VB6ftw
72059
1439
94
Throwing away $20 of my hard earned money each month.
I am well aware that my chances of winning are slim to none.
I will never win. I know.
Nov 13, 2019 2:14 AM
VB6ftw
72059
1439
94
I am well aware that my chances of winning are slim to none.
I will never win. I know.
zippydoo
If it makes you happy do it I spend all my money on weed but I’m happy
LoadedBakedPotatoes
If you do some googling, there are companies, that spend 50k-500k on lottery tickets each year.
ApplesAndBees
If you invest that $20 in the sp500 for ~45 years you'll have around 600k assuming a 7% return. That's how I convinced myself to stop
ZLOK
Usually $20/month is affordable, but a windfall is noticable, even if it's just like $100.
ILikeFugu
Lottery as a pastime: Fine and good fun. Lottery as an investment strategy: hahahahhahahaha
ChrisMS78
Playing sometimes too, but it is just an additional tax for people who are bad at math. ?
DimmyNatran
The lottery is a tax on poor and dumb people. Sorry but it's the truth
lddiaz
Totally. It goes to schools and stuff and rich people don't play it, so it's just a not so secret tax on the poor and stupid.
coryfantastic
I do too. Currently $4.80 a week, and I've done it since 2004 or so.
Hashbrown123
Sometimes I win around $20 dollars so it is not that bad.
Smacketywack
Look at it this way. Your money is at least going to the jackpots of those who do win. So you’re an essential part of the process.
nontno
Trying to get rich by playing the lottery is like trying to commit suicide by flying commercial airline. Possible, not probable.
SoftKleenex
Just you watch, gonna fly Malaysia more to increase my chances
JeremyPeevin
I feel the same. I have a hard time fantasizing about what I'd do with that money if I don't buy a ticket.
kidwest84
Does anyone actually know of, or has them self, won a Mega millions? I have never found a person that even knew someone second hand.
coryfantastic
I do too. Currently $4.80 a week, and I've done it since 2004 or so.
coryfantastic
I figure so far I'm ahead, I've had two nice wins. At the moment it's a small dream-feeder, just like you, and I haven't lost money in total
VB6ftw
My biggest win was $40 lol. And it wasn't a single prize, it was 3 simultaneous winnings.
LanceForLife
4 or 6 bucks a week isnt gonna break the bank let it ride
reiseiji
I rationalize it by figuring I could waste 6$ a week on a piece of paper or McDonalds, and the piece of paper is probably healthier.
Thistly
You say you're happy to spend that. I could lay out reasons you shouldn't be, But I'd rather you be happy.
freckledkink
Well, people are happy paying $8 for a cup of coffee every day when they can make it at home. But it makes them happy.
zenton
Exactly. People spend stupid amounts of money on dumb shit every day. If it’s not putting them in debt, and they enjoy it then have fun.
azzurrivincitore13
quietlycommenting
Worked in a newsagency where I watched people blow their whole pension/pay cheque immediately. It was sad. Others were fine - just balance.
websurfintime
I spend that much on pizza weekly. To each his on what bring him hope and happiness
elinveronicap
The worse I'm off, the more I spend on the lottery and scratch tickets. It's when I want to escape the most.
VB6ftw
As long as you can afford it, whatever works for you :) I mean it. Gambling is only a problem if it affects your economy.
elinveronicap
I never expect to win, so I don't use money I can't afford to lose.
VB6ftw
+1
nightsider
Bruh, some days Powerball is what I got to look forward to. And when I lose, there's just another one a couple days away.
VB6ftw
Exactly. Of my low income, I can easily spare those $20 to invest in a chance that it can get better some day.
neos501
I literally spend about $20 a month on mobile games on my phone. If you enjoy it, no need to be ashamed.
sharkwaffle
I think the problem is people believe it to be an 'investment's
zenton
Seriously. The amount I spend on booze is waaaay greater then a few bucks a week on lottery. It’s cheap fun to think about winning big.
HackerJacker
here is a difference there. You are paying for "x" hours of entertainment with your $20.
neos501
Oh and booze. Not often, but when I do it's big $$$
monadi
Why not save that money in a jar every week. At the end of the year, do something awesome with that money. It's a dream you can actualize.
L0StWaNdErEr
I occasionally spend a few bucks for a ticket. It’s 4 bucks every few weeks to dream big for a little while
AGlobOfEcto
One dollar turns into 20 given 30-40 years invested and based on previous performance. Bout 20k a year you wont have for retirement.
AGlobOfEcto
Sorry, I replied to the wrong comment. 4 bucks a month is much more reasonable but 80 is different
zenton
Exactly this.once had a gas station attendant criticize me for buying 5 worth of tickets when it was super high. I can waste that on a dream
KelKrist
You don’t need to spend money to dream..? You can dream whatever fantastical things you want about your life. Probably have better odds too
Dracon27
Plus, SOMEONE has to win, and you have just as much chance per ticket as the next guy.
urawizardhary
You're thinking of a raffle. There's a reason their much lower of a jackpot
Dracon27
Eventually someone will win, otherwise the jackpot would never reset.
timefor
No, someone doesn’t have to win. That’s how jackpots grow. Most of the time no one wins. You’d be better of in a casino
Dracon27
Eventually someone will win though.
VB6ftw
That's true. But in a casino you will never experience the thrill of dreaming of 100's of millions. It's the experience and hope combined.
coffeebot9000
I only buy a ticket when the jackpot is Maxed out. I’m not greedy, just really bad with money.
Whatwhatsomethingbutt
The expected return on a ticket is worth more than the cost of the ticket when jackpots are between 100 & 500 million.
Isorikk
That's statistics, not probability!
itmightbeamemorableday
You're odds are no different, and it's a bigger payout. Probably the best way to play the lottery... if there's such a thing.
MickeyCallahan
Worth noting that your chance of having to split the pot goes up as lots of people use the same strategy.
Isorikk
You have a higher chance of being bitten by a shark and struck by lightning at the same time, though.
mksu
If you enjoy the lottery, knock yourself out. It's only a problem if you can't afford it or it's your retirement strategy.
M4X1N10S
Exactly. It's entertainment. People pay for entertainment all the time.
EveryonesCousin
What’s retirement?
mofreckle
its a boomer thing where they stop working for an extending period of time. its supposed to be wild.
CannibalisticHedgehog
Or you keep buying in regardless of having lost the desire to play
NaughtButOne
I spend $4 a few times a year on a scratch card and still get lectures. To be fair, my retirement plan is to be dead by 65.
Asadsadsadclown
I worked the 7/11 graveyard shift. Got to watch a little old lady spend the last of her money on scratchers. Her face haunts me.
emericabaker5
stlewys
In the UK its technically also a small donation to charity, which doesn't quite justify it but some good comes out of it
Averien
That's how they justify it in the US. It's a scam, it is cruel, and it abuses the desperate and the ignorant, there and here.
IAmTheCloser
Especially if you keep the spending under control. We play the powerball when it reaches $300M, usually $5 or so.
Chickawetta
Same here. It has to be over $300M mark before I give it a go. If I win, great. If not...
VB6ftw
+1
marz13
You've got 100% more chance to win then i do. But I still dream too.
brianearl
$20/mo is very controlled. I know ppl who spend 10-20 a day on near min wage and it hurts to watch
Averien
I used to work at a grocery customer service. There were 30-40 people who, 1st and 15th, would cash their check, and drop $100 of a $500 1/
Averien
check on the lotto. It broke my heart, and was a major reason I was relieved when I finally quit.
sweaterpuppies
:(
370zSteve
My dad used to play $120 a month. He hit it one day and had about $8M. Bought a house that was too expensive and gave some money away.
vindik8or
Fuck's sake.
370zSteve
Filed for bankruptcy a few years later.
ThePastmaster
Happens to 9 out of 10 winners. :( IIRC, 1 in 20 commit suicide.
freckledkink
That happens to most winners
WhoToldYouLifeWasFair
I budget $12 a week for Lottery Tickets. At this point, hitting the lottery is the only chance I'll have to retire before I die.
isidorelucienducasse
Or what about gofundmeretire
VB6ftw
I only play the minimum required tickets, and place my investment in the lottery with the biggest potential payout. And it's automatic.
Isorikk
That's about $48 a month... If you invested that into a retirement account you'd have roughly $8044 after 10 years instead of lost tickets!
lddiaz
Or an index fund.
quietlycommenting
That’s not even a year of retirement dude. They’re fucked regardless
WhoToldYouLifeWasFair
I'm 62. Long-term IRA's and such aren't an option.
Isorikk
You could live to 100!
WhoToldYouLifeWasFair
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Bioman998
Sadly that's not very much
natebitatibetan
It's $8044 more than they would have
mothmanual2016
It you invest a little more than that in mutual funds and wait a few decades, the global economy will collapse and civilized society with it
Bioman998
Sounds like a plan
theboringusername
All because this guy invested a little bit more..? That’s a lot of responsibility.
Bioman998
How to change the world for thousands of years? Start a major world religion, or invest in low cost mutual funds.
shakefu
So I wrote a computer lotto simulation. For fun. Using Super Lotto for my model because the odds are only 42M:1. I hit the jackpot once... /
snoozer
Trying to get rich playing lottery is like trying to commit suicide by boarding a commercial flight. It might work, buuuut....
shakefu
You are 4x more likely to be in a plane crash (1 in 11M) than win the SuperLotto at 42M:1, and 40x more likely than winning Powerball
shakefu
... after spending $1.2M fake dollars on tickets. I spent another $8M without hitting another jackpot. Buying $400k at a time you lose 85% /
shakefu
... of the money put in. I wrote a mathematical model to buy the best possible spread of tickets, minimizing duplication, triplets, etc. /
shakefu
... and my mathematical approach showed no improvement from pure random up until I was buying 5% of the number pool at once ($2M). ... /
Dishware
.
shakefu
You cannot win. The lottery prays on human’s inabilities to conceptualize very large numbers. Save your money. $20 a week for 20 years /
valen00
There is an alternate theory that a straight cost * win % isn't the best model as for most people the cost is low enough to not notice so ~0
shakefu
... Invested almost anywhere would accumulate to about $50k. Over 30 years it’s $100k. Don’t waste your money on lotto anymore.