money has this thing about distorting truth and perpective, we prostitue ourselves for money when normally we shouldn’t
Im guilty of this getting excited for getting overtime( this is not a normal reaction but i do it all the time)

Understand your lifestyle needs, then apply the level of money needed at the appropriate time.

Biggest money lesson i learn was balance it all, and make sure you control money and make sure money never control you.

For anyone who was talking about a huge shopping spree.. it would have seem money controls u, not judging to condem.

I know of a very senior citizen (near 90) who owns a hotel and many apartment buildings and land…let’s just say he’s worth a LOT. So he stops in Reno on his way down to Arizona for the winter (more real estate holdings there). He plays a slot machine and wins $30,000. Very nice. He takes one step over and plays the slot machine next to it. He wins $45,000! I’m not making this up. Of course, he only gets to walk away with half of that — Nevada tax-man keeps the other half. This ‘loss’ of (basically) free money makes this old rich guy angry. He comes home to Canada and hires lawyer to get ‘his’ money back (it’s a US/CAN tax thing).

Instead of being happy with (economically unneeded) winnings of $38K to add to his already multi-millions, he goes after the whole $75K (still economically unneeded for him). I would go after it too, but that’s a nice chunk of change for me!

I’m sure he’s a bulldog of a businessman. He also eats at cheap diners instead of fancy $18 burger restaurants.

If I was awarded the billions, having never had even a million, I would spend the money on things haphazardly. Inexperience and unfamiliarity would guide my spending.

Being older now, I have become comfortable with my lifestyle. I have found a contentment for what I now have. If extra comes in for a given month it goes into savings, even if $10 or $100 (and I suppose even if $1B).

One other point… The billionaires listed here have become billionaires by focusing their time on the income side of the equation, just as much as the frugal outflow side.

Really, you don’t need a billion dollars to do that.

They could stop working and blow hundreds of millions and still continue to increase their wealth.

You wonder what keeps these people driven if it is not the money.

But, I wouldn’t waste it on bling – a $25,000 Patek Phillipe watch is a waste of $24,900 at least. $100,000 home theatre speakers? Nope, but a $100,000 home entertainment room with movie theatre seating, 120 inch projected screen, 7.1 surround sound, Bluray, PS3? Yep.

Homes in a lot of places – Australia, Hawaii, South of France, Okanogan Valley.

I’d take flying lessons and thus would own my own jet.

I’d take sailing lessons and have several boats.

I’d take scuba lessons and dive all over the world.

I’d take motorcycle riding lessons and have a motorcycle.

I’d play a lot more golf – and actually be pretty good at it for once!

And, I’d put that money to use to change thousands of people’s lives for the better now and long after I’m gone.

Now, about that garage full of fine automobiles…

As we all know, things have a very different hue of value when they are earned rather than acquired for free. Who here cherishes all those free advertising flyers stuffed in your mail box every week? Thought so.

Frugality and excessiveness are just extensions of our personalities. There are frugal and excessive people in all walks of life: MC Hammer blew all his rap money and wound up bankrupt; Vanilla Ice invested with intelligence and still has a lot of money.

I think whatever type of person you are now, earning billions of dollars more would only magnify those traits (eg. Trump).

Me, I would shop for quality. Buy it once and have it last a lifetime or three. I already despise Wal-Mart (people die there!), I couldn’t really see myself going there if I was uber-rich. I would hire people to take care of all my “chore” type duties that really eat up time, because after all, time is money.

Cha-ching.

“Oh not much would change”, “Wouldn’t effect much”, YADA YADA YADA!

First of all, if I had multi-billions…

Let’s see: Condo/House in Toronto, New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, London, Paris, Rome…

I’d probably do Business class because the Private Jet is a waste of crazy money.

I’d see the Super Bowl every year, World Cup, Olympics, NBA Finals, World Series…

Sweet cars, boat, so on.

Do great charity work..

The world would be at your fingertips essentially.

That said, he named his jet “Indefensible”.

I’d be living it up! I’d have a mansion here, a top floor luxury condo there, an island in at least two major seas (I’m thinking Caribbean and Mediterranean), a 200 foot long yacht, and a private plane (not a Lear jet, maybe a 737 – something with head room).

I’d live life and spend it all; I’d want the last cheque I ever wrote to bounce.

But alas… I’m very happy with what and who I’ve got (the who I’ve got part being the most important – I wouldn’t trade that person for any of the stuff I listed above). It’s not about how much money you’ve got, it’s about who you spend it on :)

A couple of years ago, Buffett auctioned off one of his cars- a 2001 Lincoln Town Car, the bland darling of retirees everywhere- and even included his “THRIFTY” vanity plate.