Random Thought Experiment

[EctoJohn]

The Magic Gift Card

You have just been given a gift card.
It has infinite value, but you can only use it once.
One purchase, one item, one use, and then, poof, it's gone.
It doesn't matter if that one item is a pack of gum, a new car, or a castle.
You only get that single purchase.
Also, just like a genie's wish, there are restrictions.

1. You cannot give it away. If used by anyone besides you specifically, the card has no value. Just a worthless piece of plastic.
2. You cannot donate the money. You must obtain a physical item or service for your purchase.
3. Whatever you buy must have an inherent known value. If you pay a bill with it, it has to be agreed upon before paying.
4. Individual items/services only. You cannot pay off an entire grocery list, just a single item in that grocery list.
You can buy multiple items if they naturally come as a single item, like the previously mentioned pack of gum or a 6-pack of beer, but you can't just pay the tab on a shopping spree.
5. You cannot save it, or put it in a bank account. Banks cannot accept the card, the funds are non-transferable.

So how will you spend your infinite money one-time purchase?

 

[cheetahJubie]

I get to own whatever I buy outright? It has to be a house, right? One that's big enough to rent out enough rooms that I can afford to pay people to maintain it (Probably stipulate some skimpy uniforms for those folks).

Then I have passive income *and* a bunch of people to lord over. And the house probably has a pool (Pool Privileges are for landlord's favourites only).

 

[EctoJohn]

I get to own whatever I buy outright? It has to be a house, right? One that's big enough to rent out enough rooms that I can afford to pay people to maintain it (Probably stipulate some skimpy uniforms for those folks).

Then I have passive income *and* a bunch of people to lord over. And the house probably has a pool (Pool Privileges are for landlord's favourites only).

Correct, buying a house works perfectly fine.
Any repairs or property taxes or whatever else doesn't fall under the purchase of the house, the card only buys the physical building and attached lands.

 

[Emma_O]

I second that motion: A house. Kind of no brainer for me/us. Not as a source of income. But as an investment. Monetarily and otherwise. An investment for future plans. Creating a life. In nesting. In future family additions. And so on.

 

[PrettyLilPussy19]

Can I buy a business?

 

[EctoJohn]

I was considering a house too myself, but never decided.
You can't really do a custom house since if you bought land to build a house on top of, the card only pays for the land.
I could always buy a really nice house, but I doubt I could afford to maintain it and pay whatever taxes.
Even then, the other things like grounds keeping and setting up the land the house goes on wouldn't be the same people that built the house probably.
Either way, that's at least 2 or 3 separate purchases
Also, unlike @cheetahJubie , I wouldn't want to rent it out to others and just be a landlord, I'd want one to live in myself.

 

[EctoJohn]

Can I buy a business?

You can.
You can buy 100% ownership in a business, but that's not paying for office rentals or employee pay or any other incidentals that go with owning a business.
It is strictly the ownership of the business you're buying.
I mean, if you are buying an already successful business, I'm sure people working there are already running the actual business matters, but you're not paying employees with your card.

 

[PandaLover00]

Infinite value?
One item?
The Card Players, oil painting by the French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne.

 

[EctoJohn]

Infinite value?
One item?
The Card Players, oil painting by the French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Cézanne.
View attachment 2679998

You're buying the painting?

 

[to_be_seen_and_heard]

That's a fun question, I think I would spend it on a big piece of land somewhere remote and really beautiful, with an old house or ruin on it that I could renovate.

 

[PandaLover00]

You're buying the painting?

Yep, could easily sell it for $250+ million. It's got a clear provenance and extremely sought after.
With that type of money, I can buy anything else my heart desires

 

[EctoJohn]

Well there's no rules against turning around and selling what you bought immediately.
Let's just hope someone else can or is willing to pay a similar price for it that you paid for it.
Then again, since it's essentially free, I suppose it's all profit.
Just had to Google it, and it seems there's five of them, all slightly different.
Most of them are owned by museums, though.
I believe the specific one you showed is owned by some Qatari family.
They bought it in 2011 for that $250 million you just claimed, worth more now.
Good luck buying it from them.

 

[AmberLGreen]

If @Apisto42 and @hotwords229_A were engaged in hotboy anal, would that make them a single unit? If so, I am buying that

 

[Speshul91]

Seeing as i live in a camper van and it has fully died id buy a new van

 

[OralAllOver]

I purchase the issued shares of stock in Apple, Inc

 

[OralAllOver]

Reminder: a car (everything) has multiple parts within

 

[VoraciousValue]

Could one buy an entire country? I realize I'd still have to collect revenue, create a budget, etc., but could I buy the whole country, lock, stock, and barrel?

 

[EctoJohn]

If @Apisto42 and @hotwords229_A were engaged in hotboy anal, would that make them a single unit? If so, I am buying that

If they jointly charged you for a single show, that works. Go for it.
Gotta get a receipt, though. There is a rule about having an inherent known value.

Seeing as i live in a camper van and it has fully died id buy a new van

Good deal. Not the major expense of some of these purchases, but since you can afford any price tag of van, it'll surely last you a while.

 

[Speshul91]

Good deal. Not the major expense of some of these purchases, but since you can afford any price tag of van, it'll surely last you a while.

Thats my thinking, get the best base van i can and do the conversion myself after as that can be done whilst living in it.

 

[EctoJohn]

I purchase the issued shares of stock in Apple, Inc

Gotta buy that share in one lump sum, though.
If you bought 1 share at a time, the card disappears after that single share.
Gotta buy 1000 shares simultaneously, or whatever numbers get sold.

Reminder: a car (everything) has multiple parts within

True, the car counts the whole car as a single item.
It's not like you're buying individual windshield wipers or just a motor.
Well... unless want to just buy a motor.

 

[EctoJohn]

Could one buy an entire country? I realize I'd still have to collect revenue, create a budget, etc., but could I buy the whole country, lock, stock, and barrel?

Yes, you could.
The trick is finding a country whose govenment will sell it lock, stock, and barrel.

 

[EctoJohn]

Thats my thinking, get the best base van i can and do the conversion myself after as that can be done whilst living in it.

Of course, there are no restrictions on what you do with your purchase after you buy it.
Those conversions won't get put on the card, though.
You only bought the van, not the aftermarket parts.

 

[Speshul91]

Of course, there are no restrictions on what you do with your purchase after you buy it.
Those conversions won't get put on the card, though.
You only bought the van, not the aftermarket parts.

I know and thats fine by me, ive got everything in my current camper so wouldnt be an issue

 

[EctoJohn]

I know and thats fine by me, ive got everything in my current camper so wouldnt be an issue

Sounds like you made a good purchase then.

 

[SimplyMsT]

I'd buy and unlimited amount of plane tickets ...