The worst thing you can do, if your income is inadequate, is buy a house if you’ve only won 1 million dollars.
I figure the best way to see what kind of life I could win, is expect myself to live until I’m 90, even though I probably won’t and divide my lottery prize by the years I have left.
In my current situation, I could either add about 20 grand a year to my current income. Not enough to buy a house, but it would give me a better apartment. I’d probably also return to school and stay there until something is achieved, however long it took.
But not enough to own a house.
$500,000 not enough to afford a house? Poppycock! In Michigan, she should be able to buy adequate housing for $120,000. Buy three more for the same price. Spend 10k to pay off bills and 10k to buy adequatee transportation. This gives her a monthly income of about $2400/month. Certainly sufficient to pay her monthly bills. This gives her the financial freedom to go to school, get a degree and get a job. With a base income of $2400, the world becomes a much more interesting oyster.
As mentioned in another post, she is just poor, and has no idea of how to use her money for her benefit.