From working sixty-hour weeks and never having the time to enjoy life, to working for the love of it and taking extended holidays all over the world – this mum from the Shire of Moorabool shares what life is really like after a lottery win.
The Victorian woman was the 12th First Prize winner to take home $20,000 a month for 20 years, in Set for Life draw 482, drawn 30 November 2016.
Speaking exclusively to the Lott, Annie* shared how winning the First Prize in Set for Life has changed her life, describing herself as ‘lucky beyond belief’.
The self-confessed battler said telling her close friends and family about her win bought her love and genuine happiness.
“When I got the phone call, I was with my mother and it was just absolute elation that we were able to share that life-changing news together,” she laughed
“We then gathered our very closest family and friends together and we asked them to all meet us for dinner. Thankfully, they were able to come at short notice and be there with us.
“There was so much love in the room. We had always been battlers and our family and friends were just really genuinely happy for us.”
Annie said winning the First Prize meant she could finally do the things she had always dreamt of.
“I used to work 60-odd hours a week, and not because I loved my job so much, but because I didn’t have a choice. My husband also worked full time, and now life has changed a lot for us, in a lot of ways,” she explained.
“I got a passport – that’s exciting - and I’ve used it!” she laughed.
“I’ve managed to take some family members on holidays that I would never have been able to do before and I have helped some people that needed a little bit of help.
“I think just being able to help other people a little bit and show them things that they wouldn’t have been able to see, as well as being able to see those wonderful things myself, has made me very happy.
“I also donate monthly to a number of charities that mean a lot to me – Guide Dogs, Make-a-Wish, there are a couple of them. And that’s really important for me as a person.
“It really has allowed me to do the things I always wanted to do for myself and do for others. They are no longer dreams, they are now things that I can make a reality and that makes me grateful. Every day I am grateful for what I have.”
The generous mum described how she had carefully planned how she would use her Set for Life First Prize to ensure it would benefit her family for decades to come.
“When we first won we took a year off from work and we enjoyed some amazing time together, lived in some amazing, hot tropical situations!” she shared.
“Then we were back to reality. My husband has gone back to work full time just because of the industry he’s in, but I have been lucky enough to go back to work part-time and on terms that suit me, which is great.
“I was able to change completely from the career I had and didn’t need to work the hours I once did. I was very lucky to be able to do that and I’m lucky to have the choice.
“It’s all about choice. Choices I never thought I would be able to have!”
The First Prize winner explained her thoughts on the unique ways Set for Life pays its winners in monthly instalments.
“I am so grateful it’s paid on a monthly basis because we have the time to consider how best to spend the money and how best to invest it,” she shared.
“This makes sure we don’t just live a wonderful life now, but we get to live a wonderful life for a long time and that we have a nest egg for our children. So I do think being paid monthly is a great way to be paid!”
The winner revealed how she celebrated her ‘$20k Day’ – the 15th of each month when her prize is paid.
“The 15th of every month is an exciting day in our household. It’s the day I will generally go out and spend money that I wouldn’t normally spend,” she laughed.
“It’s just a little something, a new pair of shoes, a new shirt, a new jumper, just something to spoil myself. I try to celebrate with that little something for myself or someone else.
“I am so grateful for our win! We just feel lucky beyond belief! It’s amazing - amazing!”
Annie is just one of 57 First Prize winners in Set for Life who will collectively take home $273,600,000 in prize money.
