I’ll do the usual – church, charity and bank accounts. But then I’ll pay off the house, install a pool, replace our cars with new ones, quit my job, take extended vacations to Europe or wherever, and fill up college funds to the top.

Um, wait a minute. I really don’t want to save money for my kids to go to college. That would be unwise. Oh, they’re going. But I want you to pay for it. That is, if you’re buying lottery tickets.

Indeed, friends, the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery is lurking in your nearby convenience mart, gleaming with primary colors, beckoning your buck or two. “Buy me! You could be the winner!”

You definitely could be the winner. You have a 100% better chance of winning the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery once it starts, and that doubles when you buy a ticket! You won’t win millions anytime soon in this lottery since it’s starting off with just scratch-off cards, but there is a chance you could win $100,000, and that’s a long pocket-ful. (Day-job boss, please disregard the first paragraph about quitting, but do put me down for a vacation.)

You could buy a modest home with 100 grand. You could buy several new cars or one really snazzy ride. You could also take a kickin’ vacation to see the Statue of Liberty in New York City, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and the Giant Ball of Twine in Darwin, Minnesota… all in the name of higher education.

It’s the American Dream. The American Dream isn’t getting what you want – it’s not having to work for it! By the way, the American Dream still comes with taxes, so be sure to budget for those. It can really be a pain if you don’t. It’s okay. Maybe just buy one less car.

I have played the lottery in other states, but have never won more than five dollars. I am thinking I have already won in the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery even though it hasn’t begun yet. I referred to it earlier. The kids.

All those years we didn’t save enough for whatever reason are no problem. I don’t have to save for college. I just need to convince you to buy a ticket. My son has the grades right now. He had them last year too. And the first scholarships will be handed out in the 2010 Fall semester. Coincidentally, my son is a senior in high school and will enter college – with your help – in the 2010 Fall semester.

I was looking at the qualifications for getting that scholarship. It’s not just for incoming freshman, but it is the simplest for them. Either end up with a 2.5 or better grade point average, or get a 19 or better on the ACT test. Not terrible. Take a gander at the information on qualifications at HopeForArkansas.org. On the right side of the page, click on “Frequently Asked Questions About The Arkansas Scholarship Lottery.”

So when can you start buying the scratch-off tickets? Monday. Actually, if you stay up all night tonight, you can be one of the first to buy one at 12:01am. Well, I wouldn’t expect it promptly at a minute after midnight since everyone will be new at the game, but be patient and you’ll get yours. Chances are that you will not win, but what is a chance but something that might happen? Besides, somebody’s got to put my boy through college.

Maybe the jackpot isn’t huge quite yet, but it won’t be long before Arkansas joins other states in the Powerball game, and it does have millions of dollars in payout. That participation begins October 31st.

Let’s dream a little for the rest of the column about what kinds of things could be done with the millions. I was curious about what people think they would do if they won, so I posted the query on MySaline.com as well as on my Twitter and Facebook accounts. The answers I got on those sites and other places on the Web were along the lines of my yammering at the beginning of this column, but one guy helped me to remember that not everyone has a great time with sudden riches.

I found some stories of former lottery winners where they had lost the money because of family and friends, or lost the family and friends because of money, or lost both for whatever reason. Spiderman can tell you that with great power comes great responsibility. A good financial advisor will tell you not to make any big decisions right away. It’s okay to dream, but it’s better for a windfall winner to do his homework and make some sound rules about handling the money.

Setting up a foundation for charity is a good idea, since the pressure of saying “yes” or “no” to each request – and you will get them – won’t fall solely on your shoulders. This can be the thing that saves your close relationships.

One thing many people think of is buying a new home. It’s important to remember the costs associated with such a purchase. Taxes, utilities and furniture are just some of the costs. You’ll also have extra costs come along for the ride in any luxury automobile, as opposed to the average car that I pretend all my readers drive so I’ll feel better about my own car.

So let’s sum it up. You get a lottery ticket. My kids go to college. (Okay, I guess yours can go too.) You win and be smart about it or you don’t and you keep playing because you love my kids. See you at the convenience mart.


See the archive of Shelli's columns as published in The Benton Courrier.