I only play the lottery when the jackpot gets large enough to make the news. Tonight’s MegaMillions jackpot is up to $312 million so I’ve thrown my $5 into the office kitty.
I realize that there’s virtually no chance of winning. I heard this morning that the odds are actually 350 times greater that I’ll be struck by lightning. But, I still play. Here’s why.
- My aunt and uncle won the
New York - If my co-workers won and I hadn’t joined them, it would kill me. I don't know what emotion would be stronger -- remorse, anger, or embarrassment. The bottom line is that I don’t ever want to answer the question “Didn’t a bunch of your co-workers win the lottery?” and its follow-up “Tell me again why you didn’t pitch in $5.”
- Every time I buy a lottery ticket, I first figure out what I’d get on a lump sum basis after taxes. Then, the real fun starts:
Þ How much should I share? Seriously, sharing would be the right thing to do. And, it would be fun. Just look at how much fun it is for my good friend Oprah. But how much to share? That’s a tough one. If I won $100 million, what percentage would I share? What if I “only” won $10 million? I won’t lie – the percentage goes down when the winnings go down.
Þ Who’s going to get a piece of the pie? OK, I may be stupid enough to play the lottery but I’m not stupid enough to name names. Moving on …
Þ How much do I invest and how much goes into the “fun” bucket? This would be an interesting discussion with Kim. Even in my dreams, I can only have so much fun. So, unfortunately, dear, the fun bucket doesn’t usually get all that much.
Þ Should Hannah, Nick, and Jay get cars? The answer used to always be “Absolutely not.” But, this time around I’ve been thinking “Maybe – if they’re used.” We’ll see.
Þ Do I finally try to buy Sun Nursery? What do you think? Of course I do. A man needs to dream, after all.
