Page 3 | Not winning the lottery is making me sad.

WedTheBed · 2023-07-03T20:15:49+00:00

That’s it really. I would be content let happy to win a couple million. Obviously the massive 124 millions jackpots are great, but a couple million I’d be happy with that. How much would you like to win to really make a difference in your life, not just a good splash about for a nicer house and new car, but really change your life?

Velvian · 03/07/2023 23:16

I feel exactly the same OP. I spend an unreasonable amount of time being sad about it. A million would do just fine, I'm not greedy. 😅

PurpleButterflyWings · 03/07/2023 23:17

I'd really love to win a lot too ... I think at my age (late 50s,) a couple of million would be enough to live on for the rest of my life, retire instantly, have DH retire, pay off my kids' student debts and mortgages and put some away in a trust fund for them for when they're say 40, and not have to worry about money ever again.

Also I think it's absolute bollocks that money brings misery and that people are much unhappier with it. I know there have been a few cases where people have won lots of money, and they've lost their friends and fallen out with their family and marriages have floundered blah blah blah... But in the vast majority of cases it definitely improves people's lives. Sure, money doesn't buy happiness, but the lack of it brings misery.

There's not a snowball's chance in hell that me and DH would be less happy with 2 million pounds in the bank!

We do the postcode lottery and have been in it for 3 years. Have won about 10 times. 'YOU HAVE A WINNING TICKET!' is the title in the email from them.

Every. Single. TIME. it was £10. So disappointing to see this every time. Just £10.

We buy a Lotto or Euromillions ticket maybe 15 times a year. Rarely win more than £10 here either. Most we won was about 20 years ago on the lottery. We got 4 numbers. We won Just over £1500. (I think it was worth like £2250 in todays money.) Very pleased about that, but if we had had 5 numbers, I think it was about £200,000. SUCH a massive difference. (6 numbers was a few million £££.)

CurlyhairedAssassin · 03/07/2023 23:23

Depending on circumstances and age you probably couldn’t afford to retire on a million these days. Stock market’ll be very volatile for the next couple of years . Yes, savings interest is creeping up but it’s below inflation.

You know that song, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? It’s from High Society, a film from 1956. If you look on the BoE website to see what that would be in equivalent money today, it’s over 20 million. So that’s what you’d need to feel rich these days! 😆

mondaytosunday · 03/07/2023 23:41

I'd be ok with £5m. But happy with £20m!! I'm shocked I've never won - but I guess I'd have to buy a ticket first.

Fishlegs · 03/07/2023 23:44

I’m also very annoyed that I haven’t won yet. I like to plan who I would share my £71m with. Imagine being able to bring your skint siblings and friends a mill each so they
could all pay off their mortgages and have a great holiday! Obviously I’d never work again, and I’d buy the little bit of woodland near me that the developers want to turn into flats, that the local community is desperately trying to keep as common land. I’d have to set up a committee to run it, as I’d probably want to stay anonymous.

Fishlegs · 03/07/2023 23:45

*bung not bring

tobee · 03/07/2023 23:54

I do it every now and then for a laugh. Quite like the idea of set for life. Always sad to not win.

I wonder though, if I won the ginormous euromillions top prize, if that would actually ruin my kids life? And maybe mine too? I'd try to put a lot of it to good use.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/07/2023 01:10

Wintry57 · 03/07/2023 22:45

I can’t get behind the winners are less happy thing - surely if the money’s making you miserable you give it away?

shocked I’ve not won yet too - but I did move to trying to do more in premium bonds on the basis that it’s also a gamble but you don’t lose your stake.

Well that's part of the issue. Everyone and their dog wanting some. So you give some away but that makes everyone want more. So it ruins all your relationships, the very things that gave you joy before.

And 'stuff' doesn't make us happy, experiences do. So you go away on holidays. But your friends and family can't afford to do the same. So you pay for them which makes them feel controlled and resentful. Or you don't and then are lonely.

I'm telling you, best to dream about it but not actually win.

creativebutterfly · 04/07/2023 01:12

Peony654 · 03/07/2023 21:43

I don’t know how you can be sad about something so statistically unlikely. Everyone who wins big seems to end up ruined.

This

More likely to get hit by a bus then win the lottery.

AliceMcK · 04/07/2023 01:23

The only time I religiously played was after my first baby, I was desperate not to go back to work and disappointed every time I didn’t win. I gave up after that and only play occasionally now.

My happy figure is £150k pay the mortgage off (live in a cheap house in an cheap area) and buy a static caravan for holidays. That’s not to say I couldn’t happily or easily spend £124 million

Nat6999 · 04/07/2023 01:59

I was part of a syndicate who won £250k on the Thunderball in 2003, out of the 15 of us 7 marriages ended within a year, a further 3 ended within 5 years & 2 more within 7 years, money doesn't always buy happiness.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/07/2023 02:05

Nat6999 · 04/07/2023 01:59

I was part of a syndicate who won £250k on the Thunderball in 2003, out of the 15 of us 7 marriages ended within a year, a further 3 ended within 5 years & 2 more within 7 years, money doesn't always buy happiness.

We're they happy marriages to start with?

Because I know a couple of people who would leave if they financially could and probably should!

Ibloodymissgluten · 04/07/2023 08:14

Nat6999 · 04/07/2023 01:59

I was part of a syndicate who won £250k on the Thunderball in 2003, out of the 15 of us 7 marriages ended within a year, a further 3 ended within 5 years & 2 more within 7 years, money doesn't always buy happiness.

250k between 15 people isn’t that much.

I mean, don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t turn down (back of fag packet maths) 16k, but surely, an amount that would pay for a new kitchen isn’t the sort of life changing amount that could cause upheaval or upset in an otherwise happy marriage?

Starseeking · 04/07/2023 08:16

£500k would do me nicely. I'd be afraid of winning anything over £20m, and £124m is just insane. It's far too much money for one person who has never seen such wealth, it would be much better if they could fix it to have 124 winners of £1m each.

Sendmymillioninaninvoice · 04/07/2023 08:19

Well I wouldn’t have money to spend on the lottery in the first place. Half a mill would be noce but could make do with a quarter if push came to shove 😁

Lerynne1232 · 04/07/2023 09:57

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Work2live · 04/07/2023 10:17

Me and DH once genuinely thought we’d won £500k on a scratch card - it’s amazing how quickly you start mentally spending/saving the money.

That amount would’ve been life changing for us - we could’ve paid off our £200k mortgage, put another £200k into investments, and had £100k to spend on a new car, amazing holidays, treat family etc.

Anything above that would be a bonus!

Mercymymercyme · 04/07/2023 10:26

ssd · 03/07/2023 21:45

I'm sad too.
I'm even sadder I'm too tight to play.

Mercymymercyme · 04/07/2023 10:29

Nat6999 · 04/07/2023 01:59

I was part of a syndicate who won £250k on the Thunderball in 2003, out of the 15 of us 7 marriages ended within a year, a further 3 ended within 5 years & 2 more within 7 years, money doesn't always buy happiness.

Personally, I would presume those couples were far happier after splitting.

250k is not a lot between 15 people.

Mercymymercyme · 04/07/2023 10:33

I think. ‘Winning the lottery just makes you miserable’ is something people say to console themselves.

I know the circumstances and barriers in my own life and having money would remove or enable me to take action to resolve nearly all of them. That would definitely improve the quality of my life. As would the time it would buy me to pursue my passions and interests.

WonderingWhale · 04/07/2023 10:40

I am unreasonably disappointed not to have won the euromillions! It'd need to be £20million minimum to be properly life changing I reckon (although obviously a smaller amount would still be very welcome haha).

WonderingWhale · 04/07/2023 10:41

Mercymymercyme · 04/07/2023 10:33

I think. ‘Winning the lottery just makes you miserable’ is something people say to console themselves.

I know the circumstances and barriers in my own life and having money would remove or enable me to take action to resolve nearly all of them. That would definitely improve the quality of my life. As would the time it would buy me to pursue my passions and interests.

Yes, I know that winning the lottery wouldn't make me unhappy.

Narwhaleahoy · 04/07/2023 10:50

I’m not at all greedy, £5m would be perfectly adequate.
I just want enough to allow my husband to retire; tell my boss precisely what I think of him without worrying about getting sacked; get a hitman for buy out the horrible neighbour who makes everybody else’s life a misery with his stupid restrictive covenants that he enforces on us all while merrily doing whatever he wants; and then travelling the world.
in all honesty, if it wasn’t for the constant hope of getting rid of the neighbour, I be happy with £50!

Beezknees · 04/07/2023 10:51

£500k would be enough to completely change my life. It would buy me a house outright (I rent and always will as I can't afford to buy) I can get a decent 2 bed semi for under £200k where I live. I could put £100k away for DS's future and put £200k in my pension.

I would quite happily go out to work every day to afford the extras in life, but having no mortgage or rent to pay and a decent amount in my pension for retirement would be a dream and take away a lot of my worries.

Ibloodymissgluten · 04/07/2023 10:54

Bollocks would it make me sad.

It would change my, and most importantly, my children’s lives for the better. We would no longer live next door to a weed dealer for a start.

I cannot stand it when people say money doesn’t make you happy. It gives you choices in life. Having no choice makes you unhappy.