Things I would do if I won the Lotto:

Tithe. Immediately give 10% to God. I’d split that 10% between Prescot Church in the UK and the Metro Church here that I attend on and off.
Give half of what’s remaining to Alun
NOW the fun part – what I’d do with my share:

I’d put some in an account for Mom, to be given out little by little so it lasts her
I’d renovate our home, putting in 2 new bathrooms, getting the walls replastered (they’re so fragile and flakey), the roof and guttering fixed and the front porch redesigned so that it was open and wooded and nice to sit out on – on a sunny day. I’d want the entire perimetre of the house set in wood flooring, I think it would look really nice. I’d want to put in a new kitchen too – new cupboards, benchtops and a black sink and matching tap. So nice. Then SELL it. Hahahaha.
I’d want to get a custom-designed window seat built in our corner window area in the front room
I’d get the walls painted a lovely white – not stark or bright…not clinical…but a nice white, you know what I mean?
I’d pay for DAILY PT sessions at the gym and dedicate 3-6 months to losing loads of weight and getting into shape. Can you IMAGINE how fun it would be to have someone train me daily?!? I legit would LOVE it. I’d bring sexy back. OH YEEEAHHHHHH.

For the purposes of not letting my imagination run completely off the rails, in this pretend instance, let’s say I won $5Million. I’d tithe $500K to Church. Done. I’d give Alun half of what’s left…um…*desperately trying to do the math but I suck at math*…whatever half of 4.5 million is. To save my brain from shutting down completely, I’ll say I have 2 million left to spend. I put $500K away for Mom in a trust account or something. 1.5 Million left. Cool. I can work with that. Haha.

Let’s say I spend $200K on house renovations/new furniture (because come on, now – of COURSE)

Then I’d start gifting the people I love.

*giggling away as I imagine this scenario – this is so much fun*

$100K to Becci & Marc for ALWAYS being there for me. I hope that makes you both sooo happy, because you two mean the absolute world to me. I hope Becci gets to have the BEST wedding ever with that money. And an amazing honeymoon. Marc will obviously invest it wisely, bless him.

$100K to Pete and Lyn for being my awesome bonus parents. It would be nice to see them living in luxury for a bit. They so deserve that. Pete might be able to get a huge-ass boat. A yacht maybe?

$50K each to beautiful Sammy F (I love Samantha F so much), amazing Laura W, Sammy P (my boo), Kelly, Mary Ellen, Rhianne, Cat, Kim D, Megan, Moiz, Andy B, Lynelle, my cousin Anuwar, Grace, Caroline (bless her), Alun (not my guy – another Alun in the UK) Lara…anyone who has reached out to me and been there for me in my really dark, really hard times. I would want to give the money to each beloved friend in a cheque that would be gift wrapped and included inside a beautiful hamper of deluxe snacks with a huge bouquet of flowers and a bottle of Moet champagne delivered to each person.

I’d want to gift $10K to Brenna, Phil McG, Connor, Rebecca, Mary Ellen, Christine, Sue & G, Karyn, Ginny…for being such big blessings in my life. I love them all so much. Same deal – delivered as a gourmet gift basket (cheque inside an envelope with a big red silk bow on it) with flowers and champagne.

I’d organise and gift a fully paid for luxury weekend getaway for my newest friends Paris & Sophie (A gifted experience for 2 people for each of them so they can take their husbands) for supporting me while I was at work and staying in contact now that I’ve left. It would be lovely to gift them a weekend away at the Crown Casino with massages, spa treatments, a show, all meals paid for and a paid for SUITE at the top of the Crown Towers. I think they’d really like that.

I’d organise a reunion dinner with Caris, Sonya, Gracie (?) and Jess. At dinner (I would pay for it of course), I’d give each of them a bouquet of flowers and cheque for $20K to thank them for being my best friends for all that time during Uni, through my time in the UK and my marriage to Alun. I appreciate each of them so much.

I’d pay off my Uni debt and re-enrol to do my Masters at Edith Cowan University for Teaching. FINALLY achieve my life-long dream.

I’d take driving lessons, hopefully pass (Come on now) and buy myself one of the new minis – in cream I think. Or a Jeep Wrangler, again – in cream. I’d also look at the smaller models of Audi’s – just in case. I’m a bit curious about them but ideally I think I want a Jeep.

^^ Look how cute that jeep is! (Photo by Rodolfo Quiru)

I’d buy plots of land around the city and in suburbs near the city and build my Pod Hotels for the homeless. Each pod would be big, made out of really nice materials and I’d have the money to employ night-time security guards. I’d put in showers, toilets and cheap coin-operated laundromats in each ‘pod hotel’. Ideally I’d like to build 4 of them so that they were accessible across the city or at least close to a major public transport hub. I WOULD LOVE TO DO THIS, seriously.

Similarly – and this is inspired mostly by Alun’s love of the Elderly – I’d want to create a ‘tiny village’ of homes made from shipping containers with a main ‘hospital care’ hub for the workers/staff and have a retirement village, basically for the elderly which would be affordable to families who really needed the help.

^^ All houses in my Retirement/Care homes would be made from these cute shipping containers – Photo by ANGELOXWU

I’d want to buy the run-down car wash on Beaufort Street and renovate it, turning it into a ‘daily drop in’ centre for Youth. Jon lit a spark in me that LOVES working with young people and providing a place they could hang out at would be really cool. I’d love to help and support as many young people as I could.

I think I’ll need more than 1.5 million left at this rate! Hahahaha.

I’d love to buy 3 houses – 1 on Scarborough Beach, 1 in Margaret River and 1 here in Guildford – all 3 houses on HUGE plots of land (okay maybe not the one by the beach, space is scarce there as it is). The house in Guildford would be our main home and I’d want a big 2-storey house but then a pool and a little ‘pool house’ granny flat so Mom can live there when she eventually comes back to Perth. I’d love to live on grounds big enough to have an orchard of all kinds of fruit trees and I’d love to be taught how to grow/cultivate a flower garden. I’d love to grow the prettiest cut flowers – roses (all types), gerberas, tulips, stock, snap dragons, irises, lillies…and all kinds of herbs and vegetables. I’d love to some how incorporate a really beautiful fish pond with a fountain/water oxygenation and have Koi fish. Something about watching them swim about brings me peace. I love it.