Once you’ve won a big prize from the lottery, you could think that all of the hard work is done. On the flip side, you would be quite wrong! There are plenty of documented cases of individuals who have hit it big only to lose their fortunes through bad deals, unhealthy living, selfish acts, and other unfortunate events. So if you want to be a lottery success story, and avoid the famous “lottery curse” that appears to always make it to the front page of newspapers, below are some tips to help.
Get a lawyer or financial planner
Before going public with your lottery winnings, it’s really a great idea to speak to a lawyer as well as a financial planer. Certain lawyers specialize in lottery winners and how to best begin a wise life that can make the most of their winnings. Remember, the ultra-rich (millionaires and billionaires) got that way by being wise with their money. They’ve had their wealth for some time. You, conversely, as a brand new lottery winner, are thrust in to the role of ultra-wealthy, without the need of the years of expertise that others may have had. This is why an attorney can give great advice and be a good help as you begin your new life.
A financial planner can also be a vital person to talk to. They may help you make the decisions early on in your life to make sure that you not have to work again. If you make wise investments with your lottery winnings, rather than spending it foolishly, you will truly be a lottery success story.
Concentrate on your dreams
Winning the lottery is something that most of us dream of doing. So now that you’ve won, what do you want to do with your winnings? Maybe you have always wanted to travel. This is now your opportunity to be a world traveler. Or possibly you have always regretted that you weren’t able to go to college. You have the chance to get that degree! Making a list of all your hopes and dreams may help you to seek out the very best path to achieve them.
In addition, think beyond just things to buy. Sure a new car or dream home will be nice, but think more about lifestyle changes rather than new toys. Most individuals do not love their jobs, but find it nice to possess a hobby to take up time. Your hobby can now become your full-time career, if you wish it. Being happy means spending your time doing the things you love.
Learn how to say “No”
Whenever you make a big win at the lottery, you will hear from friends you haven’t spoken to in years. You will hear from cousins that you never knew existed. You may even hear from complete strangers! How did everybody find you all of a sudden?
Most state lotteries make their winners public. It’s within their terms of service that winners must be prepared to go public. They do this for a number of reasons. For one thing, it’s a great promotional device and it generates interest within the lottery. It also proves that the lottery is a fair draw and that there’s absolutely no cheating going on. The flip side of this is that having their names made public puts a target on many lottery winners’ lives. As a brand new lottery winner, you shall have to discover ways to say “no” to the many requests that will be coming to you. If you have a hard time doing this, in which case you will be easily taken benefit from, and pretty soon you’ll find your fortunes dwindling.
One alternative for anyone who may not be looking forward to a life of public scrutiny is to try their hand at online lotteries. The relative anonymity provided by winning online means that a big winner can still remain relatively anonymous. If you’ve always dreamed of having everything, but you’d like to still live the life of a regular Joe, then you definitely may want to try your hand at online casino (research by the staff of Addi) lotteries.
Give some back to charity
Even though you certainly will have to say “no” to a great deal of greedy people trying to take advantage of you, you may find that you are considering giving back to charity. Many millionaires and billionaires have done great things with their donations, whether it be to hospitals, colleges, or other non-profit organizations. You can even donate your time! Despite the fact that it sounds crazy, many millionaires and lottery winners do it. (In the event that you don’t have a regular job anymore, or only work part time resulting from winning the lottery, you might have a lot more free period to share and may see that you enjoy volunteering tour time).
In the event that you do opt to give to charity, do your research first. You’ll need to discover what your interests are and how you want to see your hard earned money spent, so make a list about which charities interest you. You can even research your favorite charities to see where they spend their money, how much of each gift they receive is used for charity, and other facts. These facts should help you decide on a number of worthy charities.
