The young dream

The dream of being a millionaire is fully exploited by lotteries. The chances that you win are almost zero. But still, people are willing to spend money on lotteries. Because one day, it may be their lucky day. It’s the experience that counts. And in most cases, not the money you can count.

My dream to be rich started when I was very young. My dad used to play Lotto (the Dutch national lottery) on a weekly base. His routine was to play 4 rows of 6 numbers, varying over the week (later, a color had to be picked as well). Sometimes, he let me choose the numbers in a row. And I liked it so much! There I was, pursuing my way to my million, through my father. Back then, my way to select the numbers was to select on the birthday or age of myself and my four closest family members (mom, dad, brother, sister). The sixth number was chosen by luck.

Then, there is the number check. You write down the numbers that have fallen and you compare them to your lucky numbers. This experience just feels good (now, I have the same feeling when checking my multiple choice exam). You could be so close to the luck of your life. And this experience Is worth your coin.

Same product, more convenience

So when I became 18, I myself was in the position to buy a ticket. And as I had math for a few years, I now definitely know how low the chances are. That’s why I told  myself to never play more than one row a week. So I could live this little dream for just a small amount of money. So I bought a ticket every weak. Almost. Since sometimes, I just couldn’t manage to go to the shop and buy a ticket.

Then came the internet.  And there was this special service Lotto offered. You could now simply buy your ticket online. How convenient is that? And to make it even better, they gave you the opportunity to never miss a week. Just play automatically with a few clicks (this was an offline offer as well). So that’s what I did for a couple of months. But I disliked it. It’s just not the same as the good old way. Like the fact that your numbers are on the monitor. Compared to the old paper ticket, there was no feeling attached to your ticket. And checking the numbers on a monitor… it’s just not the same. Now they also have an app. Of course, this brings even more convenience.

I tried my own solution: I bought my ticket through the internet, then I wrote the numbers down on a little piece of paper and checked them the old fashioned way. This felt better. But I still felt the old fashion way is the only right way to make the experience complete.

Experience over effectiveness

So now, my online account is inactive (I do believe that it should stay because it is convenient for a lot of other people). I buy my weekly ticket in a shop (under the right circumstances). Where I sometimes have to wait in line. Where I am dependent of opening times. And where I buy other things I don’t really need impulsively when I’m in the store. In a calculating way, all the extra time I invest is just stupid. Since I buy exactly the same product. But it’s the experience what really counts. The most effective way is not always the right way.