Staffordshire is known as a pretty lucky place when it comes to lotteries. Its winning stories are often featured among the most inspiring in the UK. As two Leek families received hefty cheques of £30,000 from the Postcode Lottery in May, it is fascinating to explore winners’ spending habits.
As it turns out, choice luxuries have not changed much, but there is more interest in posterity and charity. Here are three areas that attracted newly made riches the most in the last few years.
Investments
The first aim of lottery winners seems to be better living, which typically involves a new home. A new home is understandably expensive, and a £30,000 windfall is sure to be appreciated. The winnings can give a new lease on life and the freedom to act on your desires.
This could entail buying a plot of land or starting a business. Just being able to put something towards a goal opens up new opportunities. For that reason, savings accounts often get a portion of the money, while other stories include lucrative investments or loans being paid off. Lottery victories mean more than extravagant parties. They can take a substantial weight off peoples’ shoulders.
Treats
Winning vast amounts of money makes it very difficult to resist a splurge, whether on yourself or friends and family. In fact, treating others is a common way to celebrate lottery wins. One lucky scratchcard in 2016 made a carer £3-million richer. Apart from a house, cars, and holidays, her children’s future received much of the funds.
Close relations may be the first to benefit from a spending spree, but sometimes strangers get some of the money, too. As a way of giving back, charities or causes of interest to the winner receive much-needed financial support. This is a pleasant pattern that says much about the priorities in the UK today.
New Experiences
The size of the cheque determines how it will be broken down, but a habit almost all winners share is trying new things for the first time. With the luckiest six-number draw amounting to over £8 million, the results of the Irish Lotto jackpot, for example, will likely lead to life-changing experiences. This is more than a treat. It can broaden people’s awareness of the world and their appreciation of its wonders, big or small.
Holidays are a common expenditure, often to really special places or using a meaningful means of transport. Some winners go on sailing or road trips with their loved ones. Another popular idea is broadening their palettes with a magnificent meal and bottle of champagne at a high-end restaurant of their dreams. Even investing in a new garden has proven to be a very fulfilling experience, inspiring them to spend more time outside.
Lotteries have the power to change lives. Finally buying or trying something they always wanted remains a top priority for winners. Once that need is satisfied, additional interests tend to introduce themselves, including a concern for others. This mixture of pleasure and acts of gratitude is what makes games of chance in Staffordshire and the UK in general so noteworthy.
