I have a love-hate relationship with money. I love to get it and I hate to see it go.
So spending a million bordered on painful. Not because I don't like to shop, but because I'm used to pinching my pennies.
Once I got those creative juices flowing, though, it turned out I'm downright good at splurging.
Home: I know you're going to think I'm crazy for not picking a mammoth mansion, but you must understand: I despise housework. Instead, I'll opt for a cozy condo overlooking the Fox River in Oshkosh. The spot I found has everything I want in a home: hardwood floors, a fireplace, wet bar (crucial), and a whirlpool tub.
With two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, it's big enough to feel roomy, without demanding too much of my time for cleaning. I love the Arboretum Drive complex: It's old-school architecture updated with today's necessary amenities. The price tag? A tiny $145,000 through Coldwell Banker/Schwab Realty.
Amount remaining: $855,000
Furnishings: A clean slate to fill with brand new furniture? Now that's heaven. I'm going to let the folks at American in Appleton create my cozy set-up. I'd say $30,000 should get my some ultra-comfy digs.
Amount remaining: $825,000
Cleaning: Did I mention that I'm no fan of housework? Well, thanks to my new friends at Merry Maids in Oshkosh, I don't have to worry about it. They'll clean my beautiful river-view condo from top to bottom once a week for a mere $70 per week ... or $3,600 per year. Hey, with my hypothetical bank account, I would have paid double!
Amount remaining: $821,400
Home entertainment: A key to a cozy home is a place where relaxation is paramount. That's where my new home entertainment system comes in to play. Johnny Ransom of Ransom Audio & Video in Oshkosh, helped me configure the perfect set-up.
"I would create a state-of-the-art theater room with high-definition driven to all locations," Ransom says. "Also, background music to all locations including the patio so you can enjoy music with your wine. I would top that off with full-automation operation (basically the easy button). It's gotta be fun and easy."
Right on.
His $20,000 package includes: a 70-inch full high-definition TV; a 20-inch high-definition flat panel TV for the kitchen; a seven-speaker surround package with dual sub-woofers; a DVD player; whole-house surround amplifier; and one-button automation remote (his "easy button").
Amount remaining: $801,400
Travel: Seeing the world is one of life's greatest pleasures. And it's even more fun traveling with a loved one. On a recent trip to Europe, my boyfriend Anthony proposed. So, with a wedding on the horizon, that means I've got a honeymoon to plan.
He loves the winter weather, and I love all creatures that dwell below the sea's surface. So, off to Alaska we go. I tapped the folks at Ambassador Travel in Oshkosh to help me plan the ideal Alaskan cruise. Traveling in the penthouse cabin of a Princess Cruise for 10 days - three of which will be a land excursion - will set us back $8,540, according to Ambassador Travel's travel agent Debbie Zwickey.
Amount remaining: $792,860
Bills: And, when we get married, Anthony's bills will become mine. Medical school doesn't come cheap, and he expects the total bill to approach $250,000. My biggest single expenditure, and it's a bill ... that's not even mine!
Amount remaining: $542,860
Vehicle: With a nearly limitless pile of cash, you may be surprised my first car choice was a Toyota Prius. I just love the idea of jetting around town without taking too huge a chunk out of our natural resources.
But with a little peer pressure, and the realization that I'm never going to be able to spend $1 million with expenditures like a Prius, I sought a bit of an upgrade.
And by upgrade, I mean a 2005 Audi S4 Cabriolet convertible. This sporty specimen has everything you could possibly want out of a luxury car: bone leather interior, heated front seats, a Bose stereo system, a 340-horsepower V8 engine ... but it guzzles gas: 24 miles per gallon on the highway, and about 16 miles per gallon in the city. Ouch.
Jason Davis, manager at Van Dyn Hoven Audi in Appleton, said I was an unlikely buyer of this $60,000 car.
"It is a performance car," he says. "You don't see a lot of women looking at an S4. It's typically men in their 40s and 50s."
Amount remaining: $482,860
Plane: While the view from the ground is fine most of the time, I prefer a birds' eye view. As a licensed private pilot, I've had just about enough of rental fees. So, I'm ready to toss down a chunk of change to buy my own. Dan Oskar, the director of operations at MaxAir, helped me find a plane that'll suit me. In his fleet, he's selling a dual-engine Barron BE-48. It has just about everything I'll need to get around: radar, autopilot, plenty of navigation capabilities and it cruises about 200 miles per hour. Plus, I'll be flying in the lap of luxury atop plush leather seats.
"Mechanically, it's very sound," Oskar says of my new ride. "It could probably use a paint job, though."
So, my plane could use a new coat. That's perfect, because I want my transportation devices to look streamlined. That's where Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in Appleton comes in handy. Brian Bucholtz, the paint operations manager there, didn't even laugh when I said I want my car and plane to have a matching paint scheme. When I told him the colors, though, he stifled a giggle.
Metallic purple with magenta detailing: It's a little over the top, but when you're traveling in style ... well, it's half the fun!
Bucholtz's staff can sit down with me to create a rendering and turn the project around in 17 working days. Not bad for a woman who's literally on the go.
And in order to get that sporty S4 to match, Wayne Morgan, the manager at Bergstrom auto body shop said he'll work directly with Gulfstream to create identical paint hues. It's something he's done before.
"I have painted cars to match trucks and boats before, and I've actually painted a couple of airplanes, but never to match anything," Morgan says.
The plane costs $175,000; the matching paint for the plane and car cost $60,000 and $8,500, respectively. Total: $243,500. Money well spent.
Amount remaining: $239,360
Flight lessons: I'm only certified as a single-engine pilot, so if I'm going to take the left seat in my new Barron, I'd better brush up with a new rating. I tapped Orion Flight Services in Oshkosh (the folks who helped me get my initial license) to get my multi-engine rating. Kevin Kuranz at Orion says I'll only need 15 hours of in-plane instruction, along with plenty of ground school, to get that rating. Cost for that? Roughly $1,000.
Amount remaining: $238,360
Fitness: I've spent a lot of time this summer training for my first marathon. One thing I've learned along the way is doing the same exercise over and over gets a bit boring. So, I'd like to get into duathlons. They're run-bike-run races that vary in distances.
I'm not very well-versed in biking, so I enlisted the help of Oshkosh Cyclery on Main Street to outfit me.
They hooked me up with a top-of-the-line Trek SSL bike for $7,000. It's an ultra lightweight 14.5 pounds and offers a nice comfy ride, says Ben Lindsey, a bike mechanic at the shop.
Along with the bike, Lindsey recommends Nike 05 Lance Limited Edition Carbon fiber shoes for $299.95 (of course, they're yellow.) and Shimano Dura-Ace pedals for $209.95.
To keep my noggin protected, a Lance Armstrong 'Giro Atmos' helmet will do the trick for $189.95. It comes in matte black or red white and blue.
And, the ensemble isn't complete without Pearl Izumi microsensor 3-D pro padded cycling shorts for $139.95 and a purple floral jersey by Pearl Izumi for $69.95.
To keep my energy up, I also splurged on a year's worth of Gu energy gel for $135.45 and a Polar heart rate monitor for $250. Total: roughly $8,250.
After all that, Lindsey says, "You'd be real ready to go."
Amount remaining: $230,110
Wine: My fiancé and I look forward to Wine Feast each year ... and last year we fell in love with an unbelievable wine: La Crema 2003 Russian River Valley Chardonnay. It's like a creamy, fruity, vanilla-spiced wine. Brian McKnight, of McKnight & Carlson Wine Sales in Oshkosh, said he could get me four cases - roughly enough to enjoy a bottle a week - for $865.
Amount remaining: $229,245
Concert: Now, I don't want to horde all this money for myself, so I'm going to host a blowout concert at the newly built Leach Amphitheater. It's free for anyone who wants to attend. My two favorites, Gavin DeGraw and Jason Mraz, will headline. They each cost about $40,000 to book, so all told, I'm footing about an $80,000 bill.
Amount remaining: $149,245
Clothes: If we're going to be high-rollers, we'd better look the part. And for that, I plan to drop a pretty penny at the various Fox River Mall shops: For Anthony, we'll splurge at Banana Republic, Jos. A Banks and Men's Wearhouse. For me, Ann Taylor, Cache and New York & Co. Also, we'll add a little frosting (or bling if you will) at Helzberg Diamonds. All told, this spree is going to set us back $90,000.
Amount remaining: $59,245
Charitable giving: So, a concert isn't your thing? I'm sharing the rest of my wealth through the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation. I'll create a community impact fund available to fill any need that arises in the community. That's just over $50,000 that I certainly didn't waste.
A.J. Schuldt is the design editor at the Oshkosh Northwestern.
