As I've brought up in the latest issue of The Cut Sheet -- what would you do if you won the lottery? Would you quit your surveying job? If you are a surveying business owner, would you shut it down?
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Good question.?ÿ At my age I probably would stop surveying.?ÿ My answer might be different if I was twenty years or so younger.
PS - I used to have a fantasy of winning the lottery and then putting together a large surveying outfit.?ÿ Then I would I would run it at a loss just to drive all my old employers and enemies out of business and leave them penniless.
But I've softened in my later years.?ÿ Now I'd just buy the houses next door to them and rent them out to bums and ne'er-do-wells...?ÿ
I'd work even more, and specialize in something like high precision monitoring, and take vacations to the wild reaches of the west to seek out the never found markers, etc. ANd get Kids into the game, its the coolest career no one talks enough about!
I don't think I'd change much.?ÿ I mostly like what I do for a living, and it keeps me active and productive in the community.?ÿ I'm on a glide path to retirement as it is, getting pickier about the kinds of projects I take on and working shorter hours, but I'm not ready to hang it up yet even though I can afford to and am well past traditional retirement age.?ÿ Adding lottery millions wouldn't mean a whole lot to me.
PS?ÿ My wife thinks I'm nuts.
I??d just keep surveying until the money ran out and if it were millions, I??d give most of it away anonymously anyway. Can??t take it with me and no desire to be the richest man in the graveyard. Might give up my regular gig but my license? Never.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
Good question.?ÿ At my age I probably would stop surveying.?ÿ My answer might be different if I was twenty years or so younger.
Now that??s funny!
PS - I used to have a fantasy of winning the lottery and then putting together a large surveying outfit.?ÿ Then I would I would run it at a loss just to drive all my old employers and enemies out of business and leave them penniless.
But I've softened in my later years.?ÿ Now I'd just buy the houses next door to them and rent them out to bums and ne'er-do-wells...?ÿ
?ÿ
If you are interested in high precision monitoring and looking for a job, I may be able to point you in the right direction. Message me.?ÿ
I??d keep surveying, but upgrade a few pieces of equipment and work fewer hours on the best jobs.?ÿ
First off, I'll not win the lotto. Cause lotto is A tax for people that are bad at math. I'm too good at math to play. Survey dollars are worth 2x or 3x as much as the other kind. And maybe 5x that of realtor dollars. Now, that means that for me to win, somebody else would have to buy me the ticket. And, it would have to win. Now, what are the odds of that??ÿ
Naw. I'll just stay home, and have another kid. Or try to. Better odds.
Nate
?ÿ
I doubt if I would retire. I did retire once and didn??t like it. I would probably keep surveying at least on a limited basis.?ÿ
Keep working.?ÿ Past retirement age but have good Clients and still like what I do.?ÿ I would consider if $100mil as I could finish existing projects then start new job finding good ways to spend all the money.
Peace out! Love what I do but I'm about over it!
Anyone on here remember the 1950's TV show "The Millionaire"?
My?ÿ path would probably be similar to a lot of folks who post here.
Depending upon the amount won, I'm guessing I would "semi-retire", so I'd be better able to pick and choose which projects to take on. A one or two day work week sounds pretty good.
Then, buy the "dream home" (If it's a BIG lotto win, also buy the "dream vacation home"), and escrow enough to support them for the remainder of my life.
Next, make sure family and friends could somehow benefit.
Finally, distribute as much as feasible to charitable organizations, including local/state/national professional surveying societies, also to surveying educational programs.
?ÿ
Keep working, but hire someone or three to help with the business.?ÿ My GPS equipment is new, but I need a good robot.?ÿ I would buy a hoss computer with the latest software and multiple screens, finish building my office, and move in.?ÿ Buy a new truck and four wheeler, fund my retirement, take more vacations, and road trips in a new, comfortable riding car.?ÿ I would like to go and visit New Zealand, the Australian outback, and a few countries in Europe.
As to what to do with the rest of the money, hmmm.?ÿ Make sure my family is financially stable, my church funded, worthy causes donated to, help my neighbors who need help, fund some city and county activities, and pave a road or two.
And I would freely work in my county and nearby area to recover old USPLSS corners and put their location in the public records. And I would also fund an educational scholarship for aspiring young land surveyors.
I can dream...........
Buy a nice old pre-civil war stone farmhouse and put an office in one of the outbuildings.?ÿ Load up on the latest equipment and take on a few interesting boundaries a year.?ÿ Make sure the office had a nice leather couch and a fireplace where I could lounge and post on Surveyor Connect.?ÿ And probably buy something like this for my field rig....
I don??t want to win a lottery such as Mega Ball or whatever they are called. Winning a massive amount of money is a dramatic mental challenge and most of the people who win aren??t mentally equipped to deal with it. Besides I??m too old for a shock like that. (but I??d still like to win ????)
I??d keep at it. ?ÿSlow down even a little more. ?ÿI kind of like some of the ideas above about investing it in a small surveying business, then I could mentor a couple more.
What do they say it takes to make a million dollars in the surveying business? ?ÿTwo million?
@flga-2-2 There are two kinds of stressors, positive and negative. Losing grandma is a negative stress, while winning the lottery is a positive stress. Whatever the source, the stresses are equally bad for you. For most people winning a huge lottery can be a disaster. Keeping a level head on your shoulders is not easy, especially when all the long lost relatives come out of the woodwork wanting their share.
I really like what I do. Would I stop if I won? Don't know. I hear many people struggle with life after a big win.
I will not out the guy, but there is a current member of this cohort that did win the Lottery in my state a few years ago. Not sure of the size of his winnings. I know that he still works and posts here frequently.?ÿ
JA, PLS, SoCal