When you think about winning the lottery, you can probably see yourself crowing, "We're happy, happy, happy!" It's harder to imagine yourself wishing that you had torn up the lottery ticket instead of cashing it in.
However, for some lottery winners, like "Wild" Willie Seeley, that's exactly what can happen. Don't believe me? Check out the stories of these lottery curse victims to see how a lottery win can turn nasty.
1. Keep Your Lottery Win as Private as You Can
You might be so excited that you want to share the news with everyone — your mom, your best friends, the mailman. It's a natural reaction, but try to fight it. The more people who know about your lottery win, the more pressure you'll receive.
2. Don't Quit Your Day Job... Yet!
If you're dying to quit your job, the moment that you get the news that you have a multi-million dollar lottery win coming to you might seem the perfect time. After all, those millions of dollars should last a lifetime, right?
3. Hire a Financial Advisor or a Team of Advisors
When you win the lottery, you're going to have a lot of financial questions to deal with, including how and when to pay your taxes, how to reduce your tax liability, whether to take a lump-sum payout or an annuity, and more.
4. Create a Spending Plan (a Budget Doesn't Have to Be as Bad as It Sounds!)
Russ Thornton of Wealthcare for Women says that one of the biggest mistakes a new lottery winner can make is to have a "spend first attitude".
"They feel as if they have so much money, they can afford to spend it on lots of stuff, including some expensive purchases like cars and/or a new home. What felt like a lot of money can quickly dwindle down to not so much before you know it," Ross says.
