Once you have won a big prize from the lottery, you may feel that all of the serious effort is performed. Conversely, you’d be quite wrong! There are several documented cases of individuals who’ve hit it big only to lose their fortunes through bad deals, unhealthy living, selfish acts, as well as other unfortunate events. So if you want to be a lottery success story, and avoid the famous “lottery curse” that seems to always make it to the front page of newspapers, below are some tips to help.

Get a lawyer or financial planner

Before going public with your lottery winnings, it’s really a great idea to talk to a lawyer and a financial planer. Certain lawyers concentrate on lottery winners and how to best begin a wise life that can make the most of their winnings. Remember, the ultra-rich (millionaires and billionaires) got that way by being wise with their money. They have had their wealth for years. You, alternatively, as a whole new lottery winner, are thrust in to the role of ultra-wealthy, without the need of the years of expertise that others may have had. This really is why a lawyer can give great advice and be a good help when you begin your new life.

A financial planner can also be a significant person to talk to. They can help you make the decisions early on in your life to ensure that you never have to work again. If you make wise investments with your lottery winnings, in place of spending it foolishly, you will truly be a lottery success story.

Concentrate on your dreams

Winning the lottery is something that most of us dream of doing. So now that you’ve won, what do you want to do with your winnings? Maybe you have always wanted to travel. This is now your opportunity to become a world traveler. Or perhaps you have always regretted that you were not able to go to college. You now have the option to get that degree! Making a number of all your hopes and dreams shall help one to seek out the top path to achieve them.

Additionally, think beyond just things to buy. Sure a new car or dream home will be nice, but think more about lifestyle changes rather than new toys. A lot of people don’t love their jobs, but find it nice to have a hobby to take up time. Your hobby can now become your full time profession, if you wish it. Being happy means spending your time doing the things you love.

Learn how to say “No”

Whenever you make a big win at the lottery, you will hear from friends you have not spoken to in years. You will hear from cousins that you never knew existed. You might even hear from complete strangers! How did everyone find you all of a sudden?

Most state lotteries make their winners public. It’s within their terms of service that winners must be ready to go public. This is accomplished for a number of reasons. For one thing, it’s a great promotional device and it generates interest in the lottery. Additionally, it proves that the lottery is a fair draw and that there is no cheating going on. The flip side of this is that having their names made public puts a target on many lottery winners’ lives. As a brand new lottery winner, you will have to learn to say “no” to the many requests that will be coming to you. If you have a hard time doing this, then you will be effortlessly taken benefit from, and pretty soon you’ll find your fortunes dwindling.

One alternative for those who might not be looking forward to a life of public scrutiny is to try their hand at online lotteries. The relative anonymity provided by winning online means that a big winner can still remain relatively anonymous. If you have always dreamed of having everything, but you would like to still live the life of a regular Joe, then you may want to try your hand at casino online lotteries.

Give some back to charity

Even though you are going to have to say “no” to a lot of greedy people trying to take advantage of you, you may discover that you are thinking about giving back to charity. Many millionaires and billionaires have done great things with their donations, whether it be to hospitals, colleges, or other non-profit organizations. You can even donate your time! Despite the fact that it sounds crazy, many millionaires and lottery winners do it. (In the event that you don’t have a regular job any more, or only work part-time as a result of winning the lottery, you might have a great deal more free time for you to share and may find that you enjoy volunteering tour time).

Should you decide to give to charity, do your investigation first. You certainly will need to discover what your interests are and the way you would like to see your money spent, so make a list about which charities interest you. You can even research your favorite charities to see where they spend their money, the amount of each gift they receive is utilized for charity, and other facts. These facts should help you decide on a number of worthy charities.