If I Won the Lottery.........

As regular readers will know I am currently unemployed and desperately looking for work. As a result of being unemployed I am very skint and totally fed up of having no money. I really don't understand the ridiculous arguments certain small minded people come out with that people who are unemployed like being unemployed. Apparently its easy and they get enough money to live on and have brand new HD Flat Screen TVs, latest phones, and tablets, brand new cars, lots of holidays, designer clothes etc etc. Well I would like to know how, as that is most certainly not my experience. In my experience there is barely enough money to cover my various repayment plans/debts and put petrol in my car. I could not afford to live on my own and I am very grateful to my Dad for giving me a place to stay. I would be homeless otherwise. Being unemployed is not fun or easy. Its hell. Why would anyone choose to be unemployed and claiming benefits??

Part of my experience of being unemployed is having a very long list of things I would like to do or things I would like to buy but cannot even begin to afford. Money becomes extremely important and the "not having any money" often becomes all consuming and worrying. I know they say that money cannot buy you happiness, but I beg to differ. At the very least it can make being miserable more bearable! I believe money cannot buy you Love or Friendship, but I do think it can help make you happy or can help you to achieve happiness on your own. Not having to worry about paying bills and whether you can afford to buy food shopping this week would relieve a lot of stress and by result allow you to be happier or find space in your life to do things that make you happy. Having money would reduce worry, well financial worries at least. Money can give you stability - worrying about being able to pay your rent and how long you can keep a roof over your head does not allow you to settle and sleep well at nights. Money can also fuel hobbies, interests and days out that you enjoy and make you happy. Being able to afford to get your car fixed when it breaks down, or replace it when its revved its last without having to get into debt or borrow money is a relief. There are so many things that having money could make easier, and reduce stress which in turn can make your life easier and happier.

Some people would like to say this outlook makes me very materialistic. I disagree and actually I think this is very insulting and in my view misses the point of materialism. Firstly we as a culture are drawn to things because of their material value; televisions, radios, mobile phones, tablets, dvds, books, jewellery, cars etc etc. For a lot of people, having these things makes them happy or feel good. So what is wrong with that? We are all expected to work in our adult lives and if as a result of that work we aspire to buy ourselves nice things that we want, what is the problem with that? Why shouldn't we take pride in our possessions? If we have had to wait for them or work hard for them, they become all the more precious. They are a reward and if they make us happy why should that make us materialistic? Really its not materialistic at all.

However, I do believe true materialism is when people only want something because of its financial value or status value. Then I agree that's wrong. Owning an item so you can tell people how much it cost and not because you actually like it or want it, is wrong. It cannot bring you real happiness. Wanting something because you think people will admire you for it or envy you or to get one over someone else is wrong. This reveals serious problems with your character and your personal life. It will never bring you happiness. In my mind this is being materialistic. But having things that genuinely make you happy and give you joy for your own sake and nobody else's is not materialistic. I am one of these people.

While I wait for that job offer and my list of wishes and desires grows longer, I do like to play a little "in a perfect world" game called "If I won the Lottery..." Of course this means a jackpot win of 6 numbers not a 3 number £10 win. I thought I would share my lottery win plans with you. I would love to have these things in my life one day but I am not entirely sure even a well paid job would deliver all of them, so a lottery win is a must!

If I won the lottery .. . . . . . . . . .. .

1. I would buy myself a house. I would buy it outright so it was totally mine. I wouldn't owe anyone money for it so nobody could take it away from me. It would be security. It would in fact be the first time in my life I would have security like that. Even if I didn't have a job, it would be mine. I would haven't to worry about paying rent or losing the roof over my head. I might not be able to afford to heat it or have electricity but at least I would have a home!

2. I would like to decorate my new house to my tastes. Obviously connected to No1. I love interior design and the idea of choosing colour schemes, furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, and objects for the house like towels, bedding, rugs, cushions etc etc sounds like so much fun and something I would really enjoy. I love going to places like Dunelm Mill and other household stores. To be able to buy stuff would be so much better than window shopping!!

3. I would like this house to be detached so I wouldn't have to worry ever again about abusive neighbours with adjoining walls, but I would still like to be within in a street with other houses. I wouldn't like it to be in the middle of nowhere. In this house I would like to have at least 4 bedrooms; my bedroom, guest room and then one room for a library/study/office and one room for a craft room. That would be so fantastic!

4. I would like to go on a huge spending spree to kit out my craft room! Decoupage sheets, all the beautiful papers, cards and paper stacks I have been lusting after, embellishments, and of course practical things like foam pads, tapes etc. I would also like to get some new tools like die cutting machines and embossing tools. Ooo! I would also love to get into stamping and get a whole set of Spectrum Noir Pens and ProMarkers!! And inks! And glitters. And quilling papers. Ooooo! It would be so much fun buying this stuff, then setting it all up in the craft room and then spending hours and hours making beautiful things!! Would be so relaxing!!

5. I would buy some new art materials so I could also get back into painting and drawing as this use to make me happy and made me relax.

6. I would like to buy all the books on my Amazon Wish list and any future books I want. As I would have a library I wouldn't have to worry about where to put them either. Then I could just sit and get lost in books! Heaven.

7. I would like to be able to buy DVDS and CDs when I want them instead of waiting for Birthday's, Christmas or when they come down to £3!

8. I would like to have the money to replace my beloved car when it finally gives up the ghost. (Hopefully not for a while). I wouldn't want a flash car, I would just like a new Peugeot 207 or even better the new Peugeout 208 in Diablo Red. Core!

9. I would like to be able to buy my Dad a permanent home so he didn't have to worry about where he is going to live in his retirement because he won't be able to afford the rent. He also wouldn't have to worry about rent now. I would also like to help clear his debts so he didn't have money worries and could afford to have the operation on his other knee.

10. I would like to pay off my debts.

11. I would like to give my Mum her independence so she wasn't reliant on a man for the first time in her life. I hope this would give her the chance to finally be her own person and not influenced by others and hopefully find happiness and enjoy the rest of her retirement. I would also like to make sure she had the best medical care possible. If that's from the NHS then brilliant but if she needed to pay for treatment I would like to help with that.

12. I would like to get myself a Westie puppy and call it Taz. I might also get a Scottie pup and call it Mac but not entirely sure on that. Definitely a Westie though. I would have the money to pay for any vet bills and buy all the things the Westie needs to have a happy healthy fulfilled life.

13. I would like to help my friends. If I won the lottery I would like to sponsor my friend's daughter to follow her gymnastic dreams. I would also like to buy my friend the craft stuff she wants and to help her out so she doesn't have to worry about debts/money and things. I would also like to help my other friend to achieve her dream of going back to uni or college.

14. I would like to go on and do a PhD after my Masters. If I won the lottery I could afford to pay the fees and cover all the costs. I might not necessarily be capable of doing the work but at least I could fund it if I chose to give it a go.

15.I would like to set up my own business, ideally with my best friend. A lottery win would give us something to invest and pay for us to get started.

16. I would like to visit all the museums and places of interest on my To Do List. I would like to go on a tour of WW1 battlefields (Europe). I would like to visit various places around the UK. I would like to go and see loads of musicals and ballets. I would like to afford to go to concerts. I would like to treat my Mum to a long weekend in London to catch a show, see the sites etc. I would also like to go on a family history holiday with my Mum to help her track down the rest of the story about her father.

The list seems quite long, but its only 16 things and they are not that bigger things to want. There are no £50,000+ cars, no expensive foreign holidays, no around the world cruises, no designer clothes, no mansions. I just want my own home, money to pay for my hobbies, to help my family and friends, to get a pet and to further my academic career if I choose to. I also want money to try setting up a business, to clear my debts, to do things and visit places and to afford to treat myself to a CD, Book or DVD when I want to.

Obviously money cannot cure cancer or other serious illness and it cannot cure disabilities. It cannot make a nasty person, a good person and it cannot stop crime sadly. It cannot sort out my eating problems or make me magically lose weight. It cannot give us a decent government who actually know how to run a country in the best interest of ALL the residents of that country, and it cannot stop discrimination. Its true it cannot stop the bad stuff, but it can help make the bad stuff more bearable and give us things to look forward to when the bad stuff is over.

Now, what six numbers should I choose this week................