What Would You Do If You Were Given $50,000 Today? (HHH #3)

hank | Jul 14, 2008 | View Comments

free-money-1-708306
So the nice folks over at MarketLeverage have agreed to sponsor the contest this round as they’ve been duly impressed with the postings that come out of the M.I.B!  I’m happy to say that I’m happy to hear it!  That being said, the contest is giving away 3 American Express gift cards for $150, $100, and $50!

We had an opportunity to cook up a laundry list of prizes, but I figured the folks that swing by here want to make THEIR money work for THEM instead of giving prizes that you’d have to turn around and sling up to eBay.  I say let your cash work for you!

So in the last 2 promotions (Contest1, Contest2) the rules seemed to work very well and rewarded everyone accordingly, soooooo:

The Prizes

There are a total of (3) prizes worth $300 that will be given out:

(1) $150 American Express Gift card
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(1) $100 American Express Gift card
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(1) $50 American Express Gift card
gift_card__general_recipien.gif

The Question

So the question each person needs to answer is:

If you were given $50,000USD (tax free) today, what would you spend it on?

The Entries

There are actually 100 possible entries you can have if you use all the options, so read these rules closely!

1. Leave a relevant comment based on the question above (5 entries)
2. “Favoritize” this page through your choice of preferred methods: Del.Icio.Us / Reddit / Digg / Stumble Upon / Technorati / PFBuzz . After linking, use the contact page to shoot me an email to which page you’ve submitted (5 entries)
3. Sign up for my RSS feed (10 entries) [if already signed up contact me to have your entries added]
4. Sign up for The Money Life Network RSS Feed.  Worry not, MLN won’t bite. :) (10 entries) [if already signed up contact me to have your entries added]
5. Refer a friend to this blog and have them leave an entry here on this post. Contact me with the friend you referred (10 entries)
6. Provide a writeup based on the question above on your own blog and link back to this post (15 entries)
7. Add me to your BlogRoll (15 entries)
8.  Review MyInvestingBlog.com on your website (30 entries)

The Rules

  • This giveaway is all in good fun.
  • There is no purchase necessary and it won’t improve your chances to win, but I’m always up for free $ if you’d like to send me some. :)
  • If it works as planned, I’m happy to offer more giveaways in the future.
  • The winners will be selected by random number generator.
  • The winners will be chosen on August 6, 2008 @ 12pm Pacific Standard Time(PST).
  • Anyone of any age can enter unless it is illegal in your area.
  • The winners will be contacted via email, SO LEAVE A VALID EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU WANT TO BE CONTACTED! I promise I will NEVER use your email address for evil purposes. Just to contact you to tell you that you’ve won. You don’t even need to leave a real name if you don’t want, just a valid email address (and home address if you win). If the email address isn’t valid, I’ll use the random number generator to pick another name.
  • All prizes are provided “as is”.
  • If you want to host my next giveaway, I’m happy to consider your offer. Contact me.
  • The odds of winning depend on how many people are involved. I can’t give you this info now, but I can assure you, it’s easier to win than the standard lottery.
  • By getting in on this you allow MyInvestingBlog to republish what you write either on this blog or other spots.
  • I am the judge and jury as to what is a “relevant” post. If you’re following the rules above, you’re most likely a valid post; but I reserve the right to delete your post if I feel it isn’t relevant to this blog. For example, if you write something like: “I really like giftcards, and I really really like free gift certificates!” You’ll probably not get in. Please make it a valid post!

Filed Under: Compensation • Giveaways • advice

Tags:

  • James Prescott
    I would open a English School for the students that can not afford to learn english at younger ages in China. English is being taught by the school system but so many of the younger children do not have the money to take privet lessons at young ages. I would spend the money to open a school and let them pay what they could afford so that the school could stay in place longer. I would also try to teach english in smaller villages where they can not afford teachers useing internet or teleconferance in class.
    one4ai@hotmail.com
  • Travismcnulty
    if i had 50,000, I would fix my credit, pay all my debts,get my bussiness off the ground so i can employ others in need. i have goals, dreams, and the thrive to make it work.i have been poor all my life so im knowing what its like to look up at the wealthy in envy. and yes, i would help those around me in need...
    travismcnulty@rocketmail.com
  • kevin
    If I were given 50K, I would be able to save my small business and my house. I am a drywall contractor and to get a line of credit with distributers they make sign personally. I wasnt paid on a couple jobs, so I couldnt pay my material bills. Now my insurance has been cancled and my distributers have put a lean on my house. So I would pay off those debts, then put 15k in the bank in case this were to happen again.
  • JAMES WEST
    I NEED HELP WITH MY BILL ME AND MY MOTHER


    WE NEED HELP BAD [THANK YOU VERY MUCH
  • Mr Prosper
    I would:

    1. Pay off my credit card
    2. Pay off my student loans
    3. Take the vacation that I've needed to take for a long time (prob. Vegas)
    4. Put $5, 000 in the savings account (just in case)
    5. Split the remaining $25,000 between stocks and apartment investments
    (6. Somewhere in there, I'd give my parents a few grand)
  • I would put in tax lien certificates where it would make a fixed above market rate of return. Iowa tax liens pay 2% per month. The website link has some nice general information on them.
  • With 50000 $ I would renew my art supplies such as canvases, paint and paintbrushes. I would then take a 6 month leave of absence from work to paint to my hearts desire.
  • $50K wow tough one, I never have that much money before. Hmm.. I think putting the money in fixed deposit bank would be nice. have this amount of money has a great responsibility.

    Sherry's last blog post..Wanting to know about posture, kettlebell, fitness
  • I would take my 50,000 dollars,
    Invest 25,000 on a downpayment for a cashflow property and take the other 25,000 dollars and look for a bottom in this terrible market.
    or Maybe buy some gold ETFs!

    Wealth for Investors's last blog post..I lost Money in the Market
  • Tori
    If i had $50,000 i would most defenitly give alot of it to my mom, not only has she raised 4 crazy kids, she has come over so much, and always put her kids first! The rest of it i would put in my college fund, and maybe spend a little :]
  • Marty Walden
    If I had $50K I would pay off our home equity line (our only debt), put $10K in savings, Invest $10K, buy a good used car and take another week of vacation. Then I'd still have some money left for a mini-scrapbook spree!
  • Deborah
    If I had $50K, I'd pay off my debts, buy a new-to-me car, give my mom the largest possible tax-free monetary gift, and sock the rest away.

    Oh! And I'd buy a really good artist bench for my piano.
  • I would spend a winfall $50k as follows:

    $5k (10%) tithe to my church
    $36k to pay off student loans (our entire debt!)
    $500ish on a nice dinner out and weekend away
    remainder in a high interest savings account to start a house downpayment fund

    Hobby: Saving Money's last blog post..July Recap
  • If I were given 50K, first thing I'd do is pay for my college, 10K (that's the amount I need to complete the whole amount, not actually the whole amount I need). Next, I will pay some family debt for 20K. Then I will definitely put 10K into some saving plan. I was beaten real hard this year, so I learnt my lesson. For the remaining 10K, I will start a small food-project (restaurant or snacks), outside the USA.

    I gave you thumbs up!

    Mary_Freebies's last blog post..Blog Contest: MarketLeverage Contest 7
  • Linda F
    I would give $5000 to each of my three sons to pay for college or to help pay off student loans. I would donate $5000 - divided among a few favorite charities and my church. $10000 would be used to pay down debt. $10000 would go to a Roth IRA. With the last $10000, I would give some to my father, use some to have work done on my house and spend the rest (maybe on a nice vacation!).
  • $50,000 USD will definitely go a long way in my country! here the value of that amount is p2,150,000! anyway, i would use half of money to pay off our home installment, my sister's remaining tuition, donate to PAWS (animal welfare) and KaEskwela( my charity org). The other half will go into savings and starting a mini business (my dream craft store). Yey. thanks for allowing me to daydream :)

    kate!'s last blog post..Mint Toy Museum
  • Boy, you sure have interesting rules and lots of chances to win.
    I would take my family on a trip to Europe. I enjoy traveling and it would be paid for. I would also buy a shed for our house.
    Bank the rest in my bank account.

    motherhood101aplus's last blog post..Normal Expenses
  • J
    Pay off the car ($22K), $18K Orange Savings, $10K selected stocks. Need better credit for real estate (which takes time anyway), so may as well get the interest in savings at the same time. Really hate car payment, it’s the only thing not paid off. Current selected stocks are beating the market…but that’s always a gamble regardless.
  • Christin
    Since I've been careful lately and have no debt (yay!), I would put that 50,000 buckaroos straight into short-term savings for the down-payment on our first house!! Wouldn't that be nice. However, if we already had a house, I'd split it between retirement savings, extra mortgage payment, helping out some family members, and rebuilding our emergency fund.
  • HB
    I would use $50k tax free as a down payment on a house. Boy, would that be nice.
  • $50,000. Big number, more than 1 year of salary (which unfortunately isn't tax free). Let's break it down into what I'd spend it on.

    1st off, at least $5,000 (10%) would be given away. My wife & I are firm believers in the tithe concept, of giving at least 10% off the top, even before taxes.
    2nd we need to pay off our credit card, so $1000 goes to that.
    3rd, I think there might be need of at least one, maybe two newer vehicles at our house. We've been living with one car for two years now and a 2nd vehicle would be greatly beneficial. I want a truck, so probably $5-8,000 would go for a good used small truck. Let's go for $8k. To make the math easy, let's make the 8k a round $10,000, spend 8 on a 2nd vehicle and put the remainder into a fund for replacement of our 8-year-old minivan.
    4th, there are a number of things we would like to do to our (almost 100-year-old) home to save money in the long run: better insulation, newer/better windows. Let's put $10,000 toward that good use, and if that doesn't use up all of the $10k, use the rest on general house repair/upkeep.
    Next, I'm over 1/2way through the $50K, so let's start putting it away. Let's put $5,000 in an emergency fund, and $5,000 in each of the kids' college funds ($10K total). There's another $15K disposed of.
    We're left with $9,000, which we'll save, something longer-term, heck, let's put it into the minivan replacement fund. There, $50,000 gone in 10 minutes!
  • 15k to debt
    15k to kids college fund
    15k to retirement fund
    5k to fun

    john's last blog post..Five Years Ago This Week - 8/2/2003
  • Bill
    I'd be very thankful, I would use it for mortgage, savings, investments, charity, car, vacation and family :) ... thanks
  • I would do my best to purchase a foreclosed home so that my family and I could experience life without a mortgage.

    Jenna's last blog post..Can You Keep Your Credit Cards When You Declare Bankruptcy?
  • I would put about $2000 away to finish off my emergency fund, and the rest I would put into CDs or high yield savings for 2 years. In two years, I would add it to what I have and buy an apartment-that's my dream.

    Sasha's last blog post..Starting to Care About Money
  • chris
    oh boy, $50K tax-free?! well, i'd give $5K to my home church. i'd put $10K toward the principal on our mortgage, and another $10K into savings. i'd invest $20K in some long-term goals, like a fund out of which i can be philanthropic and college expenses, and i'd divide the remainder [$5K] among the current needs and wants of my family.
  • 50,000 tax-free dollars.
    The first cut would pay off my car.
    The remainder would be split in two: half going toward the house payment, the other half into the emergency fund.
    And I would definitely be doing a happy dance!
  • If I had $50,000 I would pay off a bunch of my debt...I wouldn't be debt free but I would feel a whole lot better about my situation....watch for a post coming soon...

    My Journey From Debt's last blog post..Eatin’ Out….Again!
  • If I were given 50K I'd pay off all of my college debt, put some into my investing account, savings account, and checking account.

    I dugg the post (username: dvd6542), stumbled the post (username: schlossy), and favorited the post on technorati (username: schlossy), and subscribed to your blog through email.

    David's last blog post..The Daily Dollar Report Earnings Report (July 2008)
  • Brooke
    I would help my sister get an apartment, then I would help my mom get a new car because hers always breaks down. I would take my dad out to a sports game, I would put 5 grand in an emergency fund, I would donate 5 grand to my church, and the rest I would spend on my husband and my debt.
  • I would pay off all my non mortgage debt and then use the rest to put a down payment on a rental property.
  • Hi

    I've answered your interesting question as a blog post here:

    http://betshopboy.blogspot.com/2008/08/american...

    betshopboy's last blog post..American Express Gift Cards Giveaway Contest
  • pinkyblue
    I would give 10% to my church, and use the rest to pay off school loans.
  • Hi Hank

    Thanks for this contest, I've blog about your question on my blog (15 entries):
    http://goodieshunter.blogspot.com/2008/08/mib-i...

    I've also added this blog to my blogroll (15 entries).

    If I were given US$50,000 today, I would use it to acquire your blog or buy a share and become a shareholder of this blog. Then we can go on to make tons of money online! LOL!!
    Do I get 5 entries for this comment?

    Please count me in for total of 35 entries. Thanks!

    Thanks for the interesting question, it was fun dreaming up all the possibilities!

    May G's last blog post..MIB Is Giving Away $300
  • andyjean
    So easy to know what I'd do with $50k. I fantasize about it all the time. First I'd expand my emergency fund to 6 months for both our incomes. Then I'd pay off the last of the non-mortgage debt and begin the process of quitting my high-stress job to move to the country and live a simpler life.
  • Maisie
    With 50K I would

    Donate 5K
    Pay down our home principal 5K
    Add to our emergency fund 10K
    Save for kids college 28K
    Family fun (purchase Wii and a beach getaway) 2K

    Thanks for the fun dreaming!
  • Dan
    If we got $50,000, $10,000 would pay off our car, $10,000 would pay off my wife's student loan. The last $30,000 would be combined with the $20,000 we've already saved for a house. That would be enough to give us 20% down (No PMI) on a 15 year mortgage with payments we could easily afford.
  • Dan
    50k would go directly on my house and then allow me to pay off the rest of my house in about a year then.
  • Great topic! Short answer: get rid of most debt, little family splurge and emergency fund. Blogged about it at http://tinyurl.com/6bjovv

    Added MIB to my blogroll at http://kidsmealcrowd.blogspot.com, and subbed to your feed. My post above includes both a mention of your contest and a quick review of your blog for readers.

    Last, but not least, I have also subbed to the MLN feed in my Google Reader. Thanks to Gather Little by Little and Don't Feed the Alligators for point ing me in your direction. I really enjoyed the question and re-affirming personal finance priorities.

    NH Mom of 3's last blog post..If I had a million dollars...um, or only $50K...
  • If I had $50,000 Cash right now, I'd put it in my Bank account and use it to live off of while I continue to build up my Blog income full time. :)

    I also subscribed to your RSS Feed.

    Great contest! ML sponsored one on my site as well... they're awesome.

    Paul

    Paul Piotrowski's last blog post..Save Money on Advertising
  • I blogged about the contest at http://www.anothermmoblog.com/2008/08/market-le... and answered the question on the post.

    But just incase I'm going to answer it here... I would take my friends and family out for a vacation and enjoy the summer as much as I can. Then I'd save the rest of the money and let the interest grow from the leftover amount.

    BTW thanks for the contest!

    - AnotherMMOblog

    AnotherMMOblog's last blog post..Misspelled Words Can Give You Traffic Too?
  • Sandi
    I would pay my granddaughter's college tuition and buy myself a car (I have a 1998 one now). Luckily, I have no credit cards or other loans, so I would invest the rest in a SAFE savings account or learn how to invest it wisely. I would also give some to the church and to my favorite charity, the Samaritan House. They are in need of a new, larger building, and I would purchase one for them closer to the church property. I would also like to take a week long vacation to Hawaii.
  • Constance Spanios
    As a single mom of three great children, I find that between being a cook, chaperone, maid, tutor (etc., etc, etc.), that there's not a whole lot of money and/or time left over at the end of the day to do much for myself. That having been said.... I would do something that I've always wanted to do.... attend nursing school full time. That money would go a long, long way towards paying for tuition and books, plus making sure that the bills were paid and that I could concentrate on school without worrying about how I'm going to pay for food and electricity. Besides that, once I graduated, I would have a job that I love, while being in service to others... and that's important to me. I've never been one to need "stuff"... but I would be so grateful for the opportunity to realize my dream... then who knows, in the future I would hope to be in a position to "pay it forward"...
  • I would pay off all my existing credit card debt and then put the rest towards medical school. But I would probably use a small amount of it on something fun for myself too...

    Maggie's last blog post..Summary Saturday: Project 365, Week 30
  • Hi Hank

    $50,000 is alot of money!
    I would clear my debt, which is about US$20,000 and put $5,000 in an emergency fund. I would go and visit my Mum this year (am planning to go next year) and buy her a new car with $10,000. The rest I would give to Kiva Loans $5,000, Compassion $5,000 and Ebyown Children's Village $5,000.
    Gosh that would be such a thrill!

    Lisa Clark's last blog post..August Update
  • AnnMarie
    I would do two things: 1) my DH and I would each get $500 fun spending money and 2) the rest of it would go towards our mortgage, leaving less than $20,000 remaining which is the most awesome thing I can imagine. It's the only debt we have and then in just a few years we could be 100% debt free! It's almost unimaginable to me.
  • I would make some minor home improvements, pay off mine and my daughter's student loans, buy my daughter a safe and dependable car (so I can have mine back), pay off credit cards, invest in a jitterbug cell phone (so I can actually hear clearly when someone calls me), relocate my elderly father and sister to the same state I live in. I'd also like to finally start a project a friend and I have been planning for some time now: Miracles for Mom - an outreach for young, single moms. Whew!

    (I was referred by Autumn)
  • With $50K tax free, I would pay for Grad School (Architecture) for myself and law school for my mom (this has been her dream for a while now!), pay off student loans and my credit card. If there's anything left after that, I'd buy a top line SLR camera and study abroad in London for a semester or two.
  • Oddly enough, I just posted about entering a raffle, one of whose prizes is $50,000. You could win a million bucks, too, or any of an endless procession of giveaways whose value ranges from $100 to $1 million. Didn't see yours--mentioned at Gather Little by Little--until after that post went up.

    Well, if I win the 50 grand (sigh! rather than the target $1,000,000), first I will pay off the remaining $22,000 of debt against my house and then I will put the rest of the after-tax money, which would only be about 13 grand, into my retirement savings.

    I've added MiB Smart Money to my blogroll & also reviewed the site at Funny: http://www.funny-about-money.com/Funny_about_Mo...
  • Lacy
    Wow - what a great giveaway! (I also linked you on del.icio.us to enter that way. Oh my life would turn around if I had 50K - it would almost wipe out my student loans (leaving me around 5K to get through which I would then empty my emergency fund to get rid of so that I could be debt free!) Then I'd immediately take all my payments and beef up my emergency fund again and start saving for a house downpayment. (My ultimate dream.) It'd be hard to use that huge chunk just on debt but the feeling of being free of it would be SO worth it, I just know it.
  • If I had $50,000 I would donate some of it to charity and also put it in my house fund :)

    Zombie Money's last blog post..Air Drying Clothes, good way to save electricity and money
  • I would pay off my car, take a trip to France, then apply the rest to my student loans. At that point, I'd be pretty much out of debt!
  • Melanie
    Hi! I linked over here from somewhere else (sorry I don't remember where from thought) - love your blog! I would pay off my cc debt and then take a long vacation to Ireland. It's been so long since I had an adult vacation :). I'd save about $10,000 in an emergency fund and invest the rest, maybe by bulking up my retirement account.
  • Caseyf6
    For these purposes, I'm pretending that this was a bonus paid by the military during deployment, so tax-free. Figuring out tax amounts would give me a migraine.

    1. Pay off $14000 left on car loan. Savings? 6.5% interest over 3 years.
    2. Pay off 3900 worth of credit card debt. Savings? 4% (promotional) interest and untold stress.
    3. This leaves $32,000. $10000 to fully fund our emergency blanket. :)
    4. $22000 still. $10000 or less to replace my mother's scary car with one that is reliable and does not look like it will fall apart if she sneezes.
    $12000 at the end, to be split between my daughter's bank accounts. Probably will put more into older daughter's account as she is closer to college age and will need it sooner. (By the way-- I added you as RSS feed, and added Money Life Network as well.)
  • Daniel M
    bills, dental work, a better car, new computer, big tv and whatever's left go on a vacation!
  • Kim
    Hey! Great contest. I've signed up for your RSS feed and MLN's RSS feed for those entries.

    If I got $50,000 check handed to me right now, I'd give 10% to church. I'd put $20,000 in savings as an emergency fund and use the remaining $25,000 towards debt. That would knock out everything but student loans at this point and would even make a small dent in those.

    Kim's last blog post..Summer Fun
  • $50,000 would pay off all of our debt (credit cards, student loans, car loan) plus enough to finish funding our emergency fund to where I want it to be. So that's the route I would go. It would free up over $1000/month in credit card payments!

    tiffanie's last blog post..32 pounds of meat for $65
  • $50,000 huh? I've done this over and over in my head before thinking I was going to win a large sum of money.
    So, I know what I would do.
    15,000 savings child no.1
    15,000 savings child no.2
    10,000 savings mom no.1
    5,000 spend like a fool
    5,000 invest in antiques

    mannequin's last blog post..Laurel Hill Cemetery
  • I'd pay off our mortgage so we'd never have to worry about being homeless. Never having to worry about a roof over our heads is a top priority. Circumstances can change in a heartbeat.

    The money used for mortgage payments would be applied to high-interest savings for retirement :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!

    Cheryl Free's last blog post..Mammalicious Finds
  • Di
    Wow, what fun! I would pay off my credit card and burn that sucker. Then I would set up an emergency fund and put the rest in some place where it would earn interest and I couldn't put my grubby little hands on it easily. I subscribed to your rss feed but don't quite understand all the others, boo hoo, lol!

    OK, I would buy my little girl some new school clothes and supplies, too! That's such a heavy hit this time of year along with summer taxes.

    Crossing my fingers!

    Di's last blog post..Quilt Color Ideas
  • Julie
    I would finish paying off my mortgage, do a few home improvements around the house and then invest the rest!
  • I added both feeds, and posted at my blog too.

    It's strange that as many different things as I would put the money to, most of them are "boring". Paying off debt, putting a little bit into savings, getting a new roof...BORING. Giving some of it away would be fun though, and I do have a few things I would like to splurge on. Unfortunately, even my splurge items are boring stuff like coffee grinders and food.

    Kayleigh's last blog post..$50,000 tax free?
  • I'd probably set aside $5K of it for fun and invest the rest. We have no debt and we bought our home with cash so no mortgage.

    I'd use it to build up my "I'm determined to buy an A share someday" fund :)

    Emily's last blog post..July Top Referrers and A Blog Award
  • If I were to win $50,000.00 tax free I would first pay off debt. After paying off every penny of debt we have I would be left with $18,000.00 which would be split in half and put into investments for both of my daughters to help secure their future and pave the way to not having college loans if at all possible.

    Vanessa's last blog post..No Spend Month?
  • Faye
    $50,000...wow, that's a lot, but maybe not so much.

    First, I'll set aside $5,000 for my tithes and offering. No comments, people. It's my belief. Next is I'll save $10,000 dollars. I'll distribute it to my savings account, CDs, etc.

    Next, I'll save $27,000 for my law school fund. This will be a good start for me.

    I'll get $500 for splurge expenses. Hey, I need to have fun.

    The rest of the money I'll probably divide in my savings again and of course, give some to charity to a maximum of $500.
  • anij
    I would pay off my credit card debts, law school loans, and put the rest into some sort of account to help with a down payment on a home.
  • $10,000 would be set aside somewhere reasonably liquid to buy a nice used car on that sad day (I hope many years from now) when my 1999 Ford Taurus dies. $35,000 would become my down payment fund for a house purchase after grad school so I could sacrifice some liquidity and/or take on a bit of market risk since the time horizon is longer. $5,000 would become my vacation fund for the next few years.

    E.C.'s last blog post..If you are a renter, you need renter's insurance.
  • I'd pay off all my debt and put a down payment on a home.
  • Lynda C
    I would invest it in our house which needs a lot of work. I would also take that trip to Hawaii we've been talking about, but can't afford and then put some away. Not sure there would be any left!
  • I'll buy domain names and make more money doing paid reviews! hahaha...

    stumbled by cahkontes and you can find the blogroll here: www.cahkontes.com

    25 total :)

    Cah Kontes's last blog post..Uang dan Gift Card dari My Wooden Spoon
  • JAY SLUYTER
    Unfortunately, I owe the IRS over 12K, so that would be first. After that, my daughter is going into Kindergarten this year so I would buy her awesome clothes and school supplies. Of the rest, 15K would be saved for a rainy day and the rest would go towards our home (principal).

    I know, kinda boring...

    I need the money, so please pick me. :)

    I did subscribe to this feed and the MLN feed.
  • If I received $50,000 I would invest about $15,000 in my wife's photography business. She is so talented and the additional equipment would allow her to take even better pictures. Check out her website at http://christinemasonphotography.com

    I would then take $10,000 and pay off the rest of my student loan. Currently, my debt snowball consists of ONLY that stupid loan (stupid tax).

    Finally, with the remaining $25,000 I would invest $20k and blow $5k on my son over the next few years.

    Dusty's last blog post..Dave Ramsey is Correct - It is Going to Rain
  • I would invest some and put a down payment on a home for me and my 4 kids with the rest.
  • I would buy a new van, so I could have air conditioning again and so it would be dependable. With the money left, I would pay on my mortgage.

    Nancy's last blog post..Sunflower
  • Wow I sure enjoyed reading everybody's comments!

    I personally would buy a used hybrid car, about 5 acres on the outskirts on town, then start building our home for retirement. This can all be done with $50,000 if you play your cards right.

    Leaving comment--5
    sub.to your rss---10
    stumbled, deli, teched user id: danandmarsh(all)---5
    sub to money life network--10
    answered question in my blog----15
    small review in my blog------30
    added to my blogroll---------10
    http://giveawaycity.blogspot.com/2008/07/hanks-...
    looks to be 90 entries, correct?

    danandmarsh's last blog post..Hank's Holiday Handout #3 Contest
  • We would pay off the equity line (down to 7K), my student loans (down to 12K) Put 5K into short term CDs for the hubby's school in the next couple of years, put 5K into the 401K, buy a new fridge for $1000, put 5,000 into something rather liquid so we would have a bigger rainy day fund, and put 20K into the mortgage. Maybe not the most fun thing in the world, but we are rather frugal as it is and plan on staying that way for a long long time.

    Rebecca's last blog post..Future heartbreakers and loose meat tortillas
  • Tina
    $50,000

    1. Pay off vehicle note ($18000)
    2. Invest in Roth IRA for spouse and myself ($10000)
    3. Bump up emergecy fund ($22000)
  • Doesn't require any thought - I'd pitch in about $20K of my own money and we'd be debt free except for our mortgage (yes, that's right, my wife has a lot of student loans...well, actually just one, but the balance is quite high)

    John's last blog post..Warning: Consider the Total Cost of Your Significant Purchases
  • Susan
    I would take $2500 to pay off my high interest loan, use $7600 to get my child the braces she needs, put $19900 in my RESP that has a balance of $0.19 (LOL), put $10000 in a GIC and spend the rest on home repairs and items I haven't bought since I haven't had the money. Gosh, that would be really fun!
  • With 50.000 $, I'll open with 8.000 $ a Cyber coffee here in my country (Democratic Republic of Congo) , buy a Home with 20.000 $, buy a car with 8.000 $, pay my school fees with 8.000, improve my blogs and create new websites with 2.000 and have a lot of fun with 4000 $.

    Rodney's last blog post..Traduction de votre blog en plusieurs langues grâce à Google
  • I'd tithe, pay off my debt (except the mortgage), and complete my emergency fund. I'd also give some to my mom, to help her with expenses.

    Lynnae's last blog post..Tightwad Tuesday: Christmas in July
  • I would pay debt debt and bump up my emergency fund. $50,000 would pay off the remainder of my debt (except the mortgage) and give me a nice remainder to shore up my emergency fund some.

    Thanks and great contest!
  • I would be boring and pay down my mortgage. College is not too far off for my kids and I hate to be straddled with both the mortgage and college tuition to pay at the same time.
  • I would buy a dependable vehicle and pay off some debts! Thanks!

    TinaJewel's last blog post..Monday, July 28, 2008
  • trenell nowden
    FEED THE CHILDREN HELP SAVE THE WORLD IT SOUNDS GOOD BUT I WILL KEEP IT REAL LIFE IS HARD I WOULD TAKE TIME OFF FROM MY STRESSFUL LIFE AND HEAD FOR SOMNEBODY'S ISLAND INVEST IN A CAR AND GASS AND HELP PAY THIS MORGAGE IF ITS ANY MONEY LEFT AFTER DALING WITH LIFE THEN I WOULD JUST SEE AFTER THAT
  • Hi Hank!

    This is the answer to the question:
    I’ll spend it on charity, financial investment, blog promotion, affiliate promotion. Basically, productive methods to provide enormous boost to my network and income.

    Here's the blog's review, and the blogroll: (5 points each or 5 for all?)
    http://www.homebiz.bukiki.com/one-time-contest-...

    I've bookmarked the contest on the following:
    http://myinvestingblog.com/2008/07/14/hanks-hol... by blue_inferno2001

    http://www.stumbleupon.com/url/myinvestingblog.... by blueinferno2001

    http://digg.com/business_finance/Another_Blog_G... by blueinferno2001

    http://www.technorati.com/blogs/http%3A%2F%2Fmy... by blueinferno2001

    I've also signed up to both feeds. I guess they make 125 points. Thanks and good luck!
  • If I had $50,000 tax free I'd first pay off my huge consolodation loan, then my all my little debts, credit card, and medical bills. Next I'd do something for ME, I'd get the last crown for my tooth, some new eyeglasses and a new living room set. That would take up about half of the money, the rest I'd save.
  • $50K...

    Well, let's see. We are pretty much depleting our savings to buy a house right now, so let's put 10K right into savings, in case of emergency.

    $5K for each kid's savings account (so 10K total).

    $30K left.... and a new house... I think I might have to redo the kitchen with the $30K. That would make for a pretty nice kitchen.

    Or maybe we do a $25K kitchen and go on a bitchin' vacation. :D

    Lisa S.'s last blog post..Czechoslovakia
  • 5pts: I'd spend the 50k on my student loans.

    15 pts : Question also answered at: http://wiihd.fortunz.com/contests:072608-ml-con...

    5 points Post dugg (username modeman)

    And I subscribed to both RSS feeds by email (same address as this comment). 20 points

    45 points total

    Thanks for the contest =)
  • I answered the question on my blog!

    Our Life as an Air Force Family's last blog post..Sticky post, newer posts down below! Support a great cause! Strength in Pink, three day walkers for Breast Cancer research
  • Jay
    I answered your $50,000 question on my blog post at http://www.datmoney.com/2008/07/market-leverage... but I wanted to answer it here too... I would pay off a bunch of debt like student loans, car loans, etc. Then I would take some of the left over money to invest in new and bigger online projects.

    Looks like 20 entries for me!

    Jay

    Jay's last blog post..Market Leverage Contests Around the Blogosphere You May Want to Enter
  • I would give the money out via KIVA as loans. Since they are loans, the money can be reinvested over and over again

    Matt's last blog post..Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Auction Process Goes Live Today
  • My answer is boring, boring, boring. Pay off credit card debt, beef up our emergency fund and sock some away for a replacement car when our current cars (8 years old and 16 years old) finally give up the ghost. After that, I would probably enjoy the luxury of not babysitting.

    And maybe get some new flip flops.

    Jeana's last blog post..The Byrds
  • If I had $50k, I'd quit my job and work my affiliate marketing full time!
  • Kathryn
    Whew ... $50K, is a "cure what ails you" amount. Since my husband's been unemployed since the beginning of June, the first thing we'd do is protect our 4 walls (as Dave Ramsey always refers to them) to the tune of 6 months.
    4.5K x 6 = 27K
    This leaves $23K. With it we would pay off our car ($2.8K), pay off our two highest interest (29.24% & 27.74%) CC bills ($11.2K + $8.4K). We're now down to $600 which we'd use to purchase a Kroger gift card. Until 7/30/08, Kroger is adding 10% value to gift cards purchased in multiples of $300. So, $600 a purchase becomes a $660 value we can use for either groceries or gasoline. Thanks for asking.
  • Kimberly
    First I would pay down some student loans, and then I would sock the rest away as down payment on a home.
  • I'll use it as a down payment for the 300K house that I want to buy. I have some money sitting in my savings for this purpose. with another 50K I'll be able to put down a good enough down payment, to not pay mortgage insurance and to pay exactly the same amount as mortgage installments as I'm paying in the rent.

    learning the ropes's last blog post..No Expense Days
  • If I had $50,000 I would pay off my debt (less than $7,000) move in with my partner, take a short vacation and then look around for a good investment - perhaps buy a bit of stock, but likely something more secure.
  • GJC
    donate 5,000 to church
    pay off 22,000 debt
    buy newer, fuel-efficient car to replace 14-year old gas hog
    put 5,000 in savings
    travel
  • Unfortunately, I've got about $58,000 worth of debt, so I'd stick every bit of it against debt, get the credit cards, student loans, and vehicles just about paid off... Then I'd work on attacking the $8,000 left to just clear me out completely...

    Brack's last blog post..IKEA
  • Kim
    That's easy! I would have listened to Bob about investing in the stock market. First a little background. Bob started dabbling in the stock market but would never sit on a stock very long, it seems every time he sold it the stock then soared. So we came up with the saving, "Sit on it Potsie" (remember from Happy Day's). Well Google was going public right around the time my mom's estate was clearing up and he wanted me to invest the money (a very large sum of money $75,000) and I wouldn't. What a dingbat!!!! I would be sitting in my house in Bluffton, SC without a care in the world if I would have only listened to him. I love google but get sick everytime I click on their name.

    Kim's last blog post..Headaches,Cramps and Grouchiness Oh My
  • I'd pay off my husband's student loan, buy a new (tu us, at least) car, and send the rest off to the mortgage company. Thanks for the contest!

    Alison @ This Wasn't In The Plan's last blog post..An Interview With Me
  • I'd pay off my husband's student loan, buy a new (tu us, at least) car, and send the rest off to the mortgage company. Thanks for the contest!

    Alison @ This Wasn't In The Plan's last blog post..An Interview With Me
  • Holly Naim
    Since my mom has been sick lately I would do whatever it took with the money that I was given to get her healthy again. Plus I am on the quest to lose weight so if I had the extra money I would hire a personal trainer and chef as well.
  • If I were given $50,000 tax free today, I would set aside about $20,000, then invest the rest into starting a business of my own. Specifics I'm not sure of yet, but it would fund my endeavors.

    I've also written a post about the contest here: http://www.contestu.com/contest/win-300-in-gift...

    Sensei's last blog post..Win a Trip for 4 to Iceland
  • Michele
    I would spend some of it on a trip for my husband's 40th birthday. And invest the rest for our daughter's college fund. Thanks!
  • Rob
    I would invest some of it, some for home repairs, and spend some of it on a vacation.
  • I would give $5K to various charities, spend $10K on agri-business stocks like Potash Inc, Deere, and the rest into my mortgage and savings.
  • Matthew G.
    I would use it all to pay down my student loans, which is my highest interest rate debt. It might not be exciting but it would really help me in the long-term.
  • theresa
    I would invest most of it...spend some of it on art supplies...and spend some of it on a vacation.
  • marco
    I wish you were actually giving away $50K tax free. If I won that kind of cash I'd pay off about $5K in credit card debt first. I'd then use $20K to pay off student loans. $15K would be split up in two money market accounts. $10K would go towards getting my Master's degree.
  • I did a stumble, digg, and technorati plus I subscribed via Yahoo Reader.

    Dena's last blog post..Contest Announcement
  • If I had an extra $50,000 I would pay off my car and try to invest whatever was left over.

    Dena's last blog post..Contest Announcement
  • Hi Hank

    With $50,000 I would pay off a chunk of my mortgage (and I would hope for a better exchange rate than $2/pound sterling :) )

    Neil
  • Joan
    $50,000 would be equally distributed between my three daughter's college bills. It would be very nice to have a few months without paying into their installment plans.
  • I would spend the $50,000 to buy a home. . . nothing extravagant, of course.

    Tami's last blog post..Simple Woman's Daybook: July 14, 2008
  • lindsey
    I would use every penny to pay back various debts I've accumulated through the years. . .including the massive amounts of student loans.
  • Kasie
    I would invest some of it, and some of it I would use to help my mom move out of her house.
  • ruth
    What a great giveaway. With $50,000 I would invest at least half or more in safe stocks and I would travel, and give my son a good chunk to help him pay off his loans.
  • I would pay off my $16,000 doctor bill, buy a vehicle with AC, get our teeth fixed, and pay off some bills!

    I subscribed to your RSS feed and linked to you on my blog.
    http://www.xanga.com/Romans8_28Life
  • What a tough question, there are some many things that I can think of if I had $50,000 tax free today....I guess the one that I submit for the contest is to purchase an investment property. Most of my ideas are centered around investing in some of my business ideas, maybe pay a graphic designer for a new logo for my blog....
  • Emily N.
    I'd buy a new car with good gas mileage like the Toyota Prius and go on a vacation to Australia.
  • $50,000 would pay off my student loans and leave me enough to take the family on a Disney cruise (although I'm not sure my boys are old enough to enjoy it yet). Alternatively, I would love to make some improvements to my house, especially a kitchen remodel and new carpet!

    Cathy's last blog post..The Jardine crib recall is being handled poorly
  • Courtney
    I'd pay off my law school student loans.
  • Donate 10 % to charity.

    Save 10 %.

    Invest 10 %.

    Pay off van.

    Finish remodel.

    Pay for trip to Puerto Rico in fall.

    JackieW. transplanted Okie (Buried in Legos)'s last blog post..Fight the Frump with Fussy ... Silver Hair
  • I'd definitely pay off my debts, invest most of what's left over and maybe take a mini-vacation.

    Lyndon's last blog post..Head in The Clouds
  • PT
    50K would be enough for me to split amongst different goals. I'd pay off a little debt (5K), build a better cash savings (5K), buy another piece of real estate (30K for down payment), and use the remaining 10K for our 2008 IRAs. Easy! :)

    Great contest, Hank. Hope it goes well....oh, and I hope I win. ;)

    PT's last blog post..Hey You! Subscribe to Prime Time Money
  • If I had $50,000 in tax free money. I'd likely buy 1000 ounces of silver, 20 ounces of gold and keep the rest in cash.b

    Reid @ MooneyQuest.com's last blog post..One Step Closer to my Pilots License
  • I would first invest my money strategically & try to multiply that sum. Then I would help my parents pay for my college tuition!
  • BBx
    I meant *travel :P
    Not ravel.
    Blogged here: http://bunnymoney9.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-inve...

    BBx's last blog post..Boot Loot Contest
  • BBx
    Well, I'd pay off my student loan first. Then invest, save, donate, and have fun! I would love to ravel the world with my partner!!!
  • If I had 50,000 USD Cash tax free, I would invest it in foreign companies. Why? Because US economy is going down....

    Syed Balkhi's last blog post..How to Display the most recent post from a specific category in Wordpress?
  • You're too kind! But you got my attention for your offer. I would use the money to visit my family in New Jersey. I would also help them out with some of it.
  • Hey there,
    Ive subscribed to both the feeds and blogged about the contest as I am also currently hosting a Market Leverage contest.

    http://www.enkayblog.com/more-great-contests/

    Also, if I were given $50,000, I would play it smart. I have a college education to pay for which will probably cost another $20,000 from what I have already paid so far so I would pay that off. I would donate $5000 to Save The Children. The other $25,000 I would keep for a rainy day because with the economy going the way it is, I would rather save and be worry-free rather than spend and regret later on.

    So I dont know how many entries that is but thanks for this!

    Enkay Blog's last blog post..Are You Fast Enough?
  • Angela Gallien
    I'm doing it the Ramsey way... paying off debt. I'd pay off my student loan!
  • I would invest the 50K in a low-cost total-market index fund.

    Vered's last blog post..Google Search Terms: The Funny, The Sad, And The CREEPY
  • I would apply enough to my mortgage so that I could drop PMI.

    The remainder I would set aside in a savings account my wife and I have established for the purchase of a vacation home on a lake of ski mountain somewhere in Maine.

    Benjamin's last blog post..Hymotion L5 and The 100mpg Toyota Prius
  • I would give 5 grand to my church. I would do 5 grand in home renovations. take a trip with my wife worth 10 grand. buy some consumer products for 5 grand. and last but not least, i'd invest the last 25 grand.

    Kevin at 20s Money's last blog post..How The Swiss Got Rich: The Zurich Axioms Part 2
  • Tree
    I would invest in tax-free municipal bonds or inflation-adjusted treasury bonds, and have it be a secure, core base for upcoming financial independence.
  • Hmm...this is not as easy as it seems. Investing it is the first thing that comes to mind. My wife will probably want to spend it on a used minivan. But if I get to choose, I'll try to invest it in some sort of business venture.

    Pinyo's last blog post..Seven Traits of Successful People (Reprint)
  • My wife and I would decide between two things:

    Option 1 - Pay off medical school debt. Who the heck would have thought that in order to become a physical therapist, it'd cost just slightly less than becoming a doctor? Oh, and then you get paid just slightly better than a nurse, too. $50 k would take a huge chunk out of that education debt.

    Option 2 - Dump it in a 0.03% savings account (or better). The $1500 a year in interest would be used to pay for Christmas gifts for everyone in our family each year.

    I do not believe I would use the money for any tangible thing, since I think I've got everything that I really need.
  • Its pretty simple for me. With $50,000 I would take half and put it in some sort of CD, saving, or something that would give a reasonable return with little risk. The other half would go directly into stocks.

    theWild1's last blog post..Its in the Sand
  • FFB
    50 G's huh? We've been looking to upgrade our car, possibly to a mini-van to fit the kids and stuff. The money would go to pay off a car in full so we wouldn't have any finance payments. Anything left over would be put into ING savings to earn interest (not that interest can keep up with gas prices but everything helps).

    FFB's last blog post..Festive Link Love Carnivality #17
  • With $50,000 I'd pay off the 20 side of my 80/20 home loan, that'd leave about $20k remaining. I'd that use to finish off the second floor interior of our home, which currently consists of one inconveniently placed finished room in the middle of 'attic' space.

    Man having that loan paid off would be nice...
  • Gail E
    Since I am currently working the Dave Ramsey baby steps, I would use the $50,000 to pay off the remainder of my consumer debts including my car, and the remaining would be a good start to the 3-6 months emergency fund....Unfortunately there would not be much leftover for "fun"...but thats why entering this contest is so much fun! Thanks for the contest...love your blog!
  • JR
    I think I'd use most of it to pay down a credit card and a LOT of student loans. Some would go towards an emergency fund and a little would go to getting a few things we need around the house.

    JR
  • Kris
    If you were given $50,000USD (tax free) today, what would you spend it on?
    Would invest in a web company - risky but who knows, it may be the next Facebook!
  • If I had $50,000 tax free, I would probably invest most of it - and maybe take out 4-5 thousand for a trip my wife and I had planned to take. Oh, and I would by that digital SLR camera that I've been wanting for so long, but haven't been able to justify buying..

    Wow, now you got me thinking about ways to spend money.. not good!! I'm trying to save!

    Pete's last blog post..From the archive: Debt Snowball - pay off the smaller debts first
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