My Life As A Lottoholic
Mar 8th 2007
Karen HawkinsGoddess Grins
A truck driver in Georgia just won half of a 320 million dollar lottery pot. I’m a bit upset; that was my money.
Every time the lottery gets over a certain amount, I dream of winning. I think about what I’ll purchase first. How many cars I’d get. If I’d move to another state or stay here. How much I’d give my sister, even though she made that comment about my hair at Christmas. What sort of anniversary cruise I’d send my parents on. What I’d buy my kids for Christmas. Whether to invest the money or just spend, spend, spend.
And the really big question — annual payments or lump sum?
But the real truth is that, though I dream of winning, I NEVER PLAY. I’ve bought a grand sum of three lottery tickets in my life. Two I lost before I could find out if I’d won (Me? Keep track of a piece of paper the size of a movie ticket? Ha!) and the other didn’t have a single correct number on it.
Still . . . I love playing the lottery in my mind.
What about you? Do you play the lottery for real? Or just dream about winning? If you won, what would you buy first? Which of your relatives would benefit? And most important of all, would you go for the annual payment? Or are you a lump sum sorta gal?
32 Comments »
32 Responses to “My Life As A Lottoholic”
Susan K on 08 Mar 2007 at 9:40 am #
My fiance plays every week. We’ve talked about what we would do with the money. Number one I would pay off all of our credit cards and then we’d pay off my car and his truck. Then we’d set aside enough money to pay for our wedding next year. Then we’d buy a house where I could have my own personal library because after that I’d take a couple thousand and buy all the books I’ve ever wanted!
I don’t know about the annual payment versus the lump sum. I’d probably leave that up to my fiance to decide.
RachelG on 08 Mar 2007 at 9:49 am #
I’ve bought 1 lotto ticket in my life. I always mean to buy tickets, but I always forget. But if I did win . . . wow, what wouldn’t I buy. I’d set up my brother, sisters and kids with some sort of trusts. And I’ve give my mother such a huge pile of money that she could shop like a maniac the rest of her life and not have to worry about the credit card bills.
If you do win, do you have to announce it to the world? The thought of strangers, scammers, or even relatives, with their hands out constantly scares me.
Ladytink_534 on 08 Mar 2007 at 10:14 am #
My mom LOVES lottery tickets, scratch-offs, and bingo more than life itself. I try really hard not to mess with any of it because it can be very addicting!
MizMacgyver on 08 Mar 2007 at 10:15 am #
Do you play the lottery for real?
Nope, played maybe 3 times in my life, won 50.00 and figured that was my life allottment of luck.
Or just dream of winning.
I do like to dream, a very pleasant way to put myself to sleep.
If you won, what would you buy first?
Well, first, I would pay off the house and a couple of credit cards. Then I would flat out buy a bigger house, a MUCH bigger house and a nice shiny new station wagon to put in the garage.
Which of your relatives would benefit?
My kids and granddaughter, they are about the only family I have. Pay off my daughter’s house and my granddaughter would think she WAS a Disney Princess.
One of my ex husbands (don’t laugh, I am not crazy, he was a good guy, I just couldn’t live with him, these murderous urges kept trying to take me over) I would give him back all the child support for my son in one lump son and get him a vehicle that runs.
My bf, another good guy but after 3 marriages and divorces I figured I am hard to live with. He would have a nice house and vehicle and STUFF( yeah, I know, that was a different BLOG), his type of stuff not my type of stuff.
And most important of all, would you go for the annual payment? Or are you a lump sum sorta gal?
Most likely I would go for the lump sum. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. The annual would be nice for me (with my luck I would get it once then die) but….when I die the money goes with me. I would invest the lump sum and set up trusts for kids and granddaughter so they would have a permanent income.
Karen Hawkins on 08 Mar 2007 at 10:46 am #
MizGyver, you have had a VERY colorful life! I hope you win the lotto, myself. And oh, how I know those murderous urges!!!!
Rachel, I’ve wondered that myself. I saw a news story once on a man who’d won the lottery and all of his relatives swarmed on his house and cleaned him out. Got him involved in a bunch of make-mo’-money schemes, borrowed and didn’t pay back, and pretty much started living off of him. With relatives like that — sheesh! I wonder if you can keep it quiet or if the lottery people have the right to ‘out’ you.
Ladytink, I’ve often wondered about gambling addiction. I’m in no danger, but I could see where some people might find it too tempting to resist - it IS exciting to think about! So are people addicted to gaming? Or to the excitement of gaming?
MizMacgyver on 08 Mar 2007 at 11:05 am #
I did some checking and yeah, the lotto people do “tell the world” that John Doe won bunches of money and then all of John Doe’s relatives (and pseudo-relatives) come out of the wood work. Definitely a scary thought. Perhaps I should say to the best of my knowledge I don’t have a lot of family? I might find more if I win the lotto. Or more to the point they would find me!
Sabrina Jeffries on 08 Mar 2007 at 11:09 am #
My husband of 23 years is a champagne-tastes-on-a-beer-budget kind of guy. When we discussed this (only this morning, believe it or not), he said, “Well, you’d see a BIG truck pull up in front with Clark Gable’s Dusenberg in it.” Yes, he likes classic cars. So we would probably go broke just buying all the cars he wants. And planes. He’s dying for a plane! As I said, champagne tastes. He likes EXPENSIVE things.
Me, I’d give a bunch of money to my family and friends, and get my son a huge heated pool in a gymnasium all for himself. Oh, and I’d travel first class wherever I wanted to go, and take my husband, son, and a caregiver. We’re dying to travel, but with Nick it’s just too complicated.
Since I don’t play the lottery, and my husband only buys a ticket once a year or so, this isn’t likely to happen.
Julia London on 08 Mar 2007 at 11:15 am #
My husband buys a lotto ticket every week. One day, he sent me in to buy one, thinking his luck would change. As I opened the door to enter the store, I, and everyone in Austin, Texas, hear him shouting at the top of his lungs, “ANNUAL PAYMENTS! GET ANNUAL PAYMENTS!”
We have a stack of loser tickets on the bar. Last week, we marveled that we were one off every single number on the winning ticket. I said I thought it was the Cosmos telling us that we really ought to hang it up. He said it was the Cosmos telling me I had the wrong birthday, and if I’d been born on the 19th instead of the 18th, we would be millionaires today, and it was all my fault. I guess it all depends on one’s perspective, LOL.
Karen Hawkins on 08 Mar 2007 at 11:30 am #
MizMacgyver, I already have too many relatives. Maybe I don’t really WANT to win the lottery.
Man, think of all the cam artists who’d try to worm their way into your life if you won. You’d almost HAVE to buy a house in a gated, secured community.
Sabrina, I wonder if people who win are more the buy one ticket a week, or the once in a while buyers? I never know. I just know I think about playing the lotto all of the time. I just somehow don’t get around to doing it.
Julia, a man who’d blame you for ‘being born on the wrong day’ will also tell you that the reason he over cooked the steaks was because you were distracting him by bending over the dishwasher. Heh! Annual payments indeed!
Although I hear that annual payments are the way to go. The trucker who won ended up with about 80 million LESS with the lump sum payment. Guess he’s afraid he won’t live long enough to get it all, though I’ve heard you can tax shelter more with annual payments.
As if it’s ever going to be an issue for me.
anneriailin on 08 Mar 2007 at 12:33 pm #
I’ve thought about this ALOT. The first thing I’d do after noticing I had the winning numbers is hire a lawyer and a financial advisor. That would take care of some of the money right then and there! lol
Then I’d buy the house, the cars, pay off the debt and make sure my kids college education was paid for. Then I’d give some to my siblings and to a couple of children’s charities. THEN I’d travel, probably an extended trip to the UK and see all of the places I’ve dreamt of going. I’d invest the rest. Ok, so I’m kind of boring. lol
–dorothy, who thought for sure she had the winning numbers on this last lottery ticket!
Julia London on 08 Mar 2007 at 12:50 pm #
Speaking of dishwashers, I just loaded in a bunch of dirty dishes with the clean ones. *SIGH8
80 million LESS with the lump sum? I mean, I guess it is all relative, but my god, that made my knees buckle.
colinfirthfan on 08 Mar 2007 at 1:16 pm #
Soon as the lottery goes over a certain amoutn. I start buying tickets. Started a pool at work and bough 125 tickets. Won $23.00. Bought $23.00 won $2.00 and then nothing.
I was dreaming of moving to Italy and living on the Amalfi coast.
Sigh!!
Definitely I’d get the lump sum.
colinfirthfan on 08 Mar 2007 at 1:17 pm #
sorry about the typos - I got kinda excited thinking about 370 million dollars.
i meant i bought 23 tickets and won $2.00
Karen Hawkins on 08 Mar 2007 at 1:23 pm #
No kidding. 80 million gone. It’s staggering, isn’t it? They say people don’t want the annual payments because they figure they won’t live long enough to get all of the money. BUT you can put a percentage of your income each year into a tax deferred investment account and only pay taxes when you take it out. So if you get annual payments, you can shelter a good bit of your wealth.
You can see I seriously dream of winning the lottery. One day, I’ll buy a ticket. Really, I will.
Btw, I’ve loaded the clean dishes into the dirty ones because I don’t really have a dish washer — I have a dish RINSER. You have to wash the dishes before you put them in so they’ll get clean. Which means you can’t always tell if they’ve been rinsed or not. If I’m not sure, I just load them in. If I win the lottery, I’m buying a dishwasher like my mother’s. It has a button on it that lights up and says CLEAN when they’re CLEAN and it even WASHES the dishes. WOOHOO!
I have a sad little life.
Kay on 08 Mar 2007 at 1:30 pm #
When the lotto was about 160 million, I bought 5 tickets, then spent the next 3 sleepless nigths afraid that we would win and someone would try to kidnap my kids, or stalk my family or….. you get the idea. I was so happy that we didn’t win!
Once in a while, I buy a ticket when I’m getting gas, but never if it is really high. The thought of tens of millions scares me.
Five million or so, spread out over 20 years, would be VERY, VERY NICE, but i still think that once the house was payed for and a college fund was set up for my kids, I would try to give away as much as possible. (Leaving enough for one great trip a year, and a new car every 5 or 6 years!)
I have several friends whose kids would get a college fund, and a few seniors I know who could use some help. I guess the local schools would get a cut, and a few charities that I volunteer for. Most of my extended family would be OUT OF LUCK!
It is fun to dream.
Suzanne Enoch on 08 Mar 2007 at 1:55 pm #
Karen and Julia, if you won the lotto, you could pay someone else to wash your dishes. Or, you could buy new dishes every day. *g*
I play rarely, though my sister buys 2 or 3 a month. If I won I’d pay off my house, pay off both my sisters’ houses, set up college funds for the niece and nephews, and buy a fleet of Mini-Coopers in all colors just because it would be fun. Ooh, and I’d get the life-size Darth Vader and Boba Fett.
Interestingly enough, I wouldn’t quit my job.
Sabrina Jeffries on 08 Mar 2007 at 2:17 pm #
Karen, if it’s any consolation, I bought a new dishwasher recently, and it too has a light that shows when the dishes are clean. Unfortunately, that little light stays on all while you unload the clean ones and put the dirty ones in. In fact, it stays on until you run it again, at which time it goes off while the thing is running. Which, to me, sort of defeats the purpose.
But it does CLEAN the dishes, which I much prefer.
DebMarlowe on 08 Mar 2007 at 2:38 pm #
I have never once in my life bought a lottery ticket, but you guys are making me consider it!
What *would* I do with all that money? Set my Mom, Dad and sisters up with new houses and cars, etc. I’d get myself a mini-cooper too–they are just so adorable! I think I’d pay to have the dirt road near my house paved since the government is being so darned slow about it and I’ve already killed one car on it. Add on to our house. College funds. Trips to England and Scotland, oh I could on and on!
Suzanne, I would keep my job too! Best job in the world! And I already have kid sized Darth Vaders, Boba Fetts and Stormtroopers running around the house. And they are armed with the special edition DC-15s only limitedly available. They got theirs at the Star Tours gift shop at MGM studios. I was just thrilled to come home and find that the only way they differed from the ones they sell at Target was that they were painted a different color! But the kids still think they are super cool…
Ann in IL on 08 Mar 2007 at 3:40 pm #
I don’t buy tickets until it gets really high. I would need a BIG prize to cover all the things I want to do. I have six brothers, one sister, four sisters-in-law, one brother-in-law, three nephews, eight nieces, eight greatnephews and two greatnieces, one lifelong friend and an extra special guy we’ve adopted as a “brother”. Whew, I need a smaller family! Anyway, I would make certain they were all set up for life, then I would give a bunch to two favorite charities. THEN…….I WOULD GO TO SCOTLAND.
Oh yeah, I would buy myself a husband. Anyone know how much those cost?
diamondlil on 08 Mar 2007 at 4:05 pm #
I thought I was the only one who did this. I have the spending of several million already done in my brain. Now I just need to get my feet to go to the lottery agent, and my hand to pass over the cash to get a ticket on a regular basis!
Karen Hawkins on 08 Mar 2007 at 4:36 pm #
Ann in Il, I don’t know how much it costs to get a husband, but I can tell you how much it costs to get rid of the wrong one and it ain’t cheap. Meanwhile, what a HUGE family! You go, girlfriend! Bet holidays are a blast at your house.
Sabrina, if my dishwasher actually WASHED dishes, I’d let the CLEAN light stay on all of the time, although you’re right and it would defeat the purpose.
And I think we should ALL go to Scotland. People, if I ever win the lottery (which would mean buying a ticket) I’m taking every registered member here to Scotland. I mean it, too. I will! And oh what a GREAT trip that would be!!!!
Terry Jo on 08 Mar 2007 at 4:45 pm #
this is so funny. I was just telling my crit group about how I always watch cnn and heard them speaking of the biggest lotto jackpot ever Tuesday, and so I broke my own rule of throwing money away on the lottery and bought three tickets. If I were a devoted lottery player, I might have known that Mega Millions is not available in my state!!! And I didn’t even win the Hot Ball one that I spent three dollars on. I think I’m not destined to win the lottery, LOL.
Nicole Jordan on 08 Mar 2007 at 6:26 pm #
I haven’t ever let myself buy a lottery ticket cause I know the odds against winning are astronomical. And I won’t even dream about stricking it big cause I would only be disappointed. Mama always taught me that “you make your own luck” and since I can’t make my luck in this case, I won’t play *G*.
NicoleJ
Ann in IL on 08 Mar 2007 at 6:45 pm #
Karen,
I’ll just have to pray that you win, because I think you would be one FUN travel guide to Scotland.
anneriailin on 08 Mar 2007 at 7:55 pm #
Karen,
I’m with Ann. I will have to pray that you win the lottery. I’ve always wanted to go to Scotland and I can’t think of a better travel guide or a nicer group of people to go with!
–dorothy
Kathy on 08 Mar 2007 at 9:33 pm #
Yup definately up for the trip to Scotland. I’d see what’s under those kilt’s for myself!!
I would like a family member to win big, give me some, and they can have the headaches!!!!
If I won I would take care of the family and then give everyone at work a couple of thousand. Let the old ladies that are still working have some money so they can have some time and money to enjoy their 80’s. Three of them are 78 and still doing the daily grind.
Buy a huge piece of land and beautiful manufactured homes and have a family compound. Travel. Spend one day and buy everything I wanted that day regardless of cost!!! Could spend weeks planning that one day.
Go to a spa with ten of my best friends and be there for a month. Get a massage every day!!!
Anyway,,,,lots of fun stuff to do with enough money. Maybe figure out what I am meant to be doing. Have a chance to connect with the inner me. Write the book that is lurking in my mind. Bring it on!!!
A great question to ponder: Lump sum or annually. I would think about that at the spa:)
Judy F on 08 Mar 2007 at 10:04 pm #
I too think about getting a ticket then I forget. I used to play fairly often at a job I Hated… it was so depressing not to win.
If I would win I would take care of my parents and my brother/sister. I would like to have my own home. I hear your should get a lawyer and a finance person ASAP. I think you can keep your ID secret if you want but I am not sure on that.
I would like to have enough not to work but to volunteer or at least do something I enjoy.
Karen Hawkins on 08 Mar 2007 at 10:11 pm #
Oh ladies, we’d have so much FUN in Scotland! I can already see all of your gleaming eyes as we traverse the misty hillocks and serene lochs, sit in ancient pubs and lift our pints, and visit romantic castles and do some Kilt Checking … ahhhhhhh! I can’t wait!!!
I really need to buy a lottery ticket, don’t I?
JudyF, that’s so cool of you to already decide to do volunteer work. I think I’d like that, too. I just started doing some new volunteer work and I love it, but you know what? It’s sometimes as difficult finding a good volunteer placement as it is to find a real job.
You know what? I think I’ll buy a ticket THIS week. There won’t be so many people buying, so the odds should be higher than ever AND … I can sit around and mentally spend all the money AGAIN!
TheNightPoet on 08 Mar 2007 at 10:27 pm #
I haven’t ever bought a lotto ticket.I’ve bought acouple scratch-offs before, but other than that, I don’t “play” with the big guns. haha I just don’t really think about it. My parents buy lotto tickets every week. I have thought about what I’d do if I were lucky enough to win that much money. First off, I’d set aside enough money to pay for the rest of my tuition and books for college. I’d set aside money for my brother for college tuition as well. I’d give my parents some money as well. I’d buy a car for myself. I’m not sure what else I’d do, but that’s what I’ve thought about so far. If it were to happen later in life, when say I was married and had kids, I would set aside money for my kids’ college tuition.
If I were to win, I would definitely hire a lawyer and finacial advisor. I’m not sure if I would take the lump sum or the annual payment.
Andrea
Brandy on 08 Mar 2007 at 11:46 pm #
My hubs likes to buy a ticket every now and then, but if I have $5 I’d rather buy a book!
IF we won? I’d pay of my hubs student loans, pay off our house, set my kids up with college money and for the first time in 6 years, take a vacation, to Scotland.
After that, I’d build my grandmother a house. She’s 83. I’d give my dad and his wife some money and my In-Laws some as well.
Oh, and as for lump sum or payments? Whoever bought the ticket is the winner, so if your hubs bought it and chose the annual payments, but then passes away sometime in the future, after a couple of years? You get nothing else. With the lump sum, you may lose half to taxes, but think of what those taxes are usually paying for(schools, medicare, social progarams, etc.), and you already have money if something happens. (*smacks head* I’m too morbid!)
elsiehogarth on 10 Mar 2007 at 12:28 pm #
Karen, I’m with you there….the guy in New Jersey won MY Money. I was planning on having Colin Cowie host some party events, for me, at least 7 of them and then ask Nate to come organize my “living space”. Puhleeeeze!!!!!
Nicole Jordan on 11 Mar 2007 at 12:17 pm #
I had to laugh this morning when I read a piece in the NY Times Sunday Op-Ed section, entitled Lotto Makes Sense Even for Losers .
It theorizes that “the fantasy of winning stimulates the same brain circuits that winning does.” And quotes an expert who says that “It’s not just winning the money but anticipating winning the money that is exciting and the two experiences are similar neurobiologically.”
So Karen, you’re supposedly getting the same rush by simply fantacizing, so you can save your money!
NicoleJ