# I do not want to win the lottery: Am I alone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 12, 2010, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398 "2010-07-12T15:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/81 "2010-07-14T17:27:59Z")
> [@Q.N.Jones](#): > > I don’t buy this at all. It’s all about your attitude. Well, ‘‘mo’ money, mo’ problems’’ really was not intended as a serious post. My true feelings are a bit more nuanced and complicated. To say the very least, I have ambiguous feelings about wealth. I grew up mostly poor but as an emancipated minor I was very poor. I have never been terribly good at money management and was so accustomed to a low standard of living that now, in a solidly middle class household, I feel like I live in the lap of luxury and have no desire to have more than I do now. On the other hand, **Sr. Olives** ’ father is a millionaire and his grandparents are billionaires. They have more money than they know what to do with, and sometimes they give it to us. My husband is no entitled rich kid; unlike a lot of his cousins, he never asks for handouts and we never plan on them. We’ve struggled financially just like any other fledgling couple just starting out in the world. While his cousins demanded new homes and new clothes and extravagant gifts, he just took whatever he got and invested it. And that’s what sets my husband apart from the rest of his family–he’s the black sheep precisely because he’s so inextravagant. We make our own way in the world, together, but realistically, will we ever be poor again? Probably not. Despite the fact that we’ve chosen middle-class lifestyles, and are happy with them, we’re probably going to end up very well off in the long-run. Because $10,000 here and $30,000 there can ultimately make a huge difference in long-term financial security. Does that break my heart? Of course not. Financial security is nice. But I also know that wealth is not the panacea that a lot of people make it out to be. I don’t value money that much and never have. If I have learned anything from my FIL and his family, it’s that I didn’t value money enough and that’s why I never had any. I’m working on it, but it’s never going to mean to me what it does to them, and I don’t want it to. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/82 "2010-07-14T17:36:46Z")
\*\*I do not want to win the lottery: Am I alone? \*\* AFAIAC, you are. I want my numbers to come up right frickin’ NOW! ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/83 "2010-07-14T17:54:15Z")
It would sure make my life a lot easier. I’m another that feel like it wouldn’t change me… just the way I look at life. I would buy or build a modest home on some acreage with a nice horse barn with indoor arena. I’m not talking about a mansion… just a comfortable home for me and my dogs. I would have a cleaning lady come in a couple times a week and someone to do most of the barn work. I would do equine rescue, taking in and rehabbing abused horses, then rehoming when possible, and when not, giving them a good home to live out their days. I would choose several charities to make substantial yearly donations to. My small circle of close friends would find themselves gifted with money & fun stuff. I don’t have family to think about. First thing I would do tho is quit this job that I hate with the fire of a thousand imploding suns. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/84 "2010-07-15T04:51:51Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > This is something I will never have to worry about, as I send out some kind of anti-winning vibes. Every single lottery ticket I have ever touched has turned out to be a dud, and this includes tickets purchased as gifts to other people. I’ve never even won $1. What are the odds of that?? No, it’s a definite Sign. There’s something pre-ordained in the universe regarding my lifelong no-win streak. I’ve learned to live with it and adjust to the fact I will never get my picture in the paper holding up a gigantic check. > > You should see me at a casino. I can disappear my grocery money for the week in less than 10 minutes, while bells and whistles go off at other machines all around me. > > And it’s not FAIR. If I did win, I have definite plans to do good in the world. No McMansion, no gold toilet seats, no shopping sprees. Really. Just Good Works. (maybe one small shopping spree first). They did not have the lottery in Texas when I was living there, but after they started it my father, while he was still alive, would send us a few tickets bought from time to time for us to scratch off, just for fun. I think we may have won a few bucks. Sent the tickets back and he held the money for us until our next visit, something like that. But I’m reminded of a news story about this one Einstein who was working in a convenience store in a small town somewhere up in the Panhandle. He was working his shift alone and figured at least one of the lottery tickets he was selling just had to be a big winner. So he started scratching them off, intending to pay for them with the loot from the big winner. He went through all of them but didn’t win much. So he called the police and reported he’d been robbed, the bandits making off with all of the lottery tickets. Caught him somehow, but I can’t remember how this uber-criminal managed to slip up with his story. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/85 "2010-07-15T06:17:40Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > …But I’m reminded of a news story about this one Einstein who was working in a convenience store in a small town somewhere up in the Panhandle. He was working his shift alone and figured at least one of the lottery tickets he was selling just had to be a big winner. So he started scratching them off, intending to pay for them with the loot from the big winner. He went through all of them but didn’t win much. So he called the police and reported he’d been robbed, the bandits making off with all of the lottery tickets. Caught him somehow, but I can’t remember how this uber-criminal managed to slip up with his story. Two guesses: 1. “They only stole scratch off lottery tickets, officer. I don’t know why they left the cash and all the other tickets.” 2. The big pile of scrapings on the floor behind the register. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/86 "2010-07-15T17:06:47Z")
1. They looked at the tape. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/87 "2010-07-15T17:08:09Z")
D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/88 "2010-07-15T17:16:22Z")
😃 ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/89 "2010-07-15T17:18:25Z")
I was watching HBO earlier and saw an advert for an HBO documentary series that will be examining the effect winning the lottery has on people. From the clips I saw it will be focusing on how winning the lottery can destroy your life. Fuck that. I’d still want to win the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/90 "2010-07-15T17:24:16Z")
I saw a Publisher’s Clearinghouse Ad recently that advertised ‘’$10,000 a week for the rest of your life.’’ Now _that_’s a deal, because you can’t really fuck it up, and even if you do, you have a chance to start over again. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/91 "2010-07-15T17:29:36Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I saw a Publisher’s Clearinghouse Ad recently that advertised ‘’$10,000 a week for the rest of your life.‘’ Now _that_’s a deal, because you can’t really fuck it up, and even if you do, you have a chance to start over again. Well, you could fall for an offer to buy the annuity for a lump sum. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/92 "2010-07-15T17:29:57Z")
> [@olivesmarch4th](#): > > I saw a Publisher’s Clearinghouse Ad recently that advertised ‘’$10,000 a week for the rest of your life.‘’ Now _that_’s a deal, because you can’t really fuck it up, and even if you do, you have a chance to start over again. You can fuck up ANYTHING, and there are companies out there to help you. Have you seen those ads, “It’s MY money and I want it NOW!”?? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/93 "2010-07-15T20:44:25Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Have you seen those ads, “It’s MY money and I want it NOW!”?? Oh god, that’s exactly what I was going to mention. That whiny, nasally woman was perfectly cast, because she comes off as just as stupid as anyone who would fall for that scheme. I cringe when I even _think about_ that commercial. Does anyone know approximately what percent of “your money” they’re willing to trade you for your payments? I have no idea, really, but I would just about bet a leg that it’s less than half. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/94 "2010-07-15T20:48:46Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Oh god, that’s exactly what I was going to mention. That whiny, nasally woman was perfectly cast, because she comes off as just as stupid as anyone who would fall for that scheme. I cringe when I even _think about_ that commercial. > > Does anyone know approximately what percent of “your money” they’re willing to trade you for your payments? I have no idea, really, but I would just about bet a leg that it’s less than half. I don’t know about “It’s my money and I want it NOW,” but I remember one payday loan scheme would give you the money, then demand something like 99.5% interest. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/95 "2010-07-15T20:53:41Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > I don’t know about “It’s my money and I want it NOW,” but I remember one payday loan scheme would give you the money, then demand something like 99.5% interest. My wife and I saw an article in the Republic the other day that said some of those places were charge _450%_. Edit: And no I did not accidentally leave out a decimal. ---
**Author:** ![ataraxy22](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ataraxy22/32/307_2.png) [@ataraxy22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ataraxy22)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/96 "2010-07-16T04:01:54Z")
I don’t play the lottery because I’m math literate and its entertainment value is minimal to me. But, if I came into fabulous wealth, I certainly would keep it. Money is freedom and security and I am confident I have enough self-control to be a good steward of it. If I didn’t need to continue working my job, I’d quit it. Life is short and there are a million other things I want to do. I would never get bored or go stir crazy, ever. I don’t need a job to give my life purpose. I can define that on my own. I would travel a great deal. I’d spend months on the road exploring the backwaters of Australia or Polynesia, finally make it to Tristan da Cunha and Antarctica, and explore everywhere in the world that I could. If I wanted to maintain a more traditional “connection” with society, I’d play angel investor (think “Shark Tank” without being an ass or anything) when I was in the country and provide seed money to entrepreneurs that I thought had promising ideas. I’d FINALLY buy a house, though I’d leave this very, very expensive area and get something with some decent acreage so that I could have a few alpacas and where I could get away from everyone when I wanted to. And, I could afford to not work and still manage to afford health insurance! ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/97 "2010-07-16T07:48:37Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > I was watching HBO earlier and saw an advert for an HBO documentary series that will be examining the effect winning the lottery has on people. From the clips I saw it will be focusing on how winning the lottery can destroy your life. Living happily ever after doesn’t have the same entertainment value, does it? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/98 "2010-07-16T09:33:58Z")
Oh, I totally want to win the lottery. Most lottery winners screw up because they think of it as unlimited money, whether it’s $100,000 or $1 million or $100 million, and they can have anything they want for the rest of their lives without having to think about how much it costs. But as many stars have demonstrated over and over, there’s no amount of money you can’t piss away if you’re sufficiently stupid about it. I would have relatives crawling out of the woodwork, but I figure with that kind of money I could have some of them killed and the rest would back off. (I’m only barely kidding.) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398/99 "2010-07-16T14:11:42Z")
> [@Hi\_Medlo](#): > > Here’s the problem I have with the lotterey: When you win it, you’re taking money from all those poor, desperate bastards you see standing in line spending money they shouldn’t. From all the old ladies and guys just barely getting by who have been duped by the state’s advertising about how much fun it is to play and win. The ones who tune out the mumbled “Please play responsibly” at the end of the commercials. > I don’t need the money that badly. No, those idiots chose to shit away their money on their own. Gee, accept some giant windfall or continue working the rest of my life for a bunch of assholes as a freakin cubical drone (even a highly paid one)? Quite frankly, I don’t understand how someone could piss away a hundred million dollars. I suppose if you made a lot of really really bad investments or bought several giant mansions and didn’t account for the upkeep and property taxes it is possible. Unlike most of these uneducated mooks who win the lottery, I actually do have a bit of knowledge of accounting and finance. I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to live within my means withing bankrupting myself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-do-not-want-to-win-the-lottery-am-i-alone/546398.md?page=4)