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Catherine Lane

North Carolina Man Predicted He’d Win Big Then Actually Won A Huge Lottery Prize

Author Catherine Lane

A North Carolina man predicted he’d win big and then actually won a huge lottery prize. According to North Carolina lottery officials, James Brown of Lenoir recently told a store clerk he just felt it in his bones that he would be a winner soon. Turns out, a few weeks later his premonition came true. James won $500,000 off a $10 scratch off ticket.

Brown is quoted in the Charlotte Observer, “I told her one of these days I’m going to win the big prize and two week later I did”. Where did Brown purchase the winning ticket? His lucky $10 Double Diamond Cashword ticket was purchased from the Shop and Save on Morganton Boulevard Southwest in Lenoir.

Like a good husband, James called his wife right away with the good news. Seems she was a bit incredulous. He recalls her first reaction was “no, you did not”. They will enjoy the hefty sum that comes even after taxes. After Uncle Sam takes his cut that comes to  $357,503.  “It came at the right time” according to Brown. This North Carolina man predicted he’d win big and then actually won a huge lottery prize.

I always like to know what people plan to do with their lottery winnings. Most people say they plan to retire early or boost their savings. Some say they will help family or donate to their church or favorite charity. James Brown of Lenoir, North Carolina just got his money so he hasn’t had time yet to know where it will all be allocated.  He does report that he plans to use at least some of his North Carolina Education lottery winnings to renovate his house. One thing is for sure, this Caldwell County couple is glad the vision came true.

North Carolina Lottery officials say a $15 million dollar grant, using money raised by the lottery is helping local schools. The funds helped Caldwell County build the new Granite Falls Middle School. To learn more about this story get details here from wsoctv.com.

Here's How Much Money It Takes To Live Comfortably In The 5 Major North Carolina Cities

It’s hard to not be stressed or depressed about money these days. Prices have skyrocketed and I often joke that the value of everything seems to have gone up- except me. But goods and services don’t tell the entire pictures when it comes to cost of living. So how much money does it take to live comfortably in each of the major cities? A lot. The financial experts at Smart Asset recently conducted a study about the salary needed to live comfortably in cities across the country.

How Much Money It Takes To Live Comfortably

Smart Asset recommends a budget they describe as the 50/30/20 budge. This means that 50% of your salary should go to to needs. They include costs such as housing, transportation, and groceries in this category. The 30% is allocated to entertainment and hobbies. While the final 20% should be used to pay off debt, or if you’re lucky enough to be debt free saving or investing.

So to conduct this study they took the “local cost of necessities and taxes” and factored it into the 50/30/20 budget to determine the “pre-tax salary needed to live comfortably” in the 99 largest U.S. cities. They found that $96,500 is the amount needed for an individual to live comfortably in a major U.S. city. 5 North Carolina cities were included in this study. The five largest in the state- Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Durham, and Winston-Salem. When it comes to the amount of money it takes to live comfortably in North Carolina cities, only two were less than average. I thought the south was supposed to be cheaper!

These days it truly feels like most people are living paycheck to paycheck or at least not able to save significant money. Even though when it comes to salary people are making higher than they have before that money doesn’t go near as far as it did even a few years ago. Keep reading to see how much money it takes to live comfortably in each of the 5 largest North Carolina cities. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though, it may sting a little!

Read the full study from Smart Asset here.

  • Winston- Salem

    Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA Downtown Skyline.

    According to this data the most affordable North Carolina major city to live in is Winston-Salem. This Triad city is the fifth most populous in the state. It features a vibrant downtown, historic sites including Old Salem, and lot’s of character and charm. It’s the home of Wake Forest University, and provides easy access to other areas of the state as well.

    Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $39.36

    Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $81,869

    Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $194,605

  • Greensboro

    Drone Aerial of Downtown Greensboro North Carolina NC Skyline

    Staying in the same area the next city on this list is Greensboro. It’s slightly more expensive than Winston and located in Guilford County. Greensboro is the third most populous city in the state.

    Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $41.88

    Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $87,110

    Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $203,674

  • Durham

    Durham, North Carolina, USA downtown cityscape.

    We now move to the Triangle. The third most expensive city to live in is Durham. The city offers lots of great jobs in tech and is home to Duke University. Downtown Durham has lots to offer from breweries and restaurants, to sports, arts, and entertainment.

    Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $47.62

    Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $99,050

    Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $233,043

  • Charlotte

    Charlotte Skyline

    No Charlotte doesn’t require the largest salary much to my surprise. The largest city in the state is the 2nd most expensive. And that hourly wage? I don’t know many people making that.

    Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $48.72

    Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $101,338

    Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $235,123

  • Raleigh

    A colorful daytime cityscape of downtown Raleigh North Carolina

    Which means the city where it takes the highest amount of money to live comfortably? The state capitol of Raleigh. Though it was a close race and fair to say the cost of living is fairly comparable between Charlotte and Raleigh. But hey if they want to win this one I’m ok with it since it impacts my bank account!

    Hourly Wage Needed For A Single Adult: $49.40

    Salary Needed For A Single Adult: $102,752

    Total Salary Needed For Two Working Adults And Two Children: $235,872

Catherine Lane is the morning show co-host and midday host on Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for the past 24 years and is a recipient of the Academy of Country Music Major Market Personality of the Year award. Catherine has been on air in both radio and television in the Queen City for 38 years. As a content creator for Country 1037, Catherine writes blogs on local events and restaurants. She also writes about great travel spots and out of the way places in the Carolinas. Anything outdoors, travel, food, animals or the many country artists from the Carolinas.

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