I don’t want to buy a Powerball ticket. I’d be an idiot if I did.
My odds of getting struck by lightning on any given day are one in 700,000. My odds of winning the biggest lottery prize in history tomorrow night? One in 292 million.
I know … stupid, right?
No, I don’t want to buy a Powerball ticket … but I’m going to anyway. I’m gonna buy 10 of them, in fact. Then I’m gonna toss another $10 into the MACPA office pool.
Why? Because it’s fun, that’s why. Because the prize could come close to topping a mind-numbing $1 billion, and thinking about what you’d do with $1 billion (or a mere $500 million if you take the lump-sum payout) is the ultimate fantasy.
As Aerosmith once said, dream on, right?
And admit it — you’re going to play the Powerball, too. You can’t fool me. Get off your high horse, embrace your inner idiot, and just enjoy the moment.
Still … what if? What if our numbers come in? Someone has to win, right? Why not us?
So let’s be prepared, just in case. What’s the smart thing to do if we win?
The consensus boils down to a few key strategies:
- Sign the back of your ticket.
- Don’t tell anyone. Stay anonymous, if your state laws will allow it.
- Hire a financial team. Start with a reputable lawyer, financial advisor, and estate planner.
- Live within a budget.
In other words, don’t be stupid. Here are some great tips … just in case your ship comes in tomorrow night:
- What to do if you win the Powerball lottery (from Time)
- What you should do if you win the Powerball jackpot (from ABC News)
- 10 things to do when you win the lottery (from Forbes)
- 12 things NOT to do if you win the lottery (from USA Today)
Finally, if you like picking your own numbers, here’s a list of the luckiest Powerball numbers in history, based on the number of times they’ve been drawn.
Good luck!
I’ll see you at work Monday morning.