Lottery win (not a bad amount).

[winningballs]

Name changed for this.

I have been thinking about asking this and I have spoken to f&f about it and the opinions vary.

Last Wednesday I got an urge to do the lottery, I haven't done it in ages because I just can't afford it, but I got a lucky dip and lucky it was, I got 5 matching balls plus the bonus. I won't say how much I won but it's a fair amount, enough for me to not worry about bills for the foreseeable and enough to give people 10k each.

Here's my question.

I have a list of whom I would share my winnings with stored on my phone, it's been on there for years and my ex is on there. We have been split for a year or so but I always said I would give him something if I won. I don't hate him and I really liked his children, so should I just transfer some into his account? This is not a plan to get him back as I am happily with someone else now and he has no problem with my list as he is well taken care of too.

Should I - or should I not bother?

Don't tell anyone. I watched a documentary about people who had won the lottery and they told everyone in their village which ended with them being bullied out of their house, outcast and with people trying to kill their pets (luckily didn't succeed!).

Some people you might think of as friends now will show their true colours and you will likely experience jealousy, resentment, lots of request to share your money, relatives showing up whom you haven't seen in 10 years etc.

So keep quiet. Give money to the people you care about, obviously, but don't tell anyone how large the full amount you won was or how much money you have left or anything like that (play it down) and don't agree to be in any newspapers, magazines etc. if the amount it huge. Remain anonymous.

This might sound paranoid, but it's good advice, trust me. Oh and congratulations and no, you don't need to share this with an ex. I would not underestimate how quickly money can be gone and how you might need it at some point. 1 million seems like a lot at first but you'll likely need to pay taxes, then you might want to buy a home for you or your kids/future kids (if you have them/want them) and getting them through uni is expensive too. I'd also save some. So sure, share some with people you love but I wouldn't go over the top and definitely don't tell anyone and keep some for emergency situations.

I don't know about not worrying about bills for the foreseeable, I don't think you will need to worry about bills EVER! Congratulations, enjoy it!

Oh! Sorry I thought a poster said it was one million shared between two tickets.

I was banging in about it only being half a million because after buying a house which most people would after winning, there wouldn’t be much left over to be generous to people you no longer have in your life!

Oh, congratulations @winningballs , I am delighted for you, whatever you decide to do with the money!
Enjoy! Oh & have a lovely Christmas! :-)

1. Not correct, it is £2million prize fund between two winners as previously pointed out by more than one person.

1. It doesn't really matter how much the OP has won, I was replying to the poster who said £1million isn't a life changing amount.

Congratulations it's spurred me on to buy a ticket!!!

Me too. hopefully the OP's luck will rub off on us.

Congratulations OP :)

Which just confirms my suspicion that this whole thread is a very clever ad by Camelot.

Woman who can barely afford a ticket wins £1m on a lucky dip (it has to be a lucky dip as regular players have set numbers) telling us of her good fortune on site that is currently over run with threads about the COL and affording Christmas.

Gains loads of traction and then ends up in the DM.

Bravo Camelot advertising team, not a single penny spent.

I too thought “
How odd to come onto MN and ask about giving money away..
Many years ago, a student won £250k “
On impulse “ on a £1 scratchcard ( and a can of coke)

That would be equivalent to about £700k now

She too hadn’t bought a card in ages.

That too spurred a flurry of buying of cards from students.

Definitely not an add. I found a £2 coin in a coat pocket that I hadn't worn since last winter and decided to buy one. I use to buy them regularly until I couldn't anymore. It was an impulse purchase and I never buy myself anything. Glad I did to be honest.

So not an ad.
No one else will know as this is anonymous and I have changed my name for this thread.

I was just curious as to what people thought after I had spoken to my close family and a couple of friends (who'd always benefit from a win anyway).

An AD - sorry, not add.

OP someone up thread mentioned tax. There is no tax on lotto winnings only the income any investments make.
Please seek advice and buy a house out right. I blinking wish I did instead of being a flash Harry. Congratulations.

@winningballs how many people have you told?

I wouldn't tell anyone other than my DH initially. I would need to get my head around winning that amount of money.

I would tell as few a people as possible.

We are not allowed to troll hunt but I imagine if it was a clever marketing campaign you would war game an actual game and do research to keep the whole narrative plausible and engaging. That's why a redacted email or winning letter quickly proffered would increase my doubting mind somewhat.

That’s a good idea OP, take out private medical insurance. You can use the money you no longer need to spend on rent/mortgage.

Some people are really bad with money/have no idea how to invest if they think £1m isn’t enough to retire with!

Some people are thinking lazily.

How are you going to retire on £1million if you are 25 with two kids and don't own a house?

£1million in your pension would get you a comfortable retirement at say 55/60 but it is not never work again territory unless you are approaching retirement and/or already have significant equity in a home.

If you're 25, it's not retirement money, no. But it is money that can buy you a house outright, which will mean no mortgage. Money that you can put on investments to develop a passive income. Money to allow you to train in a lucrative career, and to supplement childcare so that doesn't impact on your earnings.

Or, of course, you could follow whatever career you wanted knowing that you had your housing and pension sorted.

That would make an immeasurable difference to most lives.

So exactly what I said then, definitely a life changing sum but not never work again territory

The 3.6m you get over 30 years for winning set for life I could just about stretch the rest of mine and my partners life

Op congratulations but why wouldn't you mention the amount

Of course, I have no idea what you earn!

Ive been told that you should clear a grand a week invested, which is about £140 a day. I thought you would clear about £100 a day after tax.

£140 a day - 365 days a year - for the rest of my life - totally totally life changing for my family and I, for me to earn that sort of money it would kill me the hours I would have to do.

Put £40 away in a pension daily and still have £100 a day - every day - yes please, and if I got bored or skint I could open a little shop a few days a week, selling pretty things and cute nic nacs.

i would be in heaven

Congratulations!

what sort of lotto ticket did you buy?? I’ve never played but I am tempted now! X

I am late 50s. I don't have a mortgage and I still work part time and will continue to work. No one there knows or will know. My wages just covered my outgoings since all the utility increases happened which is why I've not been buying a ticket lately.

It was just a lucky dip lotto.

Enjoy it Winning Balls xxx