If you're gonna win... Win big!
 

Personally I don't buy lotto tickets. I mean now that I live in Mexico I assume most of the corner lottery outlets are rigged. Don't know that, just an assumption. But even back in the states I alway considered them to be a tax on the mathematically challenged. But, as they say, someone has to win. I'm always glad to hear it when someone down and out wins. But I also wonder is this person's life going to be better or worse with the money? Sometimes I read stories where people won the lottery and it pretty much wreaked their lives.

Do you buy lottery tickets? Ever win?

I never buy lottery tickets, though I have won pocket change of those that have been gifted me.

Lottery tickets are indeed a tax on the mathematically challenged.

If the average household were to invest the money instead of blowing it on the lottery, they'd likely have at least $50,000 saved over a lifetime instead of next to nothing, if not nothing.

I know 4 people who have won lotteries:

One guy who was on a contract at a previous employer of mine won about 6 million.

The parish priest back in Montreal won some amount - I was a kid but recall he won twice a couple of years apart. Something like $100,000 and then $50,000.

A guy I worked with won $50,000 and used it as a down on a house.

A young guy I knew also won $50,000 and blew it on a Corvette.

Personally, I've yet to win more than $80 on the lottery but live in hope! Spend about 3 bucks a week on this little vice.

Try not to look down on those of us who have a flutter once in a while - I'm sure Tully and Baraka you've spent money on having a bit of fun and that's all it is for most people.

Oh, totally. I just don't see the reward of spending $2 to get the "I could be a millionaire" feeling when I know it's statistically more probable that I'll stumble into the path of a bus for FREE!

I'd rather spend my money on other more tangible things, or some other more rewarding experience. Something before I become roadkill.

I don't wish to deny that thrill to someone else. I just don't get it. I suppose it's because I'm not a gambling man. I'm more a man of calculated risks.

We buy a few scratch tickets every Sunday. Lose more often than not but do win $500 occasionally. I have won $1000 on scratch tickets a couple of times. I did win $2k on a daily number once. Never hit for serious cash though.
We save up all the small winners and when we have a couple hundred bucks, we head off to the casinos in CT.
Yeah, its a waste of money but we can afford it.

every once in a while, if the jackpot is really large, i'll buy a ticket. for 1 dollar, i can afford to take a chance. i never expect to win, so far, i've been right. if i won the lottery, i probably wouldn't be doing too much different.

That's what they all say! :thumbsup: I'd like to say the same thing, but it's doubtful. You'd not change your life at all if you found yourself $14 million richer?

These two guys from my bowling league bought a lotto ticket and won 56 million.

I have never purchased one but think about it B_G, for 500 days you were to purchase a scratch ticket for a dollar, and the win $500 on the 501st day ... that would be fun eh? Even though you went a dollar short but what difference does a dollar make? Sure, I might just start ya know ...

Dang' $232.1m down to 88m? Highway robbery!!

The good thing about lotteries in Canada is that the winnings are tax-free.

we got a 1000 bucks on a scratch of ticket last month :)

The only thing wrong with the lottery is that poor people waste their money on it instead of using the money for essential items. It's very kin to smoking in this regard. I don't think that's a problem with the lottery system though.

Lottery is a form of entertainment. You could say you're better off putting that money you would have spent going to the theater into a savings account. Instead of eating at that steak house, you could have a bologna sandwich at home for 1/50th the price. What's the point of having money when you're eating bologna sandwiches every day. I'd rather spend the money and enjoy my day. I'm not saying I don't save money, because I do. It's just that singling out the lottery, a waste of money that might actually pay off is silly compared to how much money you can waste on trivial things.

Everytime I buy a ticket, and nowadays that's only when the Mega goes above $150 million, I start dreaming. What? a 2 bedroom in downtown nyc 1 block from the 6? No problem. Buy 5 of em, rent 4 of em. At least, at this point in my life, without much understanding about real estate or money, that's how I'd do it.
I don't buy a scratchcard, except the ones that are Win x For Life.
The ones for one dollar are "Win $500 a week for life." Now how nice would that be, have an extra 500 to blow every week, or, you know, maybe, save.

I don't purchase lottery tickets, nor do I go to casinos. I don't like the feeling of the loss of control over my money.

A friend of mine at an old job was showing me a ticket, and was excited that he had just won $50. I asked him how much he had spent so far on tickets, and he was suddenly less excited.

My dad buys tickets when the pots get really big. He knows the odds. He says that he's buying a license to dream "what if".

I have a good job and buying some tickets wouldnt do me any harm.

I used to buy scratch tickets every now and then, but I haven't for almost a year now. Our office got together and purchased two numbers for the lotto, it buys the same numbers every week for the year.

You better believe my life would be different if I won millions! I would pay off my parents house and their vehicle. Buy my one responsible brother a house, and save money for my other brothers for when they learn to be responsible. Then I would invest a ton of it, and keep a little for travelling for a few years. Then when I got back from travelling I would seriously peruse getting a job as a reservoir engineer, and have a weekend photo studio of my own. That is assuming I won several millions.

Some real math for ya. I play powerball, 2 drawings a week, so 108 bucks a year, if I play every one. I don't always. I have won back about half the money that I've spent in the last couple of years. So I'm down about 108 bucks for two years.

I've invested in an IRA and 401k about 2400 dollars in the same two years. ( not a lot, I know, but finances got tight all of the sudden ). Any way of that investment, I have lost all 2400 AND another 3000 bucks I had in them before the last two years, even with the latest upswing in the market.

Powerball seems to be just as good an investment as either of those two.

My best investment is my gym membership and the workout equipment that I've bought. Real good returns there.