Philosophical thoughtSo with all the hubbub with the Powerball and the $600 million single-winner, I had this thought earlier today.

Would winning the lottery make your life better, or merely easier?

For me, it would only make things easier. Having more money wouldn't improve my life, it would just simplify things. I wouldn't have to worry about financing a house, when it comes time to buy one. But better? People frequently talk about how their lives would be better with this or that, but in all honesty, if you can't manage and get by now, what makes you think winning a million dollars will make your life better? How quickly would your spending habits burn through it, and then you'd be back rig...

Philosophical thoughtSo with all the hubbub with the Powerball and the $600 million single-winner, I had this thought earlier today.

Would winning the lottery make your life better, or merely easier?

For me, it would only make things easier. Having more money wouldn't improve my life, it would just simplify things. I wouldn't have to worry about financing a house, when it comes time to buy one. But better? People frequently talk about how their lives would be better with this or that, but in all honesty, if you can't manage and get by now, what makes you think winning a million dollars will make your life better? How quickly would your spending habits burn through it, and then you'd be back right where you are now?

I think of this, when I think of my sister. She is simply awful with managing money. I'm kind of the opposite, socking away as much money as I can. Would winning the lottery make her life better? She would probably think so, but how long before she burned through $1, $5, $10 million and was back at square one?

I think that's part of the problem these days -- we think of things in term of better and worse, when we should be thinking in terms of easier and harder, and vice versa.