What's $1M anymore? N.B. lotto winners say not having to work is still a sweet prize
Lower Norton couple intends to stay frugal after joyfully spreading some wealth around
Shortly after Bruce Rupert and Shelly Brewer won $1M on Lotto 6/49 in February, their jackpot was eclipsed by far bigger wins in New Brunswick, including a mind-boggling $64-million ticket sold in the Bathurst area, which so far remains unclaimed.
But that has not diminished the thrill of their good fortune, or the great relief of not having to work anymore.
"This is not money for us to blow," said Rupert, 57, who served with the Armed Forces before working a decade as a firefighter and 23 years as a paramedic. "It's a paycheque without having to break my body."
"I'm not a big spender," said Brewer, 63, who left her job as a home-care worker. "I've never been the type of person to go out and buy jewelry and lots of clothing and makeup and things like that. I've just never been that type of woman."
The couple, who live Lower Norton, about 44 kilometres northeast of Saint John, said they invested almost all their winnings to generate what they described as a steady but modest income they hope will last the rest of their lives.
That means no moving into a fancier home or making major lifestyle changes. At the grocery store, Brewer said, she still looks for sales, and Rupert still has his hair cut at home.
Thus far, no one treats them any differently when they run errands, such as picking up groceries at Kredl's in Hampton.
A few splurges
"We were told that we will be bombarded with phone calls from strangers and family and to expect negative calls, and we've had none of that," Brewer said."It's been nothing but well wishes and 'Hey, this is great for you guys.'"
That's not to say there were no splurges. Rupert ordered a new GMC Sierra truck. Brewer picked up a 2021 Buick Encore in pearlescent pink and then won, by the way, $200 in a contest at the dealership the day she picked up the car.
However, she said, none of that compares to the delight of being able to pass along her Kia Forte to her daughter.
"I just felt like Oprah," Brewer said. "Like, you get a car, and you get a car."
Hard to shake myth
One of the most enduring myths about lottery winners is that research has shown they end up unhappy and with nothing.
In 2018, the National Endowment for Financial Education, based in Colorado, had to issue a news release to debunk a widely reported misquote in the media.
"Over the past couple of years several news organizations have attributed a statistic to the National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE) stating that 70 per cent of lottery winners end up bankrupt in just a few years after receiving a large financial windfall," said the release.
"This statistic is not backed by research from NEFE, nor can it be confirmed by the organization."
A 2020 Swedish study suggested just the opposite — that lottery winnings do have a positive impact on quality of life.
The working paper, by Erik Lindqvist from the Stockholm School of Economics, Robert Ostling, from Stockholm University and David Cesarini from New York University, surveyed thousands of Swedish lottery winners about their psychological well-being from five to 22 years after their wins.
They found large prize winners (wins of $100,000 US or more) reported higher life satisfaction. The study also found that the benefits did not diminish over time.
Peace of mind
Rupert said it took him some time to recognize he was free from a worklife treadmill.
"There was a time where I thought I overslept and got cleaned up and had a shower and put my uniform on and reached the door, and it was like, 'Wait a minute. I'm retired. What am I doing?'"
"Yeah,' said Brewer. "You did that two or three times."
Now the uniform is put away.
He said the prospect of a surprise expense doesn't cause him as much anxiety as it did before.
"To know that absolutely without a doubt that if some emergency happens that we have a little bit set aside … that's a huge relief," said Brewer.
It's also been fun, they said, to share some money with siblings and take some pressures off their minds.
"If this was to happen again, it would be the same scenario only more. We could give more away," said Rupert. "That would be great."
Rupert said he continues to purchase lottery tickets about twice a week, and winning a major prize again may not be out of the question.
"Bruce wins a lot," Brewer said. "I mean like 10 dollars, 20 dollars. He'll be like, 'I just won 50. I just won 20. He wins almost every time. So rub him for luck."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
