Who couldn’t use a little extra cash? Whether you’re paying pesky bills, planning a dream vacation, or constructing that bed of money you only see in movies and TV, it’s safe to say we often think about what it would be like to have a few extra zeros in our bank statements.
A sense of financial security is something people pine for in a shaky economy and job market. There are many ways people try to gain security, from playing the lottery to playing the stock market. In the case of Eric Hale of Oregon, he played the lottery and won. But his story doesn’t conclude in the financial ruin and bankruptcy that seems to plague big lottery winners.
Eric Hale won a million dollars by playing the lottery.
share
When they were both young, Eric promised his brother, Quinn, that they would split his winnings if he ever won the lottery.
share
And what did they choose to spend their stacks of cash on? Eighty-foot yachts? Decadent parties? Dionysian pleasures? Nope.
share
Eric decided to spend a portion of his share on a twenty-day vacation in China.
share
Perhaps hoping to do a little traveling himself, Quinn put part of his half of the lotto winnings towards a motor home.
share
Both Eric and Quinn decided to use their portions to pay for their respective graduate degrees. Goodbye, student loan debt.
share
(Via: twentytwowords.com)
Even if we’re not all big lottery winners, we can still take something from where Eric and Quinn decided to put their money. Travel and education are two of the most enriching and rewarding ways to spend our money. Both have immense benefits to us and those around us. The Hale brothers are a fine example to follow for how to spend wisely.
