Imagine you had fifty thousand dollars to spend in one day. Pay off the mortgage, go on a holiday, upgrade the car, renovate the house, pay for the kid’s education are all the instinctive bells that would ring and fifty thousand dollars could be spent in an instant.
But what if all those things were taken care of and you could spend the fifty thousand dollars any which way you liked. How would you spend fifty thousand dollars in one day?
A brown paper envelope full of ten thousand dollars to give to my mum and dad. Hardly much in comparison to all that they have given me over the years. But it is a little something in saying thank you for all the support, all the advice, all the encouragement that paved a life for me that I am grateful for every single day. My parents packed up their life overseas and moved to Australia saying good bye to everything they knew and starting from scratch here. All for a better life for us. My parents worked hard to build that life and worked hard to support me building mine. Always giving me the right advice and the invaluable financial and emotional support I can never stop thanking them for. Maybe this random act could pay for a much needed holiday? Either way, my life wouldn’t be what it is without them and for that I am infinitely thankful.
A brown paper envelope full of ten thousand dollars to give to my sister. Where do I even start with my sister? She is my partner in crime when it comes to all things in life. She puts up with my obsessions and my crazy phases. She gives me good advice when I need it, blunt and to the point sometimes, but that is what you need to stay on track. She gives me her full support and endless help when the times get too hard to manage on my own. And what’s more? She is the best Aunt and Godmother my boys could ask for. Maybe this random act could go towards the dream house she is building? Building a house is tough going, even at the best of times, so this little random act could go a long way in making the process a little bit easier. And the quicker it is built, the quicker I can go over for coffee.
A brown paper envelope full of ten thousand dollars to give to my godmother. My parents bought me books my whole life. I remember trips to the store always ended with another book to add to my collection. But there was someone else who bought me books, my godmother. She bought me many books, but I especially remember when she bought me Emily of New Moon for my birthday. Reading that book was when I started to think: maybe I could write too. I always loved books, but the idea of writing – well that was the spark. The spark of a dream finding its soul. From the pages of Emily to writing today I will always be thankful to my godmother, for the books, the love, the unconditional support. Maybe this random act could go towards something that she loves? For I will be always grateful for having her in my life, giving me every reason to believe that all my dreams could come true.
A brown paper envelope full of ten thousand dollars to give to my two boys. Now it would seem crazy to give an eight and six-year-old ten thousand dollars. But adults can get so responsible when it comes to spending money. When I asked my boys what they would spend the money on – well firstly they needed to understand exactly how much ten thousand dollars was. “It is the same as being able to buy twenty Xbox One consoles,” I told them. Their faces lit up. “We would go straight to the shops and buy tickets to Disneyland and Lego Land Mum. We would take everyone, you, Dad, Nanna, Nannu, Aunty – everyone. We would stay at the Disney and Lego hotels and we would play all day and take a rest in the pool if we got tired.” Sounds like a good idea to me don’t you think? There is something about children and their belief that everything is possible that gives me hope in this life.
A brown paper envelope full of five thousand dollars to give to my much neglected back garden. Well to give to the gardener who will do a much better job than I ever have to breathe some life back into a space now that is now overgrown with weeds and dead trees. We built the house we live in, designed and poured over every detail. But the moment we had our boys the little details started to get neglected around here. So much so, that my once beautiful backyard is a space we do not use anymore. Sad really, since it was once a space to host parties and sit and watch the sun go down, glass of wine in hand. A random act of garden love could change all that and give us back a space we so need. Dreams shift and change, so do priorities, but the garden is part of the soul of this house and needs to come to life again.
Five brown paper envelope full of one thousand dollars each. One to give to the barista who makes my coffee every Friday morning. The only question he asks is “how are you and the boys?” and starts to make my short black. Something about our connection over coffee that makes my Friday, every single time.
One to give to the courier who graces the door at my sister’s office with our online deliveries. He delivers our little bundles of happy with a smile each time. With Christmas coming, how nice would a brown paper envelope of happy be to give to him to say thank you?
One to give to my dear friend who lives interstate. One thousand dollars could go a long way in flights to catch up in real life instead of on the phone or via text. Friendships have so many ways to connect in our modern world, but nothing beats a fireplace, two coffees and friends as old as time catching up.
One to give to the junior coach: two training sessions a week and game day, rain, hail or shine he is out there motivating my boys, getting them excited about sport and giving them new bonds of friendships – all for free. He volunteers hours of his time to the team. This random act of happy could go a long way to say thank you.
Now after a long day of spending 50K in one day I’m not making dinner. We are calling for a pizza and I’m putting my feet up instead. As for the last thousand dollars? My pizza delivery guy is by far the best. I’m sure he has phone number ID on his end and starts to make our pizza before he even picks up to take our order. We have never waited more than fifteen minutes for piping hot delicious pizza. I always try and give him a little extra each time he comes, but this time, he gets my last random act of happy.
How would you spend fifty thousand dollars in one day?
Disclosure: This post was written in collaboration with Mortgage Choice. Everyone’s circumstances are different and Mortgage Choice focus on getting you the right outcomes for you so you can get on with leading a rich and rewarding life, knowing you are in control of your finances.
Mortgage Choice are offering you the chance to win $50,000 cash. You could take a break from your repayments or spend it on whatever makes you happy! Your local Mortgage Choice broker can find you the right loan from a wide choice of lenders, with expert advice at no cost to you. Plus, if you settle a home loan worth at least $150,000 by 31 January 2016, you’ll have the chance to win $50,000 cash. That would give you a fantastic break from your repayments or an amazing shopping spree. Want to win $50,000 cash with Mortgage Choice? Contact them today 13 66 78.
For a little behind the scenes into the illustrations I created for this post click here: behind the scenes video
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Did you read last week’s post Miniature Terrarium Bonbonniere?
