How to Live Like You’ve Won the Lottery
Just because you haven’t won a jackpot doesn’t mean you can’t fulfill your dreams of doing what’s important to you with who is important to you.


Whenever lottery jackpots soar or unexpected inheritances make headlines, we all indulge in a bit of daydreaming. Imagining what-if scenarios isn't just entertaining; it's a profoundly useful exercise in understanding our deepest values and aspirations. This isn't just about fantasizing about luxury cars or exotic vacations; it's an opportunity to explore how we might live our lives unencumbered by financial limitations.
The real value of this exercise lies in its ability to strip away day-to-day worries — about bills, job security and other financial burdens — and allow us to envision our lives in their most authentic form. What emerges are not just dreams but a clear picture of what truly matters to us: the people we love, the causes we care about and the activities that fulfill us.
Let's say you wake up tomorrow with no financial limitations. What would you do? Where would you go? Who would you help? Reflecting on these questions can reveal a lot about your personal values and priorities. Once these are identified, the challenge — and the fun — begins: finding ways to align your current resources with these dreams.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
For example, if you dream about extravagant trips around the world, explore how you can achieve that thrill with a more modest adventure. Instead of a Mediterranean cruise, you could explore regional attractions that offer unique experiences without the hefty price tag. You can still scratch that travel itch without draining your bank account.
If supporting loved ones and contributing to philanthropy are your goals, think creatively about how to achieve these without signing a big check. Investing time rather than money can often be equally, if not more, impactful. Volunteering your skills to a nonprofit close to your heart or organizing special days with grandchildren can fulfill your philanthropic or familial goals without the cost.
Reinforcing strengths and curbing bad habits
Through this process, we discover our financial boundaries and learn to manage resources wisely. I help many clients navigate the excitement of potential financial windfalls and the reality of their bank accounts. This exercise helps reinforce strengths and curb less-constructive habits, such as overspending or the urge to “keep up with the Joneses,” which often do not align with personal values.
Pretending you've come into a windfall is more than a fantasy. It serves as a blueprint for aligning your financial decisions with your values and goals. It empowers you to live authentically, within your means, focusing on what will truly bring fulfillment and joy. In doing so, you not only manage your finances better but also enrich your life in ways that money alone cannot buy.
Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC (SEIA) is an SEC-registered investment adviser; however, such registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training and no inference to the contrary should be made. Securities offered through Signature Estate Securities, LLC member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through SEIA, LLC, 2121 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1600, Los Angeles, CA 90067, (310) 712-2323.
For additional disclosure information please visit our website at www.seia.com/legal disclaimer.
Related Content
- Being Rich vs. Being Wealthy: What’s the Difference?
- Improving Your Financial Health: A 10-Step Workout Plan
- Is Your Spending Out of Control? Three Ways to Fix It
- I’ve Inherited a Lot of Money. Now What?
- Three Essential Strategies for Managing Your Inheritance
Profit and prosper with the best of Kiplinger's advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and much more. Delivered daily. Enter your email in the box and click Sign Me Up.

Frank Legan is a Cleveland-based author and a Financial Adviser with SEIA. Frank spends his days designing and implementing personalized financial planning strategies for corporate executives, business owners, artists, families and retirees. He focuses on lifetime income planning strategies, investment advice and estate planning services. He also works with businesses to develop strategic and succession planning strategies.
-
Cord Cutting Could Help You Save Over $10,000 in 10 Years
How cutting the cord can save you money and how those savings can grow over time.
-
The '8-Year Rule of Social Security' — A Retirement Rule
The '8-Year Rule of Social Security' holds that it's best to be like Ike — Eisenhower, that is. The five-star General knew a thing or two about good timing.
-
You Were Planning to Retire This Year: Should You Go Ahead?
If the economic climate is making you doubt whether you should retire this year, these three questions will help you make up your mind.
-
Are You Owed Money Thanks to the SSFA? You Might Need to Do Something to Get It
The Social Security Fairness Act removed restrictions on benefits for people with government pensions. If you're one of them, don't leave money on the table. Here's how you can be proactive in claiming what you're due.
-
From Wills to Wishes: An Expert Guide to Your Estate Planning Playbook
Consider supplementing your traditional legal documents with this essential road map to guide your loved ones through the emotional and logistical details that will follow your loss.
-
Your Home + Your IRA = Your Long-Term Care Solution
If you're worried that long-term care costs will drain your retirement savings, consider a personalized retirement plan that could solve your problem.
-
I'm a Financial Planner: Retirees Should Never Do These Four Things in a Recession
Recessions are scary business, especially for retirees. They can scare even the most prepared folks into making bad moves — like these.
-
A Retirement Planner's Advice for Taking the Guesswork Out of Income Planning
Once you've saved for retirement, you'll need your nest egg to support you for as many as 30 years. For that, you need a clear income strategy, not guesswork.
-
Why Smart Retirees Are Ditching Traditional Financial Plans
Financial plans based purely on growth, like the 60/40 portfolio, are built for a different era. Today’s retirees need plans based on real-life risks and goals and that feature these four elements.
-
To My Small Business: Well, I've Been Afraid of Changin', 'Cause I've Built My Life Around You
While thinking about succession planning might feel like anticipating a landslide (here's to you, Fleetwood Mac), there are strategies you can implement to manage the uncertainty and the transition.