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I think people everywhere dream about
having lots of money. I know I do. I would give
anything to make money hand over fist. I would like
to earn large amounts of money. You could win a
large amount of money in the United States through
lotteries. People pay money for tickets with
numbers. If your combination of numbers is chosen,
you win a huge amount of money – often in the
millions. Winning the lottery is a windfall.
A few years ago, my friend Al won the lottery. It
changed his life. He did not have a rich family. He
was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Instead, my friend was always hard up for cash. He
did not have much money. And the money he did earn
was chicken feed – very little.
Sometimes Al even had to accept hand-outs, gifts
from his family and friends. But do not get me
wrong. My friend was not a deadbeat. He was not the
kind of person who never paid the money he owed. He
simply pinched pennies. He was always very careful
with the money he spent. In fact, he was often a
cheapskate. He did not like to spend money. The
worst times were when he was flat broke and had no
money at all.
One day, Al scraped together a few dollars for a
lottery ticket. He thought he would never strike it
rich or gain lots of money unexpectedly. But his
combination of numbers was chosen and he won the
lottery. He hit the jackpot. He won a great deal of
money.
Al was so excited. The first thing he did was buy a
costly new car. He splurged on the one thing that he
normally would not buy. Then he started spending
money on unnecessary things. He started to waste it.
It was like he had money to burn. He had more money
than he needed and it was burning a hole in his
pocket so he spent it quickly.
When we got together for a meal at a restaurant, Al
paid ever time. He would always foot the bill, and
pick up the tab. He told me the money made him feel
like a million dollars. He was very happy.
But, Al spent too much money. Soon my friend was
down and out again. He had no money left. He was
back to being strapped for cash. He had spent his
bottom dollar, his very last amount. He did not even
build up a nest egg. He had not saved any of the
money.
I admit I do feel sorry for my friend. He had enough
money to live like a king. Instead, he is back to
living on a shoestring -- a very low budget. Some
might say he is penny wise and pound foolish. He was
wise about small things, but not about important
things. |
