North Carolina Man To Pay Off Mortgage With Lottery Winnings

There's a phrase that's often used when it comes to lottery winnings.  That phrase is "life changing money."  Look, there's not question that if you win a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot, that is the case.  Overnight you've accumulated generational wealth.  However, too often I (and I'm sure a lot of you) dismiss scratch-off ticket/other lotto wins of less than million dollars as, "Oh that's great, but it's not like his/her life will be any different."

How much more wrong can you and I be?  I hadn't really considered my stupidity until I read out loud the story of Bryan Caves.  The Willow Spring man recently won $120,000 in the North Carolina Education Lottery's Cash 5.  On November 16, he looked down at his ticket and realized he'd matched all 5 numbers.  After taxes Caves took home $85,501.  This is the part where I normally say, "Good for him.  It's not like he can quit his job or anything."

Then I read where Caves stated his intention for the windfall.  He says he'll use the money for home repairs and to pay off his mortgage.  Those last four words:  pay off his mortgage.  Say them out loud.  Then imagine if being able to pay off YOUR mortgage would be life-changing?  OF COURSE IT WOULD BE.  The possibilities this opens up are endless.  Think about being able to save that money each month.  Think about being able to invest it?  Think about being able to travel or perhaps look into a second home?  85 grand may not be enough to quit your job, but once that mortgage is paid, it can actually bring the magic word, retirement into sharp focus.

So congratulations to Bryan Caves on his life-changing Cash 5 win with The North Carolina Education Lottery.

There are some states that are luckier than others. There is no doubt about it. North Carolina made the list of 15 lucky states in the United States, according to OLBG. Everyone has fantasized about winning the lottery, whether it's the Mega Millions or the Powerball. Whether you're planning a lavish vacation, buying a house, treating a loved one, giving to charity, or all of the above, when we buy a ticket we always have a little bit of hope and our imaginations go wild when we hear about the unclaimed winning ticket...

When it comes to winning big on the lottery, which states are the luckiest? To determine where in America has the greatest likelihood of winning the big bucks, OLBG analyzed all lottery winners in the U.S. with a jackpot of $300 million or more. You can see the top 15 states below.

California was ranked 12th luckiest state despite having the highest number of big lottery winners, primarily because the state has such a large population that there are very few lottery winners, and the average winning ticket for a California winner is only $190.5 million.

North Carolina has won a whopping $1.1 billion between both lottery winners, making its average winning ticket $550 million, the highest in the country. As a result of its higher population, North Carolina didn't quite capture the title by itself, with a lower percentage of its population winning than New Hampshire.

In terms of lottery jackpot winners, New Hampshire and North Carolina share the gold for the luckiest states. Residents in New Hampshire have won a total of $693.7 million, which is an average of $346.85 million per winning ticket. As one of the states with the highest percentage of people who have won over $300 million, New Hampshire has the third smallest population.