Help Me Win The Lottery!

$100 bill up close
It’s been a looooong loooong time since I’ve played the lottery lately (like, over 2 weeks – haha…), and I want you to help me change that ;) But first, check out this article that was passed on to me by our friend Babs Wagner on this couple who not only WON $11 Million dollars (!!!) but then GAVE IT ALL AWAY!! According  MSNBC, here’s why:

“What you’ve never had, you never miss. We have an old house, but we’re comfortable and we’re happy in it… it made us feel good,and there’s so much good being done with that money.”

I love that!  I couldn’t do it myself, but I’m extremely impressed they could ;)  They’re perfectly content with everything they have, so why not pay it forward and hook up your community like that? (They gave to churches, animal charities, hospitals and other groups)  You def. avoid the crazies and the drama that usually consumes lottery winners, that’s for sure.  That last thing you want is for money to come between you and your family at that stage of life too (they’re in their 70s), so I think it’s brilliant.  Not sure if they came up with this plan *before* winning or after, but either way you don’t hear about people giving away millions all too often ;)  Very fascinating stuff.

And since I’m so entertained by the lotto and everything that comes with it, I thought we’d have a little fun w/ MY money today and do a half “5 for Friday” and a half “J. Money experiment.” What do ya say?  Here are your questions:

  1. Do you ever play the lottery?
  2. Scratchers or Numbers?
  3. How much do you spend a month on them, would you say?
  4. What’s the most you’ve ever won?
  5. If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?”
  6. ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ’em! And then split the winnings 50/50 with whoever sent it in ;) I’ll even give half of my portion back to the community just like our old friends above did (awwwwww).  No limit on the number of tickets I’ll go out and buy either, just make sure you send in valid numbers: 1-56 range for the first five, and then 1-46 for the last one. Woohoo!

I’m feeling lucky right now so be sure to send them my way!!  I’ll go out and buy them all this weekend.  Will give me something fun to look forward too :)  Here are my answers to the above:

  1. YES!  Used to play a few times a week, but now pretty much only when the Mrs. sends me to the grocery store ;)  Which, lately, has been every few weeks.  She does most of the shopping, while I do most all of the budgeting.
  2. Scratch off tickets 80% of the time (I like instant gratification), but usually I’ll pick up a Mega Millions here and there too since it’s the only kind of tickets my wife think are worth it.  She doesn’t get out of bed for under $100 Mil ;)
  3. Old me would drop $10/mo. New me (out of being busy all the time, not because I don’t like playing) is at about $5/mo.  Maybe $3.
  4. Most I’ve ever won is around $40 I think.  10 or so years ago and have only come close twice — winning $25 once, and $20 a few other times.  My goal is to win $100+ one day.
  5. I’m obviously not against it, but I can see why people would (gambling for the most part is bad – especially for those who are easily addicted to things). For me it’s pure entertainment and getting my hopes up for a few hot seconds.  I also like that a lot of the money goes back into the community too – so when I “waste” my money, there’s also a nice side affect that comes with it.
  6. ***BONUS*** My 6 numbers are gonna be: 27, 5, 16, 34, 14, and 8. (Thx random Flickr person!)

Alrighty – your turn!  Answer away and then don’t forget to give us your 6 lucky numbers – I’ll be blogging about it later on unless you catch me on TV first ;)  And remember – 50% goes straight to you! It’ll be like “It Could Happen To You” all over again. W00T.

————–
**UPDATE:  Commenter, SophieW, below mentioned that the woman above passed away shortly after winning from cancer :(  So sad!!!  And what a way to leave this world!  You can read more here.

(Photo, and lucky numbers, by scottfeldstein)

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77 Comments

  1. Jenn October 14, 2011 at 7:21 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery? Occasionally. Not often. I always say I need to win the lottery, but I can’t afford to play!
    Scratchers or Numbers? When I do play, I tend to buy scratch off tickets. I like the instant gratification, and if you lose, well at least you had fun scratching it right?
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? Not much… $5-10 here or there. I can’t say I’ve bought tickets anytime in the last couple of months.
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? I think $40
    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” If I’m not playing it’s because I don’t have cash to buy a ticket. I’m always convinced that THIS TIME is going to be the time I hit it big!
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em!

    8, 18, 28, 42, 56 and 7

    Reply
  2. Kams October 14, 2011 at 7:34 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery? ye
    Scratchers or Numbers?
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say?
    What’s the most you’ve ever won?
    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?”
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now:

    Reply
  3. Erin October 14, 2011 at 7:39 AM

    1.Do you ever play the lottery? Yeppers
    2.Scratchers or Numbers? Both (scratch on road trips – numbers once in a while when the jackpot looks big)
    3.How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $10?
    4.What’s the most you’ve ever won? $7 playing Mega Millions I think…maybe more on a scratch off when I was little.
    5.If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” NA – I play. However I use the excuse in my head that if I don’t win the $$ is going to benefit schools or something?
    6.***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! 3-11-17-21-33 Mega Ball: 4

    Reply
  4. Monica October 14, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    1. Yes
    2. Both but mostly numbers
    3. $1 since I don’t live in a state that has the lotto anymore. I have to go a state over to buy them.
    4. $10 I think
    5. NA
    6. 1-8-20-24-27 MB: 5

    Reply
  5. Gina October 14, 2011 at 8:04 AM

    1.Yes
    2. Numbers
    3. 20.00
    4. 100.00 twice
    6. 7,8,9,16,29, Mega 10

    Good Luck!!

    Reply
  6. Jen October 14, 2011 at 8:10 AM

    1. Nope!
    2. Scratchers – my aunt gives out the $1 or $2 ones as christmas presents (pick a couple out of a gift bag!) and we always win a few bucks, but it’s a ton of fun to see who wins.
    3. $0
    4. $10
    5. Just not my thing! I have very poor luck when it comes to winning drawings and lotteries, so why waste my money :)
    6. 21, 13, 7, 28, 46 and 12

    Reply
  7. John October 14, 2011 at 8:30 AM

    1. Yep, Mostly back when we had a office pool for Powerball. I didn’t want to be the only one left behind.
    2. Both, My wife likes to give out scratchers for christmas. Sometimes she over buys and I get to play a couple. =-)
    3. Now that the office powerball pool disbanded : 0
    4. Probably a few bucks off a scratcher. The office pool would “reinvest” any small winning from powerball into more tickets.
    5. NA
    6. ***BONUS*** Come on big money 5-13-34-26-37 and mega ball: 3

    I also have a question for you J$ and everybody else out there who wants to play
    Reader’s Question: If you were given a scratcher as a gift and won. How much would you have to win before you would give some to the gifter or would you keep all of it for yourself?

    -I would give back at about 200 or above. Personally I think most of my friends wouldn’t accept money, so I’d give back in another way. I.E. Treating them to a nice restaurant with part of the winnings. If it was really big money I may have to get more creative.

    Reply
  8. Paige October 14, 2011 at 8:39 AM

    1. Never
    2. n/a
    3. n/a
    4. n/a
    5. always wanted to but scared to just waste the $ when i don’t win
    6. 52, 42, 8, 14, 23, 2

    Reply
  9. Trinnie S October 14, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery? yeah, from time to time

    Scratchers or Numbers? numbers, baby!
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? eh, maybe $10

    What’s the most you’ve ever won? like a buck. lame

    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” We seem to only play w/the Powerball is more than $100 million. Who the hell are we to turn down even $5 million, or hell, even $10,000 at this point!

    my numbers: 21, 19, 27, 25, 4 32 (WIN BABY WIN! MOMMA NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES!)

    Reply
  10. BigKahuna October 14, 2011 at 9:15 AM

    1 – Do you ever play the lottery? – Used to, not anymore
    2 – Scratchers or Numbers? – Scratch
    3 – How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? – 25
    4 – What’s the most you’ve ever won? – 50
    5 – If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” Not against them, I got job working for the Lottery in my state and we’re not allowed to play.

    Reply
  11. Anderson Chick October 14, 2011 at 9:24 AM

    I usually play the lottery about every week. It’s pretty much even between scratchers and numbers. It really is amazing that someone could donate their entire winnings. Very inspirational.

    Reply
  12. Miriam October 14, 2011 at 9:32 AM

    1. Yes
    2. Usually Powerball when it goes over 75mil, and every year we buy the Firecracker Raffle in December and June. I haven’t played a scratcher in a couple years.
    3. Maybe a dollar or two. Firecracker is 20 bucks per ticket so we may save up and buy 5 if we’re feeling especially lucky.
    4. I can’t remember the last time I won any money.
    5. n/a
    6. 5-6-12-22-35-46 + 17

    Reply
  13. Jeremy Vohwinkle October 14, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    1. Rarely. I’d say maybe 2-3 times a year.
    2. Usually I just pick numbers on a whim.
    3. Virtually zero.
    4. I think I won $25 once, but that was a long time ago.
    5. I don’t play because the odds are ridiculous. Yes, people win and you can’t win if you don’t play, but I prefer to gamble with better odds. If I’m in the gambling mood I’ll take $100 to the casino and spend an entire evening having fun playing poker and blackjack, maybe winning, and maybe not. But it’s more fun than picking random numbers with a billion to one shot. I also do a lot of charity raffles. There’s one in particular around here every year that offers $150 tickets for the chance of winning anything from a new house, a new car, to cash. Benefits go toward a women’s health center and with all of the prizes and the very limited number of tickets, your chance of winning is something like 1 in 75. Those are great odds relatively speaking.

    Reply
  14. Nicole October 14, 2011 at 9:44 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery? No
    Scratchers or Numbers? Sometimes I get them in a birthday card…scratchers
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $0
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? $50 on one given as a gift
    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” Not against them, just not my thing. If I’m going to gamble, I’d rather be playing poker or blackjack
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! 2,7,9,24,49,39

    J$, Can you please do me a favor? I tweeted a photo yesterday….it is a recreation of the famous WW2 victory kiss. The USS Missouri Foundation is having a contest, and the couple with the most ‘likes’ on their photo gets a trip back to Hawaii. Can you please find my tweet (twitter name is Scouk) and like the photo and then retweet and ask your followers to ‘like’ it? I’m sure you can understand how awesome a FREE trip to Hawaii would be! And, I’ll send you some Kona Brewing Company beer for your efforts! THANKS!

    Reply
  15. Uncle El October 14, 2011 at 9:48 AM

    One Day I was leaving a Mcdonalds and I saw an old lady walking towards me. She proceeded to ask me for a dollar because she wanted to get food, I gave her the dough and then waited in my car to see if she would go in to buy the food. After a few minutes she crossed the street and played the lotto at the grocery store. So this struck something inside of me that the lotto is a horrible addiction. I do not play it and I would advise any of you not to play it. Once in a blue my co-workers do a pool for the Mega ball and I contribute a dollar, because I wouldnt want to be the only jack@ss at work who didnt hit it, but this does not affect me because I am not the one purchasing the tickets and I dont check the numbers. So I hope you can see how bad it is when people would rather starve themselves just to win some imaginary lotto.

    Reply
  16. Jill October 14, 2011 at 9:55 AM

    1 – Do you ever play the lottery? – only if the jackpot is REALLY high
    2 – Scratchers or Numbers? – numbers, rarely
    3 – How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? – less than $1
    4 – What’s the most you’ve ever won? – $3
    5 – If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” My practical side wins out :). Also I usually pay at the pump and check myself out at the grocery store, so not lots of opportunity.

    BONUS – love this! – 4, 9, 18, 37, 55 and 41

    Reply
  17. Eunice October 14, 2011 at 10:10 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery? Yup
    Scratchers or Numbers? Both, Depends on what I’m in the mood for..
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? Nothing most months,
    $5 other months
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? $30
    6 Lucky Numbers:
    3 8 18 38 55 22

    Reply
  18. Hannah October 14, 2011 at 10:29 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery?– No but I was actually planning to start this weekend so this post has perfect timing! (And lets be honest, I watch last week’s Office episode and it got me thinking about the lottery)
    Scratchers or Numbers? –I would play numbers if it’s over 50Million and scratchers are a family tradition. None of us are addicted that I know of (got a very big Irish family).
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? –Nada, but i would be willing to go about $10/month
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? –Nothing yet.
    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” –I went on a date with a guy who raged against the lottery for several minutes and it was a huge turn-off. Just relax- the money goes to a good cause and its fun to dream! It even gives you ideas for what to do with the money you have now.
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em!– 18,21,43,17,8,12

    Reply
  19. Yana October 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    Do you ever play the lottery? I don’t, my husband does that, answering for both of us
    Scratchers or Numbers? Numbers
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? Ten bucks or so
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? $111
    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” I prefer charity home/million dollar raffles.
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! And then split the winnings 50/50 with whoever sent it in ;) I’ll even give half of my portion back to the community just like our old friends above did (awwwwww). No limit on the number of tickets I’ll go out and buy either, just make sure you send in valid numbers: 1-56 range for the first five, and then 1-46 for the last one. Woohoo!

    7-13-15-23-53/39

    Reply
  20. SophieW October 14, 2011 at 11:22 AM

    The couple live not far from me and they truly did live simple lives before and after the big win. Unfortunately the woman died just a few months later and I hear the husband isn’t doing too well either now that she’s gone…

    http://www.care2.com/causes/lottery-winner-who-gave-away-her-entire-prize-dies-of-cancer.html

    I rarely play the lottery
    Numbers – I hate those stupid scratch and break open things
    Nothing
    I think the most I’ve ever won was $20, but then I did the stupid thing and ‘reinvested’ it right back into the lottery lol
    I put all my spare cash into my real retirement fund, rather than waste it on my wisful retirement… I’m not against it, per say, and there are times when there’s $50 mil up for grabs that I truly get the itch, but then reality sinks in and I don’t buy any tickets.

    Reply
  21. SophieW October 14, 2011 at 11:38 AM

    Yikes, forgot the numbers!

    7, 16, 24, 39, 53, bonus 40

    Huh, after typing them in I looked at the post above mine and I can’t believe how similar they are lol

    Reply
  22. Robin October 14, 2011 at 11:56 AM

    HOW FUN IS THIS!!! Thanks, J. Money.

    Do you ever play the lottery? I have never tried… Vegas is a different story.

    Scratchers or Numbers? None yet… tempting though.

    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? Zero

    What’s the most you’ve ever won? In Vegas, I won $50 on a slot once. It was one of those walking by machines, putting money in pulling and moving to the next. I was bored. $50 was a nice treat!

    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” I’ve just never thought it would be a good idea. I would rather spend a buck on a coke and be guaranteed a cold drink instead of a piece of paper that most likely will be trash. My sister buys them all the time and occasionally wins but nothing super significant.

    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em!
    Here are my numbers::::: 35 29 2 11 8 and 22

    (I asked my two year old to tell me a number and she said “Um… 8 is a good number, mommy.” So 8 it is!)

    Thanks!

    Reply
  23. judyyy October 14, 2011 at 11:57 AM

    1 never
    2 N/A
    3N/A
    None
    I have seen so many people who really needed the money(even a small amount) for their families spend it on the lottery so I guess I have a bad taste in my mouth about the lottery but different strokes for different folks I guess. I will still give you some numbers-lol!
    20, 21, 6, 4 30 25

    Reply
  24. J. Money October 14, 2011 at 12:02 PM

    Got all 17 of your numbers so far! Keep ’em coming ;)

    And fellow reader JOHN had a good question for us too: “Reader’s Question: If you were given a scratcher as a gift and won. How much would you have to win before you would give some to the gifter or would you keep all of it for yourself?”

    That’s an interesting one, and have never really thought about it to be honest. I think if it was more than $20 I’d try and get them some sort of thank you. Def. over $100. I only ever win $2 or $4 from our xmas scratchers though – but the life is still young! ;)

    And btw, getting lottos for Xmas, to this day, are my favorite presents to get ;) I would always look for them in my stockings too growing up and always received at least 2-3. And 20 years later I’m still gaga over them! haha… I also like to give them for those “$10 and under” gifts at parties – people always try and trade for them.

    @Jenn – Yeah, a lot of people say they want to win but rarely play ;) At least you’re giving it a shot every now and then! Smart to not be spending money you don’t have too – thx for sharing.
    @Kams – Did you hit “send” before finishing? ;)
    @Erin – Yeah, a lot of the lotteries DO benefit the community. Not always schools, but sometimes :)
    @Monica – Really? I’ve never lived in a state (or known of one, for that matter) that don’t offer lotteries? Interesting.
    @Gina – WOW! Let’s see if your numbers are luckier than the others’ here ;)
    @Jen – I love your Aunt! Let her know if she ever has any extras, I’d gladly accept them for Xmas too ;)
    @John – Hah! I wouldn’t want to be left out of the pool either. Do you watch The Office? They recently had something like that on ;) Was NOT fun.
    @Paige – Fair enough! Thanks for sharing :)
    @Trinnie S – You’re just like my wife ;) I always think you have better odds when the amounts are lower, but in the grand scheme of things I’m sure it’s not much difference. Hope we win something!
    @BigKahuna – COOL!!!! I can’t believe you work for the lottery!! If you ever want to share any secrets, you know where to find me ;)
    @Miriam – Are those firecrackers the ones where you get a HUGE payoff, but a lot less people participating? I like those :) Though never participated in yet.
    @Jeremy Vohwinkle – Oh hell yeah! I’d MUCH rather hit the poker tables than play the lottery – hands down. Only that it would cost me $100 to get there and back and you can’t do that as fast when you’re “in the mood.” Though I suppose you can play online, just never tried. And seems REALLY addicting too – I’d be afraid. I get hooked on things pretty easily. Love the charity aspect of those you participate in though – great idea.
    @Nicole – Haha, sure – no problem :) Will go and do right now… Done! Hope it helps!
    @Uncle El – That’s horrible. And awesome you tracked her to see what happened, haha, I do that every now and then too ;) Important things to consider though, thanks for bringing up the story my man. It CAN be an addiction.
    @Jill – Yeah, I find that the more you walk into places and SEE the tickets, the more odds of you remembering/getting excited to play is :) Good point And thanks for the numbers! (Are they the winning ones?)
    @Eunice – Thanks! $30 ain’t bad.
    @Hannah – YES!!! HAHA… I watched that Office too – how crazy was that??? Loved it :) Let us know if you hit it big okay? (Or even if you win $1. I remember that feeling of awesomeness growing up!)
    @Yana – Nice! Love that it’s all ones too :) $111 sexy!
    @SophieW – OH NO!!!! Really??? Man… SO GOOD she donated it all before passing, that is so wonderful. Imagine if they bought up all this fancy stuff and then passed right after? I hope the lottery didn’t speed any of it up or anything though — even w/ giving it away it’s still gotta play an incredibly emotional toll on you. Esp. if you enjoyed being under the radar and living a simpler life. Poor couple :( (And yes!!! Very close numbers, haha – well done. Let’s see who gets closer ;))
    @Robin – Awwww cute!!!! Let’s see if she sends us any luck :) I’m glad you like this one! And tell your daughter her I agree – 8 is a most fabulous number.
    @judyyy – Haha, thank you kindly. Would be funny if you end up winning ;)

    Reply
  25. Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager October 14, 2011 at 12:26 PM

    1. Rarely. My grandfather gives me scratcher ones in my Christmas stocking.
    2. Scratchers.
    3. $0.00
    4. $10 – maybe?
    5. Not a big fan of gambling.
    ***BONUS*** 8, 11, 27, 10, 16, 29

    Reply
  26. Kari October 14, 2011 at 12:35 PM

    1.Do you ever play the lottery?
    ALL THE TIME
    2.Scratchers or Numbers?
    BOTH
    3.How much do you spend a month on them, would you say?
    APPROX $50
    4.What’s the most you’ve ever won?
    APPROX $70
    5.If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?”
    N/A
    6.***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em!
    7 10 12 24 34 MEGA 43

    Reply
  27. Jasper October 14, 2011 at 12:39 PM

    1. Yes, not very often but when the jackpot gets over $200 million we buy a few tickets
    2. Numbers, my wife prefers the scratchers but I prefer powerball or megamillions.
    3. $10-$20
    4. $8 – we are losers.
    5. I play
    6. 4, 11, 17, 30, 43, 20

    Reply
  28. Mal October 14, 2011 at 1:15 PM

    1. Not really.
    2. The only ones I have ever played were scratches.
    3. Zero. I haven’t bought one since I was 20 or so. (8 years ago…ahhh)
    4. Never won anything.
    5. Not against it at all, just doesn’t float my boat. But I don’t judge anyone who does play for fun (unless it is in an addiction sense, which is a whole other can of worms.)
    6. 3, 21, 84, 33, 6, 46

    Reply
  29. Jen R October 14, 2011 at 1:25 PM

    1. Do you ever play the lottery? once in a blue moon
    2. Scratchers or Numbers? scratchers for the sole reason that they are fun to scratch
    3. How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $0 on average
    4. What’s the most you’ve ever won? $2
    5. If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing”? not my thing
    6. ***BONUS*** 25, 26, 55, 42, 34, 6

    Reply
  30. Lizzie October 14, 2011 at 1:26 PM

    Do you ever play the lottery?
    Here and there, more so recently

    Scratchers or Numbers?
    Both

    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say?
    Some months I don’t spend anything on the lottery, sometimes I’ll spend between 5-10. Most of the time with scratchers, I’ll win a ticket or $2 and I use that to play again.

    What’s the most you’ve ever won?
    Off of one ticket? $100. It’s happened twice and each time I won $20 and bought one or two tickets with that and ended up with a $100 winner.

    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?”
    Obviously, I’m not against them. However, I think it’s silly to spend a ton of money on them and I don’t go out of my way to purchase them.

    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! And then split the winnings 50/50 with whoever sent it in ;) I’ll even give half of my portion back to the community just like our old friends above did (awwwwww). No limit on the number of tickets I’ll go out and buy either, just make sure you send in valid numbers: 1-56 range for the first five, and then 1-46 for the last one. Woohoo!

    14, 2, 13, 46, 54, 28

    Reply
  31. Jennifer October 14, 2011 at 1:29 PM

    1. Nope, only on rare occasions.
    2. Scratchers. I’m not that invested!
    3. $0, except for the occasional ticket.
    4. About $5. Woot, woot!
    5. Just not my thing.
    ***BONUS*** 27, 12, 6, 32, 5 MB: 11

    Reply
  32. Leslie October 14, 2011 at 1:34 PM

    1. Do you ever play the lottery? We used to, but haven’t for years now.
    2. Scratchers or Numbers? Scratchers.
    3. How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $0
    4. What’s the most you’ve ever won? $20
    5. If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” Just kind of outgrew it I guess.
    6. ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! And then split the winnings 50/50 with whoever sent it in ;) I’ll even give half of my portion back to the community just like our old friends above did: 1-56 range for the first five, and then 1-46 for the last one. Woohoo! 3, 14, 26, 20, 8 and 19

    Reply
  33. Jen October 14, 2011 at 1:35 PM

    1. A few times a year, with the exception of school picnics and the scratchers there. I could spend $20 easily.
    2. Scratchers
    3. Averaging throughout the year, .05 cents
    4. Sadly, I don’t tend to win. $2.
    5. It’s mostly not my thing.
    6. 20, 15, 23, 28, 18, 16

    Reply
  34. Beth October 14, 2011 at 2:11 PM

    1. Nope
    2. –
    3. $0
    4. $0
    5. I don’t play because I doubt I’d ever win more than a couple bucks and there are so many other things I would prefer to spend my money on. Although when the MA lottery was giving free lottery coupons and my dad played using those, it was was pretty fun. The deal was he had to buy us candy if he won. Well, he won $5 once but probably spent more than that on candy for all us kids. ;)
    6. 27, 52, 12, 35, 8, 15

    Reply
  35. amy October 14, 2011 at 2:37 PM

    1. no
    2.-
    3.-
    4.-
    5. I don’t gamble. I am a huge dreamer so I think that it is fun for people to do that. (just don’t waste too much money:)
    25 38 17 20 14 8

    Reply
  36. Edward Antrobus October 14, 2011 at 3:01 PM

    1: Occasionally, not too often.
    2: I’ll get scratch-offs as presents occasionally, but I always buy numbers.
    3: $1. Seriously, I buy maybe one ticket a month.
    4: $50 on a scratch-off
    5: I’ll buy a ticket when there is a big jackpot, like 8 figures. Otherwise I don’t bother. The odds are so infinitesimally small that I don’t see the point. But the big jackpots, I tend to forget that for a minute. :) I do have a coworker that spends $10-$15 per WEEK on scratch-offs and has been doing so for 20 years. That’s over $10k just on lotto tickets.

    ***BONUS*** 3,9,27,36,42,54 ,7 <—These numbers better win, one of my side-incomes just dried up with an emergency cholecystectomy yesterday.

    Reply
  37. Chris October 14, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    Do you ever play the lottery? Very rarely
    Scratchers or Numbers? Scratchers
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $5 once or twice a year
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? $10
    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” Just not my thing
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers : 12, 16, 7, 9, 4, 21

    Reply
  38. Maria D October 14, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    1. Rarely
    2. Numbers
    3. -0-
    4. $2.00
    5. 2-4-7-12-22. 6

    Reply
  39. Kelli October 14, 2011 at 3:35 PM

    1.Do you ever play the lottery? Yes
    2.Scratchers or Numbers? Mostly scratchers. I only buy one Powerball ticket per drawing when the jackpot is $100 million or higher. It’s not that I would scoff at less than that, but this keeps me from spending too much on lottery tickets. :)
    3.How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? Less than $5/month.
    4.What’s the most you’ve ever won? $100 on a scratcher.
    5.If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” N/A
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! OK, here goes: 1, 6, 9, 10, 16, 46. I can’t wait ’til you win!!! ;)

    Reply
  40. CarrieB October 14, 2011 at 3:36 PM

    1. rarely, but I get some scratch offs for gifts sometimes
    2. When I buy them myself I usually buy numbers and not scratch offs
    3. 0-$5
    4. $4 I think
    5. When Im pinching pennys I usually dont feel like gambling
    6. 7-29-48-33-19 – 21

    Reply
  41. Christa October 14, 2011 at 5:50 PM

    Do you ever play the lottery? Once in a great while.

    Scratchers or Numbers? I like both, but I prefer to plug my dollar into a Powerball.

    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? Um, yeah, I spend about $3 per year on tix. Usually when I’m feeling lucky. Obviously, I must feel very out of luck all the time!

    What’s the most you’ve ever won? $5

    If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” They’re not really my thing — I’m just not lucky enought to win ever!

    Reply
  42. Elle@Odd Cents October 14, 2011 at 6:29 PM

    If I ever had to win $11 million, I would immediately go into hiding. I’ve read that people that you’ve never heard about come out of the wood work saying that they’re your “cousins”.

    Do you ever play the lottery? Yes
    Scratchers or Numbers? Numbers (Scratchers come across as scammy)
    How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $2
    What’s the most you’ve ever won? A free ticket which is worth $2 (ha ha)
    6 lucky numbers – 1, 8, 19, 17, 29, 35 ( I hope that you win, I want to go to Italy!!!)

    Reply
  43. Alanda Strutz October 14, 2011 at 6:40 PM

    1. Nope
    2. na
    3. na
    4. na
    5. Just not my thing, but partly because I think I could get addicted to it easily. So avoiding it is probably safer :)
    ***BONUS*** 12, 8, 28, 19, 36 MB: 46

    Reply
  44. LB October 14, 2011 at 7:19 PM

    1. I played maybe 2 times
    2. Once for both
    3. $0
    4. $3
    5. The odds of winning are horrible and I don’t like losing money, so every time I think about playing I transfer that money immediately into savings.
    6. ***BONUS*** 6 lucky numbers:
    4, 9, 11, 30, 13, 33

    Reply
  45. Lisa October 14, 2011 at 8:35 PM

    I play whenever the big jackpots get super high. I don’t think it’s Smart Spending, ha ha, but I think to myself–Self, how would you feel if the winning numbers for $300million was your street address, wedding anniv and kid’s bdays?

    So I play all the important dates in our lives and kiss my $5 goodbye.

    Reply
  46. Chris P October 14, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    1. No play.
    2. Neither
    3. Nothing
    4. $250 when I was 27-I am more than twice that now!
    5. I have seen friends who have gone bankrupt with lottery and casino spending.

    I do have lucky numbers-11, 2, 17, 8, 4, 6

    Reply
  47. CrystalH October 14, 2011 at 9:02 PM

    1. I almost never play the lottery!
    2. I like the scratchers.
    3. I would say I’ve spent maybe $8 in a year.
    4. I may have won around $5 or so.
    5. They are totally not my thing. I’ve watched SO many people faithfully play and if they had just invested the money they spent, they would have had a LOT of dough! (I also hate it when people say they are going to do certain things “if they hit the lotto”-you can do it all now!)
    6. Here are my lucky numbers: 8 21 18 19 2 26

    Reply
  48. Lisa October 14, 2011 at 9:23 PM

    Grumble grumble…….

    1. I only play when it’s supah-high
    2. Only the big ginormous stuff that I have absolutely no chance of winning, like Powerball & Megamillions.
    3. $5 a month, maybe
    4. I usually win $2-$3 back
    5. Not my thing, only when it’s astronomically high, I like to pay $5 to daydream.
    6. 12, 8, 29, 16, 36, 38

    Reply
  49. Ginger October 14, 2011 at 9:27 PM

    1. Do you ever play the lottery? Nope.
    2. Scratchers or Numbers? Neither – although, I did give a scratch ticket away to one of my employees on April fool’s day and felt horrible later… she really thought she’d won $10K!
    3. How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $0
    4. What’s the most you’ve ever won? I won free linoleum when I was 11. My mom loved it. But… it wasn’t from the lottery!
    5. If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” Honestly, it’s just not convenient. They don’t sell them at the register at the grocery store and I never go inside at the gas station.
    ***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now: 28, 13, 55, 2, 32, 41

    Reply
  50. Jennifer October 14, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    1. Do you ever play the lottery? Every once in a while.
    2. Scratchers or Numbers? Scratchers usually.
    3. How much do you spend a month on them? Less than $5.
    4. Whats the most you’ve ever won? I won $100 on a bingo scratcher.
    5. If you dont play are you against them or are they just not your thing? I play every once in a while, when Im feeling lucky.
    My lucky numbers: 29, 13, 15, 44, 17 and 22.

    Reply
  51. J. Money October 14, 2011 at 9:49 PM

    Uh-ohs… I think I’m in the 40s now w/ lotto tickets! Haha… let’s see how many I end up picking up ;)

    @Jenna, Adaptu Community Manager – I love getting them in my stockings :) Thx for the numbers!
    @Kari – Nice! Someone that plays more than me, I like it :)
    @Jasper – Maybe you get a lot of free tickets? :)
    @Mal – At least you’re still in your 20s!! I crossed the upper barrier last year… harumph.
    @Jen R – Why did the first thing that crossed my mind when you said “Blue Moon” was the beer? ;)
    @Lizzie – Wowwww, you’re VERY good! What are the odds you win $100 (twice) after winning $20?? I’m expecting your numbers to win now just so you know ;)
    @Jennifer – Big whammy, big whammy!
    @Leslie – What are you trying to say? ;)
    @Jen – Haha… I like how you averaged it out there :) I’m too afraid to go down that road.
    @Beth – Awwww, that’s cool. I never heard of free lottery coupons? Were they trying to get people hooked? Like they did w/ cigarettes back in the war? ;)
    @amy – Yeah dreamers! Can’t go far w/out dreams, baby :)
    @Edward Antrobus – Yikes!! I’m surprised you’re able to read blogs in your state ;) But not so surprised that you left 7 numbers instead of 6! Haha… which one shall I drop, good sir? (And also your coworker? I think he’s my new best friend)
    @Chris – Thanks! Will let you know if you won!
    @Maria D – Thank you kindly :)
    @Kelli – Haha, me too! It’s fun to play with other people’s money, huh? ;)
    @CarrieB – Probably a good thing ;)
    @Christa – Better than someone who spends a lot of money and doesn’t win! *ahem*
    @Elle@Odd Cents – I want you to go to Italy too! Here’s hoping! (It would be a good place for you to hide too, if you’re winning millions ;))
    @Alanda Strutz – Agreed. That’s why I stay away from smoking cigs and drugs. The only things I’ve touched I’ve loved!!! Alcohol and cigars ;) I guess we have addictive personalities?
    @LB – Oooooh now that’s an idea. A hard one to do, but def. a good idea ;)
    @Lisa – Hahhahaa… nice use of self-talk, I like that ;) Now give me those lucky numbers!!! haha..
    @Chris P – Woah, really?? I’m sorry to hear that :( About your friends, not your age (bah dum ching!)
    @CrystalH – Hah! That’s pretty true for the most part. I wonder how many of those people who DO win, actually go do what they say they’ve always wanted too. It’s kinda a lot of pressure winning a lot! :) Thanks for the numbers, my friend.
    @Lisa – Why the grumbles? You just gave me the winning numbers, right? RIGHT?? :)
    @Ginger – MEAN!!! I fell for one of those too one year! Haha… oh man, I was so embarassed. Worst present ever… maybe I’ll pretend that you won something w/ these numbers!! haha…. now THAT would be funny ;)
    @Jennifer – Oooh Bingo scratchers sound fun! Never played those kind… though I do love bingo in general.

    Reply
  52. TJ October 14, 2011 at 10:15 PM

    1.) Do you ever play the lottery? YES
    2.) Scratchers or Numbers? Scratchers, only do numbers when its ridiculously high, like, triple digit millions. I keep wanting to try the new $10 scratcher in CA but my grocery store is out and I’m too lazy to check stores
    3.) How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? I’d say $20/avg…and considering I go months without playing, I probably drop way more than I should on it. ;)
    4.) What’s the most you’ve ever won? $50 on a $5 scratcher.
    5.) If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?” N/A
    6.) ***BONUS*** 13 18 19 27 45 7

    Reply
  53. Money October 15, 2011 at 1:56 PM

    I usually play Mega Millions whenever I fill up for gas. It only costs $1 and part of the money goes to fund schools, so I figure it is a win win situation.

    Back in my college years, I would play right before a test. That way during the test I would be less stressed because I would think about winning the lottery.

    I did not have a magical number though. I always let the machine pick for me.

    Reply
  54. PKamp3 October 15, 2011 at 2:00 PM

    1. Yes I do.
    2. Scratch tickets and the stock market (heh)
    3. Not including the stock market, maybe $1?
    4. $100
    5. Not so much against them – they raise a good amount of revenue and I’m a Pigovian at heart. I enjoy a cheap thrill during the holidays – it’s a family tradition to spread scratch tickets alound and complain when someone wins with the tickets you purchased!
    6. J. Money, I was serious on Twitter, haha. Please play 1-2-3-4-5-6, it’ll be funny to see the reaction you get when you buy it. If it wins, feel free to give my half back as well!

    Reply
  55. Matthew October 16, 2011 at 12:06 AM

    6: 49,43,13,34,16 — 18

    Reply
  56. Bergie Powers October 16, 2011 at 5:13 PM

    What a cool story about those people who gave away the money!
    I usually don’t play the lotto because I get my hopes up so much and then am just disappointed when I lose! But, I would like to start purchasing tickets from time to time, and look at it like contributing to someone else getting rich instead of me losing.

    Reply
  57. J. Money October 16, 2011 at 8:59 PM

    Looks like they draw the next Mega Millions on Tuesday! We’ll know soon if we have some lucky wins in our hands! :)

    @TJ – Ooooh $10 scratcher – that would be fun! I think I’ve only tried $5s before. I’d really love to try out a $20 ;) But that’s kinda ballsy.
    @Money – Hah! That’s funny about the test :) You know what I used to do? Go to the mall after TAKING a test. No matter if I thought I did good, or bad, I’d allow myself to go buy a t-shirt or something equally in the price range ($20 or less) to congratulate myself on getting through it ;) Back then I didn’t have much money to do anything, but I alwayyyyyyys looked forward to test time as I knew I’d be getting a present afterward! haha…
    @PKamp3 – You got it! I will most def. play those numbers for ya :) And will def. give you 1/2 if we win!!
    @Matthew – Thank you, kindly!
    @Bergie Powers – Haha, that’s one way to put it into perspective ;) Just try and not get addicted okay? I have to take breaks every now and then or I just keep on playing for the thrills!

    Reply
  58. Edward Antrobus October 17, 2011 at 9:59 AM

    J. If you haven’t bought the tickets yet, go ahead and drop the 7. It’s the only one in there not a multiple of 3, which is my lucky number. I’d like to blame it on narcotic pain medication, but the truth is, I just misread it. I tend to skim (why I’m not so good with poetry) ;) and thought you were asking for 6 numbers PLUS a bonus. Shows you how often I actually look at the numbers on my ticket.

    The coworker is a real piece of work. Tolerable mostly in small doses. Does it make me a bad person to root for her to win so she will retire and not be a toxic part of our team?

    Reply
  59. J. Money October 17, 2011 at 3:08 PM

    Hahaha… no, that is awesome! Win-Win for everyone ;) Noted the number change, thx! Going to pick them up tonight…. big day is tomorrow!

    Reply
  60. Money October 18, 2011 at 4:15 AM

    If you win today would you update this blog ever again? Or move to some tropical island? :P

    Reply
  61. Jessi October 18, 2011 at 11:21 AM

    1. Sometimes
    2. Scratchers, every year for Christmas my Dad would buy $20 worth for my brother and I, so now I continue the tradition in my own home
    3. $20 a year
    4. $75
    5. n/a
    6. 54, 17, 51, 3, 38, and 19

    Reply
  62. J. Money October 18, 2011 at 12:14 PM

    @Money – Hah! Of course I’d continue blogging – it’s fun :) I’d quit doing all the advertising and boring stuff that comes with it, but I’d most def. keep blogging… it would be one helluva Net Worth update, eh?

    @Jessi – You JUST got in before the lottery hits tonight! I literally bought all the tickets last night, and now have to go back ;) haha… you never know, yours could be the lucky winner!!

    Reply
  63. Mercedes October 18, 2011 at 12:48 PM

    1. Not too often
    2. Usually numbers, but sometimes scratchers
    3. right now? 0!
    4. Probably $5
    5. I just never have cash to purchase the tickets.
    6. 7-28-32-44-12 and 38

    Reply
  64. J. Money October 19, 2011 at 12:38 PM

    Got it in last minute! Going to check out the winning numbers shortly — fingers crossed!

    Reply
  65. Robin October 20, 2011 at 11:03 PM

    (Can I just say you are the only blogger I know that responds to EVERY comment. It is nice to be acknowledged. Another reason I love your blog. Good writing, good interaction, just a lot of fun. Props to you!)

    Reply
  66. J. Money October 21, 2011 at 2:01 PM

    Awww, thanks Robin! I always do my best! When I used to read blogs, before having my own, I always got excited getting personal shout outs (and you’re right, it rarely happened) so I wanna keep doing it myself for as long as I physically can :) Though I must admit it’s getting harder over the years as my readers grow, but I’d gladly take that “problem” any day ;) Have a great weekend!!

    Reply
  67. alberto March 19, 2012 at 1:15 AM

    1.Do you ever play the lottery? Yes
    2.Scratchers or Numbers? Numbers
    3.How much do you spend a month on them, would you say? $15
    4.What’s the most you’ve ever won? $2000 years ago.
    5.If you don’t play, are you against them, or are they just not “your thing?”
    6.***BONUS*** Give me 6 lucky numbers right now and I’ll go out and buy a Mega Millions ticket with ‘em! And then split the winnings 50/50 with whoever sent it in ;) I’ll even give half of my portion back to the community just like our old friends above did (awwwwww). No limit on the number of tickets I’ll go out and buy either, just make sure you send in valid numbers: 1-56 range for the first five, and then 1-46 for the last one. Woohoo!

    4,12,13,35,49,46

    Reply
  68. J. Money March 19, 2012 at 1:11 PM

    $2,000? Awesome dude! I’ve never gotten close :)

    Reply
  69. alberto March 21, 2012 at 2:58 AM

    Yep, it was with Texas Lotto, 5 out of 6 numbers.

    Reply
  70. J. Money March 21, 2012 at 11:09 AM

    Damn. Wonder what you would have gotten if you had hit #6 too!

    Reply
  71. ZTO March 31, 2012 at 1:43 AM

    Lottery for the highest pay in the history of lottery was half a billion. (THE MEGA MILLION) I only won $2 for getting the powerball.” but oh well” It was all fun in games for me. LOL !

    Reply
  72. J. Money April 1, 2012 at 8:30 PM

    Yeah, that’s the way to think of it really – “entertainment” :) This last Mega Millions hit $640 Million!! Crazy!!

    Reply
  73. daniel February 6, 2013 at 7:36 PM

    well…
    if someone doesn’t really want the money…like the guy who gave everything away…what’s the point of playing????

    Reply
  74. J. Money February 8, 2013 at 2:41 PM

    Entertainment? :)

    Reply
  75. sharon perry July 25, 2013 at 10:53 PM

    I’ve won 20.00
    I rarely hardly ever play probably 10.00 a year.
    Not against anyone playing
    Numbers 02-13-32-05-11 powerball 23 goodluck :)

    Reply
  76. sharon perry July 25, 2013 at 11:00 PM

    I am not wealthy but if I won I would go to different states and build homeless shelters, drud rehabs for states that lack there of.
    I enjoy making others smile. Material things would get old to me quick . A pereon can only shop so much.
    I wish I had the means to travel and experience other countries or to leave a waitress a 100 dollar tip, to me seeing a smile is more important and gratifying.
    I have a powerball ticket gooo Ga lottery woohoo :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 28, 2013 at 10:22 AM

      Hehe, that would be nice! You have a great spirit about you too – it’s refreshing to see :)

      Reply

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