt, buy a nice little house somewhere with no neighbors, quit my job and start WRITING, put money away for college funds for my future children....

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  6. If anyone can turn their passions and what they enjoy doing into a career, you could. I'm still thinking up some big projects for us. We may never be rolling in the dough, but maybe it would bring some wealth our way (especially if it were multiple kinds of wealth). And I love this sign. I think I could be darling at being a millionaire too.

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  7. google sign schools in your area!
    mine offers free classes, but i know some deaf children so that's where i learned most of my signs.
    ...although that means i can only communicate with little children or talking about shoes, animals, and basic commands
    :)
    books help a lot too!

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  8. wouldn't it be nice to be paid to sit and chat. I think with a million dollars, I would have a little village for economically disadvantage kids to come and be loved and cared for. I think we underestimate the value of just love. I would also have a craft camp and a vegetable growing camp. I would also like to get paid a million dollars writing or visiting with people.

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  9. Once you'd get all that money to afford these things, you might be needing TIME! Don't think there's enough of it for all you want to do, ha!

    Other than traveling, education, and family + friends, I'm thinking I'd donate most of my money for organizations/charities (if I had a million dollars that is!).

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  10. i would give some money to my parents/ buy a house for them.

    i would start a charitable foundation and work in the developing world (major dream..)

    and of course, i would buy pretty things too lol. id also travel to vietnam, cambodia, new zealand, to the northern lights and italy. oh to dream..... <3

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  11. I love this list! Mine would be very similar.

    xo,

    Sarah

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  12. What a cute post! I love this! And that is so cool if you could teach self awareness of mental health at school! I worked at a psychiatric treatment center for at-risk youth and I love those kids :)

    www.sloanbook.com

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  13. Hah! I was JUST talking about that last part with my friends over brunch this morning. We were brainstorming things that we love to do which we wish we were paid for. Hiking, videogames, hanging out with friends, and kisses came up in our talk. :)

    If I had a million dollars I don't even know what I would do. Buy a house (by a lake or water source) would be number one, pay for grad school, then probably start a savings for future children college funds. Hah. So practical....

    I love reading your lists! they made me smile today!

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  14. Maybe I'm being really naive, but I really don't think I'd buy anything super extravagant! I'd spend the bulk of it on family, friends, and a LOT of traveling...ok ok, and probably clothes :-)

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  15. Money is a tricky topic. It always gets so complicated between two people because everyone has such different opinions about it! If I had millions, I don't think I'd live an extravagant life. I've never been one for name brands or big houses. I like cozy little places, maybe a place with a big yard and a dog :) But really, I think I'd invest in scholarships for kids in need, start or support charities going on in the world. And just as long as I have enough money to travel or to send my future kids to college, I think I'd be pretty happy :) I guess I'm a simpleton like that. (Or maybe I'm just being naive. I think lots of people say that if they had lots of money, it wouldn't change them, but that's all hypothetical. Hypothetical is SO DIFFERENT than reality!)

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  16. I love this post! You are on fire with fantasticness lately, Kim! (even more so than usual...)

    I think I would buy a cottage on a lake and I'd spend my summers there. I'd travel the world regularly (which means I would finally make it to Paris!) I'd pay off my parents' debts and our mortgage (and then I'd get some renos done... that I did NOT have to do myself!)

    Ooh, I'm going to have to really think about this. I would make a darling millionaire myself!

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  17. Oh man, Mr. Branflake would play this game all the time on our walks. I would put half into a trust fund for my kids' educations, a quarter to charity, and spend the rest on a nice house and some traveling.

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  18. I absolutely love that card and I think I might have to purchase one!!! My husband and I always talk about what great millionaires we'd be!! : )

    ~ Wendy
    http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/

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  19. oh girl. you have such a good plan for money! i hope buckets of it come your way soon. and i wouldn't mind it if buckets of money came my way, too!

    side note: years ago money was so so so so SO tight that i cried every night because i didn't know how i would pay the rent & car payment, and i didn't know if i would have any money left for gas or food. those were REALLY hard times. i was an art major working for a non-profit org, so it seemed like i was DOOMED to a life of scrimping and struggling forever. i am not rich now (not even close!!!), but sometimes i think back to that time and am relieved things are not so bad now. fingers crossed that it stays that way!

    and if i had tons o' extra cash i would buy some homes in different locations, and travel and chill and just concentrate on relaxing and enjoying life. and finding ways to help others. and getting as many pets as i could!

    SORRY FOR THE LONG COMMENT! yeesh!

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  20. hm. I'd buy a pretty cottage with a garden near the beach and the mountains and not too far from a city. I'd fill it with kids and sweet treats and sunshine and love. And lots and lots of laughter.

    I hope to do this regardless of salary. But having the million to get it started would be very nice indeed...

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  21. Ooh, I would love to have a cabin up in the mountains too! There's just something so magical about being near mountains...

    If I had a million dollars I too would be paying off my student loan debt and my family's debt as well. Then we'd all feel so much more care free! :)

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