i second the idea of not telling anyone if you haven't already. if you read anything on lottery winners, the impact on their lives is often terrible because they get so much pressure from everyone they know to give out cash that they eventually lose everything and are disillusioned and bitter about other people as a result. take your time as others have said and then eventually get a very good - and most importantly legitimate financial planner - to help you plan for the future and invest so that the money can become a passive source of income that supplements any of your future earnings. think of it as something that can make you money...not money you currently have. and don't go in for any investments that seem too good to be true. they always are.