Opinion: We've all got a Lotto wishlist

Lou Te Keeti has an impressive wishlist for his Lotto millions. Photo/file

Winning Lotto is everyone's dream.

We all have plans for what we would do if we won $100,000, $1 million or $10 million.

First on most people's wishlists is buying a house or paying off the mortgage, followed by helping family members, travelling and giving to charity.

The first thing I'd do if I saw extra zeros in my bank account would be to hit the shops to buy the perfect outfit for myself and ridiculously extravagant gifts for my family.

It would be so much fun.

How many times have you heard someone say 'if I won Lotto, I'd be on the first plane to Fiji'? Or 'if you don't see me on Monday, I've won Lotto'?

Contrary to most of our desires, the New Zealand Lotteries Commission recommends doing nothing after a win until "you come back down to Earth". News of a Lotto win spreads fast and if you don't show up for work Monday, it's going to be pretty obvious to all your workmates that you're the lucky winner - and do you really want the news spreading that fast?

The Lotteries Commission has created a winners' booklet with advice to new millionaires from past winners.

The advice says: Think before you spend: The overwhelming advice from previous winners is that it's best to spend some time thinking about what you want to do with the money before actually spending it. Secrecy: Be careful who you tell. Get professional financial advice. And last, but not least, have fun. Take the opportunity to do things you've always wanted and have a bit of fun, once you've secured some funds for the future.

Tauranga's new Lotto multi-millionaire Lou Te Keeti has eschewed some of this advice.

He revealed himself to the public through the media and shared his Lotto wishlist with the world: helping his whanau, iwi and charities close to his heart. Like the rest of us, Mr Te Keeti had long-held ideas of what he would do if he had the money to do it.

Three weeks later, he's already made a lot of headway on his dreams. He's not buying a fancy new house but has given $300,000 to charities and is planning improvements to his marae and urupa (cemetery) to the benefit of his whole community.

The projects he's planning will help others in many years to come.

It's the kind of legacy anyone would be proud of.