Reality-show winners survive financial perils
By Ellen Goodstein • Bankrate.com

Zora Andrich, the girl Marriott selected as his bride-to-be, took a trip with her mother to Serbia, where she has relatives. She came bearing gifts and gave some of her $500,000 prize money to help her family, especially an aunt who has suffered from cancer.

After buying a new wardrobe, Andrich lost 20 pounds on NutriSystem.

"My new clothes don't exactly fit anymore, but I loved NutriSystem so much I became a spokesperson for the company," she said.

Diamond's in the bank
Helene Eksterowicz's romance with "The Bachelor" No. 2, Aaron Buerge of Missouri, didn't last long. But she got a $34,000 Harry Winston diamond engagement ring, now resting comfortably in a safe-deposit box in New Jersey.

"Some reality-show winners got big money. I just got a boyfriend who later dumped me," said the participant of the ABC show.

"He said the ring was a gift, but later he said I couldn't sell it. It's silly to keep the ring in a safe-deposit box. I don't plan to wear it. I'm not engaged anymore so I will eventually sell it," she said.

Big Brother's crew spreading the wealth
Jun Song is the most recent winner of the "Big Brother" shows. She put some of her $500,000 winnings from "BB4" into a new Manhattan apartment.

"I've been a renter all my life. I'm definitely doing something smart with my money. With what's left over, I'm building a little nest egg for myself."

But, she's also having some fun. "I'm a shoe addict and I treated myself to a few new purchases."

"Big Brother 3" winner, Lisa Donahue, a former California bartender, bought herself a big black Mercedes SUV with part of her $500,000 winnings.

"Big Brother 2" winner Will Kirby, a doctor from Miami Beach, moved to Los Angeles and invested in Dolce, a hip new restaurant in West Hollywood. Other investors include fellow "BB2" contestant Mike Boogie, actor Ashton Kutcher and fellow stars of "That 70s Show," Adam Rodriguez from the top-rated "CSI Miami" and Dule Hill from "The West Wing."

"Restaurants fail everyday but this one is incredibly lucrative and a lot of fun," said Dr. Kirby who has also invested in Geisha House, a Japanese restaurant scheduled to open later this year in Hollywood.

"The problem with winning is that for a brief time you think you're somebody important, but you're not. I didn't do anything frivolous with my money. I invested in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo. Property values have gone up so it was a very smart investment," said Kirby, also a medical correspondent for "Extra!"

'Survivor' stars investing, traveling and sharing
Sandra Diaz-Twine, the 29-year-old winner of "Survivor: Pearl Islands" has to put her dreams of owning a new home on hold because husband Marcus had re-enlisted in the Army just before Sandra's $1 million windfall. But traveling is definitely in this former Army chemical specialist's future.

"I want to go on a cruise to anywhere in the Caribbean," she told InTouch magazine. Germany is another place she'd like to visit since her husband is half German.

There's no need to buy a new car because Sandra picked up a brand new GMC Envoy as part of her "Survivor" winnings. "I didn't think I'd get the money," Sandra said just after her win. "I never thought about the million dollars. I thought it was unattainable."

Where the money goes
Besides investing in Reality Central, "Survivor: Africa" winner Ethan Zohn found philanthropic uses for some of his $1 million prize money. Zohn, who was a coach at Farleigh Dickinson's Teaneck, N.J., campus, started Grassroots Soccer, an organization that helps African soccer pros teach kids about the dangers of HIV/AIDS.

"Survivor: Thailand" winner Brian Heidik bought a new Dodge Viper and diamond earrings for his wife. He stashed some of his $1 million in bonds, mutual funds and in a college fund for his son.

"Survivor: Pulau Tiga" winner Richard Hatch, a corporate trainer from Rhode Island, used some of his $1 million prize to completely remodel the home he shares with his son Christopher.

Matt Kennedy Gould, the "Joe Schmo" winner, over at Spike TV, took his $100,000 winnings and set up a "diversified financial portfolio." He also splurged on a digital camera, camcorder and an iPod.

Karyn Jefferson, a Bloomfield, N.J., lawyer, said her experience in "Amazing Race 2" in 2001 gave her the courage to start her own law firm. Though her prize money was small -- she says she's not at liberty to say how much -- Jefferson used the money to buy equipment for her new labor and employment law practice.

"Having done the race, I walked away thinking anything is possible. I can do anything if I put my mind to it," said Jefferson, who along with then-boyfriend Lenny Hudson made it halfway around the world before being eliminated.

"The 'Race' changed my life. It made me realize I didn't want to spend my time working for someone else."

Ellen Goodstein is a freelance writer based in Florida.