Each month, I burn through my eBucks buying PowerBall and Lotto tickets via my banking app.

Don’t be silly, it’s not the Nedbank app.

It is a wise investment, given that my chances of winning are infinitesimal at best? No.

We write about lottery winners regularly, though, and I earn eBucks each month for doing nothing, so why the hell not?

Last week, the PowerBall Plus jackpot reached a whopping R153 million, with the steadily increasing prize enough to convince one chap in KwaZulu-Natal to spend R300 on tickets via his Standard Bank app.

His moola bought him entry to 10 draws, the third of which struck the big time. TimesLIVE with the sort of story that instantly turns you green around the edges:

“My partner and I are not regular lottery players, but my in-laws keep track of all lottery jackpots and always encourage us to play”, the winner told Ithuba officials as he reported to collect his winnings.

“My in-laws basically sold us the idea of being millionaires, telling us about the attractive jackpot. We decided to play on my Standard Bank banking app, using a quick pick selection method and playing for 10 draws with R300. In the first draw, I won less than R10, and R28 on the second draw, which the Standard Bank app notifies me of each time I win something.

“On the third draw I did not receive a notification, so I concluded I had not won anything. Little did I know that third time was a charm for us. I then received a call from Standard Bank notifying me that I was the winner of the PowerBall Plus jackpot — I could not believe it!” he said.

It’s not often you have to give your in-laws a massive thank you, but in this case, it’s more than warranted.

Tales of lottery winners squandering their winnings abound, and everyone spends their winnings differently. Props to the winner of the R114 million PowerBall winner back in February, who stated that she could not wait to rub it in her ex’s face.

Not sure that’s the approach a financial advisor would recommend, but you buy a ticket to dream, and that seems to be one of hers.

The R153 million from last week is likely to adopt a more cautious approach:

The man told Ithuba officials that the millions they had won would certainly change their lives, adding that they had been a financially cautious couple.

“We have calculated how long this money will last us, taking into consideration inflation rates at worst-case scenarios. We realise that we really are set for life. This windfall is a massive gift to us. It has fast-forwarded our investment plans, to a point that was beyond our imagination,” he said.

Keeping in the spirit of being financially cautious, the new multimillionaire said he and his wife would not be quitting their jobs any time soon.

“We are now under no pressure and do not have to worry about our financial future, even when we decide to retire,” he said.

Right, you lost me.

We have a strict rule at 2oceansvibe regarding lottery winners. If the money is enough for you to quit your current job, you must do so instantly, preferably in an overly dramatic fashion.

Mine would feature a hand swipe of the desk, sending everything flying to the floor, before a swift exit.

This financially cautious chap is the biggest winner in the history of PowerBall Plus, and the biggest winner ever to have bought his ticket online.

That sound is me opening my FNB app, and ploughing through my eBucks buying lottery tickets.

Go on, dream big. Do it.

[source:timeslive]