Mega Millions 2022

[Koolau]

“One sole winning jackpot ticket was sold in a Speedway convenience store in Des Plaines, Illinois in historic $1.28 billion drawing, according to Mega Millions.”

Anyone we know?

Well, as they say, you can't win if you don't play. I don't play, so it ain't me!

 

[calmloki]

Went to the Dollar store to buy envelopes yesterday and spotted paper money on the sidewalk! Thought it was a twenty at first, but found it was only a one dollar bill. And it was torn in two. I eyeballed it and decided that maybe less than 50% of it was there, so I tucked it into the moulding of a store window I was walking by. Figured someone else could get a tingle out of the discovery. Cheap thrills - just my style. Not buying lottery tickets.

 

[friar1610]

I think the lotto is a cruel tax and worse to win than to lose. My BFF ($500K in debt at 78) buys at least 10 tickets a week (probably more now.) I love him like a brother and despise the folks who came up with the lotto.

I have no issue with "gaming" for those who can afford it. I used to bet a cup of coffee on my "home team" and if folks bought ONE lotto ticket, no one gets hurt. BUT the lotto only works when people bet irresponsibly! Otherwise, the current 1.2 B prize would be 20 million. Big winners are hounded by grifters and usually end up divorced, broke, dependent and miserable. What's not to like?

Sorry for the rant. It's personal. MY BFF has plenty of problems and he doesn't need more though YMMV.

I’ve often wondered about some of the folks I see buying large numbers of lotto and scratch-off tickets at the store - it would appear that they don’t have the money to pi$$ away like that but I don’t know their personal circumstances so I try not to be judgmental. But I’m sure for many people in modest financial circumstances it’s the one hope for a way out of their circumstances. Kinda sad.

In doing taxes for (mostly low and moderate income) seniors the past few years, I’ve been surprised at the number of them who have gambling winnings to report from lottos and scratch-off tickets. (The state issues a W-2G for winnings above a certain amount.) And if it’s true that only a small percentage of participants win, there must be a helluva lot of people playing but not winning! Think I’ll limit my gambling to the occasional ticket for a big jackpot and my fairly conservative Boglehead portfolio.

 

[Koolau]

Went to the Dollar store to buy envelopes yesterday and spotted paper money on the sidewalk! Thought it was a twenty at first, but found it was only a one dollar bill. And it was torn in two. I eyeballed it and decided that maybe less than 50% of it was there, so I tucked it into the moulding of a store window I was walking by. Figured someone else could get a tingle out of the discovery. Cheap thrills - just my style. Not buying lottery tickets.

DW will still pick up a penny. For me, it takes at least a nickel. We always pick up discarded soda/water bottles and cans, calling them Hawaiian Nickels. (We have 5 cent return on our cans and bottles.)

 

[calmloki]

I normally pick up pennies when walking - see a penny pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck.

"Many ancient cultures believed metals were precious gifts from the gods and would bring you good luck when found. Though pennies are not worth much, picking them up was also considered good luck because it increased your wealth. The bad luck from pennies comes from the understanding of a constant battle between good and evil. If one thing is good, the other must be bad. If one side of a penny brings good luck, the other side brings bad.
So if you accidentally pick up a penny that is tails side up, you are supposed to put it back down head side up to bring good luck to the next person".

My version is that it's probably good for me to bend over and pick something up - and it's fun to flip the pennies into the air so someone else can find them. Drywall screws or nails found on the road I keep till we get home though - don't think anyone wants to find those.

 

[Car-Guy]

Just checked my numbers... This sums up my high hopes.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Spent $30 and won $2.

Good thing I have $10 on powerball tonight to get my $ back.

And I picked up 2 pennies this morning.

 

[NW-Bound]

Argh, I forgot to go buy after dinner.

No ranch, no megawatt solar farm for me either.

I was joking about forgetting.

I actually remembered, but was reluctant to leave home to go get a couple of tickets just for kicks. Asked my wife if I should do it, and she said "Are you crazy?". So, I did not.

By the way, found out that AZ allowed lottery winners to stay anonymous. It would be hard to stay low with that kind of money, unless you skip town and go somewhere far away, like Provence.

Went to the Dollar store to buy envelopes yesterday and spotted paper money on the sidewalk! Thought it was a twenty at first, but found it was only a one dollar bill. And it was torn in two. I eyeballed it and decided that maybe less than 50% of it was there, so I tucked it into the moulding of a store window I was walking by. Figured someone else could get a tingle out of the discovery. Cheap thrills - just my style. Not buying lottery tickets.

Hey, I just found some money. $1,177.61, to be exact. My own money!

Just ran a Quicken download, and this time paying a bit more attention to the balance of a Vanguard account. Saw something wrong, so logged into Vanguard to get the actual balance to be sure.

It turned out that in late 2020, when Vanguard was doing some account transitioning, the cash in Vanguard Prime Money Fund was transferred to Vanguard Cash Reserve Federal Money Market. Somehow, the transfer was not reflected in Quicken. And I "lost" that cash amount.

 

[MichaelB]

If that's true, then to the winner I say congratulations - and you have my deepest sympathy.

I intend to continue as before, be the same person, and not change my spending plan.

 

[REWahoo]

I intend to continue as before, be the same person, and not change my spending plan.

Sounds good. Can I borrow a couple hundred grand?

 

[aja8888]

To all the servicemen and women, we thank you. For those who served in Viet Nam we welcome you home.

If you win, you needn't worry about sending money to lower the country's debt. The gummint will take half up front! Best luck. I hope your ROMEO groups wins the full 1.2B! Well, I hope my BFF wins a million of the total so he'll have half a mil to pay off his debt before he dies - not that he would do that.

Well, to be honest, I was just kidding saying my ROMEO group would send all the winnings to the Treasury, but no one picked up on that....maybe very few here are reading my posts anymore?

Anyway, we would have split up the money equally and told the group members that were absent to pay their $3 for the tickets that day that they were EXCLUDED from the pot!

Any money left over from the splitting exercise would have been sent to Irishgirlyc58 to help her purchase that Dream Home.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Well, to be honest, I was just kidding saying my ROMEO group would send all the winnings to the Treasury, but no one picked up on that....maybe very few here are reading my posts anymore?

Anyway, we would have split up the money equally and told the group members that were absent to pay their $3 for the tickets that day that they were EXCLUDED from the pot!

Any money left over from the splitting exercise would have been sent to Irishgirlyc58 to help her purchase that Dream Home.

Ha! See, I’m reading your posts.
And for the record I thought you were kidding about sending to the treasury department. [emoji38]

 

[Car-Guy]

Well, to be honest, I was just kidding saying my ROMEO group would send all the winnings to the Treasury, but no one picked up on that....maybe very few here are reading my posts anymore?

No, no, no... We are reading your post but we also know (well most of us know) when you are joking...

 

[aja8888]

Ha! See, I’m reading your posts.
And for the record I thought you were kidding about sending to the treasury department. [emoji38]

No, no, no... We are reading your post but we also know (well most of us know) when you are joking...

Thank you both for the reassurance that my posts are being read! I though by now everyone would have me on Ignore!

 

[Koolau]

Thank you both for the reassurance that my posts are being read! I though by now everyone would have me on Ignore!

Naaaahhh! I've never used that button. Have no intent to at this point. I usually get over being upset. I love folks here even if I violently disagree once in a while. I've been given so much grace, it's time I do the same. YMMV

 

[REWahoo]

Ha! See, I’m reading your posts.
And for the record I thought you were kidding about sending to the treasury department. [emoji38]

Me, too.

I knew without a doubt you were kidding. No way in heck a bunch of old retired geezers would ever consider giving an extra dime of their hard won money to the govt!

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, to be honest, I was just kidding saying my ROMEO group would send all the winnings to the Treasury, but no one picked up on that....maybe very few here are reading my posts anymore?

Anyway, we would have split up the money equally and told the group members that were absent to pay their $3 for the tickets that day that they were EXCLUDED from the pot!

Any money left over from the splitting exercise would have been sent to Irishgirlyc58 to help her purchase that Dream Home.

Now, you realize we have been ignoring you.

About leaving to Irishgirl what's left after the equal split, there would not be much left, would it?

For example, if your group has 15 members, then the most the remainder could be is 14 cents. Or if you only go down to the nearest dollar, then it would be 14.99 dollars.

Perhaps you only divide down to the nearest thousand, then Irishgirl would get at most 14,999 dollars.

 

[aja8888]

Now, you realize we have been ignoring you.

About leaving to Irishgirl what's left after the equal split, there would not be much left, would it?

For example, if your group has 15 members, then the most the remainder could be is 14 cents. Or if you only go down to the nearest dollar, then it would be 14.99 dollars.

Perhaps you only divide down to the nearest thousand, then Irishgirl would get at most 14,999 dollars.

I know this is how you think, Mr. Scrooge (LOL), but I am sure that my ROMEO group would be gracious enough to send her a meaningful sum!

 

[Koolau]

Perhaps you only divide down to the nearest thousand, then Irishgirl would get at most 14,999 dollars.

That might buy a couple of nice windows!

 

[calmloki]

I know this is how you think, Mr. Scrooge (LOL), but I am sure that my ROMEO group would be gracious enough to send her a meaningful sum!

It's the thought that counts, right? So how about maybe a really nice card and some thoughts and prayers?

 

[aja8888]

That might buy a couple of nice windows!

Well. it's a start on the Dream House, and she is my DW's twin sister separated at birth.

 

[Koolau]

It's the thought that counts, right? So how about maybe a really nice card and some thoughts and prayers?

Thoughts and prayers... and half a mil aught to at least get a dream house started! Then there is the issue of a building permit (after a zoning waiver!) These things are complicated. But, yes, start with the thoughts and prayers.

 

[Time2]

I see nothing to worry about with winning. You could skim a few million off the top and give the rest away. Let’s get that win before we worry about how to handle it.

Ya, you could play, you get a million, and you get a million, and you get a million, and you get a million. You could walk down the street, see a random person and say, you get a million. You could even give a poor person 4 or 5 good years by giving them a million, or you could educate them on how to live on only the income generated by $1M. But that could be a lot of fun.
btw, I never buy lottery tickets, have no recollection of my last time. However, I keep threatening to buy $100 worth, because my wife buys one maybe every week or two. And $100 would not catch up with her. So, the number was $800M, she told my son go by a lottery ticket, before it to late. I said, I'll with you and buy my $100. So I did, I didn't win.
Maybe I'll try again in 2035.

 

[Irishgirlyc58]

Well. it's a start on the Dream House, and she is my DW's twin sister separated at birth.

Exactly!

 

[NW-Bound]

I know this is how you think, Mr. Scrooge (LOL), but I am sure that my ROMEO group would be gracious enough to send her a meaningful sum!

Hey, look who is calling me Scrooge.

But the truth, and you will admit it, is that your ROMEO group does not know about our friend Irishgirl here. "Money for a gal on the FIRE forum, what?"

So, the meaningful sum that you have in mind will have to come from your share.