Is this too much to spend on the lotto?

Reply #27

goldrush — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 11:43:00 GMT

For only $100 a year you can have a bit of fun. A season ticket in the Massachusetts lottery gives you to chance at two draws a year. Lotteries are not different that anything else, they should be enjoyed in moderation. It is no fun getting drunk, but it is nice to have a glass with dinner now and then. http://www.masslottery.com/SeasonTickets.htm

Reply #26

SirMetro — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 18:19:40 GMT

Perhaps one would consider that for each dollar that you plan to use with the lottery, also dedicate a dollar towards a little interest bearing account. And treat it like money spent. You just might be surprised just how much your little habit adds up to after a while.Sir MetroI can't be addicted...addiction requires effort and that's too much trouble for me

Reply #25

psykomo — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 06:36:13 GMT

GO............Lotto.................but, dropppppppppppp-----------LAST>>>>>PARTof your name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANKssssss!!!!Please .........read your thread....Lately, spending.........As long....................PLEASE.........lottowinner* CHANGE your attitude,,,,,,,,,,,,RELAX and start.....enjoying a cup of coffee @ WOFF HOUSE or Dunk yoyr donut or Smack yourDonel...........but not starebunkers (unless you like bad and $$$$$$ coffee!NOW............I THIN... [ More ]

Reply #24

tg636 — Tue, 05 Jul 2005 14:28:25 GMT

I think anything more than $2 a week - one game twice a week - is too much. If you now spend $20, open a savings account and put the other $18 a week in it - you will see real money accumulate and you won't have that depressed I need a miracle feeling that leads you to spend too much on the lottery.

Reply #23

rabbitfoot — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 22:36:49 GMT

If you are feeling guilty about the amount of money you're dropping each week, then chances are you can't afford it.Your chances of ever winning anything significant in the lotto is almost nil so maybe you should pay down your debt first. By all means, never spent money on the lotto that's going to get into your or your family's grocery budget

Reply #22

lchoro — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 20:20:58 GMT

[quote]The debt is on a car loan...which I will NEVER do again. $302/month.[/quote] Since the nature of the loan is a fixed term, you'll eventually pay it off in 5, 6 or 7 years, whatever the contract says. It's not as bad as people paint it. If you're committing 20 or 25 dollars a week, I would play the pick 3 or pick 4 lotteries since the odds for hitting a low-level prize ($ 50 or $ 100) are much better than the mega-jackpot games. The odds are at best 1 in 100. You're likely to get a hit... [ More ]

Reply #21

Rip Snorter — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 17:25:14 GMT

Emilyg:Sometimes words are music without a guitar strumming in the background. Those are.Jack

Reply #20

Rip Snorter — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 17:23:35 GMT

Plus the fact, lottoloser, that you'd be supporting this site you're using, helping to pay to keep it going.I used the site for a long while before I bacame a paying member. Once I did and saw what's available to help lottery players try to beat the odds, I wondered why I'd waited so long.Jack

Reply #19

Todd — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 17:18:00 GMT

If you spent a small portion of that money on a Platinum membership, maybe you would have the tools necessary to make your lottery dollars earn a higher return.An annual Platinum membership costs less than a daily newspaper, and about 5 or 6 times less than the cost of a daily cup of coffee. A smoker easily burns up 10 or 20 times the cost of a Platinum membership in cigs every day. And they don't give you a better shot at the lottery like a Platinum membership does.

Reply #18

emilyg — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 16:40:31 GMT

it's your life - do whatever you think is best for you.

Reply #17

atlasshrugged — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 16:34:35 GMT

Here is my deal with the lottery. My husband and I are on a pretty tight budget. He gets paid every other week and from what he gets paid we each take a small amount (about $25) to do whatever we want with it. He loves Diet Coke and the majority of his money gets spent on this addiction. I on the other hand have a number of things which I may spend mine on. I may go to a garage sale or thrift store and get clothing or other junk items or I may decide that I want a big bag of Flaming Hot Cheetos.... [ More ]

Reply #16

lottoloser* — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 13:59:57 GMT

The debt is on a car loan...which I will NEVER do again. $302/month.Like many of you reason, I *could* be spending the money on beer and cigarettes, or Starbucks (but I don't drink coffee), or psychics, or I could be sending the money to Pat Robertson...I think I'll keep playing mega bucks.

Reply #15

Rip Snorter — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 13:56:43 GMT

Meth's a special case...completely worst case people in my view.... But they're a problem easily delt with if we recognize them for what they are, take the river of money out of the equation, deal with them when they end up being everyone's problem . Plenty of time to deal with that when it happens, deal with whatever crimes they commit that involve actual victims.Crack.... maybe. It's a bad'un for the people who use it. I'd hate to see anyone I cared about using it. But I don't see them be... [ More ]

Reply #14

dvdiva — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 13:25:08 GMT

People who use certain drugs like crack and meth end up being everyone's problem.

Reply #13

Rip Snorter — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 13:02:34 GMT

I'd say 'problem gambling' with the lottery is not a lot different from problem gambling any other way. When it spills over into the lives of others, steps on their toes, it ought to be considered a problem by the person doing it. Otherwise it's just a matter of priorities, value judgements.Even if it ends with the gambler sleeping in the gutter. A person has to be given enough elbow room to make bad decisions and ought to be able to do so without a lot of kibitzing from people who aren't wal... [ More ]

Reply #12

dvdiva — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 03:35:29 GMT

I have NO debt that's why I can afford to play. Also I haven't played since Mega hit 290 so I've been saving alot towards when it does hit big. I think if you are debt free you should think of it as smoking. One or two packs is a normal habit (so 4-8/day) but if you were to smoke 8 packs a day then that's definitely bad.

Reply #11

LOTTOMIKE — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 02:21:41 GMT

Reply #10

LANTERN — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 01:17:14 GMT

and above all things, develop a strategy to come out of debt. and above all things, develop a strategy to win at the lottery games Pick 3, 4 etc.Good luck.

Reply #9

emilyg — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 23:47:17 GMT

Reply #8

lchoro — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 23:40:20 GMT

If he has $ 20,000 in personal debt, it's probably a reasonable guess that the annual interest on that debt exceeds $ 20 or $ 30 per week. The first priority should be to quit playing the lottery, cut out some other expenses, perhaps find a second job, and reduce the debt to a small fraction of his annual income.

Reply #7

Rip Snorter — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 23:28:44 GMT

If you have to ask the question, you probably already know the answer. Whatever answer anyone else gives you is meaningless. You are an adult, the responsibility for making those kinds of judgements about your life belongs entirely to you.But if you have to publically ask the question, you might want to give some serious silent querying to yourself about what the answer is.Good luck,Jack

Reply #6

we;reallwinners — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 23:16:03 GMT

I look at the lottery as my entertainment.........choose to play lottery instead of designer coffee , or a night out to dinner. I have wondered the same thing as your wondering, but I eliminate things from my normal spending so that money goes to toward a chance to win something..

Reply #5

Tnplayer805 — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 18:13:54 GMT

Problem gambling refers to any gambling that goes beyond normal bounds of gambling for fun, recreation, or entertainment. Pathological gambling is the inability, over an extended period of time, to resist impulses to gamble. It is often characterized by increasing preoccupation with gambling and a general loss of control. Pathological gamblers often chase their losses, feel a need to bet more frequently and in larger amounts, and continue to gamble in spite of the serious negative consequenc... [ More ]

Reply #4

qutgnt — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 16:12:28 GMT

I dont think a thousand bucks a year is going to kill you for the entertainment value. You just need to find another way to make serious money so you can pay off your debt.

Reply #3

lchoro — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 15:40:10 GMT

Not enough information in your post.You didn't say how much you're spending on the lottery on a recurring basis over a longer period. This may just be an initial burst of enthusiasm. Like most people, you might play it for a few weeks and quit for lack of winning, especially you chose to play the mega-lottery games.You didn't specify what kind of debt you had, whether it was a student loan, credit cards, or a mortgage, and what amount you were saving towards paying down the debt. In addition to... [ More ]

Reply #2

delS — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 15:17:35 GMT

Thats too much! You should do the money market thing, go to www.emigrantdirect.com and open up an account. Spend any lottery money on the larger jackpots that come out 4 or 5 times a year; and above all things, develop a strategy to come out of debt.

Reply #1

ify911 — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 14:29:41 GMT

why not open a money market account and use it monthly interest for your lotto budget

Is this too much to spend on the lotto?

lottoloser* — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 14:04:16 GMT

Lately, I'm spending several dollars a day playing either cash 3 and 4, or lucky 5 or powerball....I figure I will spend in excess of $20 this week. I know I will eventually get frustrated and quit but for now I'm having fun.My income is a $52,000 a year and I do have debts totalling $20,000If I were to continue with this habit would $20-30 a week be too much?I hear about problem gambling but I don't know exactly what constitutes problem gambling...are we talking about people going hungry and lo... [ More ]