What would you do with the money if you suddenly received:

$100? I think I would do something impractical with $100. Maybe I'd buy a new wine kit (although, once made, the wine comes out to about $3 a bottle, so I'm actually saving money, here, right? That's not so impractical!?!). Or, maybe I'd use it for a nice dinner out, or some fancy ingredients I can't justify buying otherwise. Or, a fun, new gadget for the kitchen. And, maybe I could get a great new pair of shoes....

$1,000? This one's harder. I could accomplish a lot more with this. I could take a chunk out of the balance on the truck loan. I could buy some new tires. Maybe get the exhaust manifold fixed on the Jeep through a friend of a friend. I could pay off some littler bills that keep me awake at night. I could get some more dental work done. I could get a new oven that understands what the 350º setting really means. Oooh! I could get a KitchenAid mixer with the pasta maker attachment!

I could really mail in some of the donation forms I get. American Cancer Society, American Humane Society, American Lung Association, American Diabetes Association, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Lance Armstrong Foundation, ASPCA, Last Hope.

I could not have to worry about the mortgage payment this month. I could not worry about only having 20 hours scheduled at work for the week. I could get the fence in the backyard fixed. I could rent a dumpster and purge the mentally toxic junk that has accumulated in my house and garage. I could set up some organizational systems to help our lives run smoother.

I could talk my husband into taking his motorcycle in somewhere to get it fixed, so he wouldn't have to take the time to do it himself. I could get the other bike fixed, and sell it. I could take him clothes shopping. And maybe I could get a great new pair of shoes....

$1,000,000? I'd give away a lot of it. My kids, my family, my friends. Something desperately-needed, or always-wanted, or really-just-fun-to-have.

I'd find some really great land: 20 acres or so, with running water or a pond, woods, open areas for huge gardens and space for animals. Then, I'd build an awesome B&B on it. Maybe a few little cabins in the woods, too. Greenhouses, commercial kitchen, space for hobbies. Build all of this with an eye toward sustainability and maintain-ability. (Is that a word???)

The rest I would save. Create an emergency fund. A contingency fund. A nest egg. Whatever you want to call it. I don't need to have so much money that I can spend without thinking, but I want to have enough so I can regularly save money for the things that will need to be purchased. And maybe I could get a really great new pair of shoes....