How 'bout the son that wins a big lottery jackpot.....

I wish kids could understand Mom and Dad mean for good what they tell their children. You are right; he could have put that money in the bank and drawn off of it. But they do grow up, learn from their mistakes and come back and tell us they wish they had listened.

His priorities were not in the right place that's for sure, Barb. It angers me to no end. I'm sure that somewhere down the line he will show up on our doorstep needing something and that's probably when I'll really let him have for being so incredibly stupid. He had the opportunity to be set for the rest of his life had he played his cards right (which happens to be my exact words to him after we'd found out what he'd won).

His wife was a foolish as he was, kerriannc. They did manage to bail her immediate family out of financial woes, from what I understand. But that didn't do much for them. I tried to encourage them as much as possible without seeming pushy. They would ask my opinion and I would give it to them. Don't know why they even asked if they weren't going to listen and do what they wanted with the money anyway.

It is sad that he put his wife family infront of his own needs. I am glad that you encourages him so whenever he looks back in life he cannot say that 'I went to my mother and she gave me a wrong advice'. When those children of his grow up and see his wrong they will be questioning him because no one wants to live in a state where they could be better and because of his/her parents they are at square one. Continue to be the good mother you are. It is just that he listen more to his wife and makes the wrong decision. Those in-laws should have advise him to buy a house and if there is any money left then he can assist. They are as bad as the wife but you know blood is thickier than water and this is what she proven to him. That her family is more important than him. It is sad but true. It is just that the children are now living in the same environment were they could have a better one. Anyway continued to be the good mother you are. All the best. Kerry

ronaldinu, some of the money could have helped start a college fund for the children at least. I advised them to purchase a house immediately because at that time, it was the buyers market. They could have gotten a really great house with a decent down payment. I guess they like to pay rent and not have the responsibility of taking care of their own property, I don't really know.

I couldn't agree with you more, pkraj. It's a shame he didn't use better judgment.

Believe me, vmksvmks, it is a long foolish, story. He didn't think, made purchases on impulse and POOF!! it's gone. The only sensible thing he bought, that I'm aware of, was DJ equipment and a business license to start up a side business, which he has had several gigs. He probably needs to do that to help put gas in the two large vehicles he purchased, instead of paying off his original car that his father co-signed on.

I'm afraid this is going to be one of those stories you hear or read about where someone hits a windfall and is worse off afterwards than they were before they won. Now that the money is gone they have the expene of maintaining the big gas-guzzling vehicles, the higher rent to pay (they had been living with his in-laws before they rented their own place) and so on. Now he's telling his wife that she HAS to get a full time job. Also talking about selling some of the items they purchased. He didn't even have the decency to get his father's name off of the car loan that was taken out before he won. Thanks for responding, nadooa.