Once you have won a big prize from the lottery, you might think that all the serious effort is performed. On the contrary, you'd be quite wrong! There are plenty of documented cases of people who've hit it big only to lose their fortunes through bad deals, unhealthy living, selfish acts, and other unfortunate events. So if you want to be a lottery success story, and avoid the famous "lottery curse" that appears to always make it to the front page of newspapers, here are some tips to help.

Get an attorney or financial planner

Before going public with your lottery winnings, it's a great idea to talk to an attorney and also a financial planer. Certain lawyers focus on lottery winners and how to best begin a wise life that will make the most of their winnings. Of course, the ultra-rich (millionaires and billionaires) got that way by being wise with their money. They have had their wealth for a long period. You, on the contrary, as a new lottery website winner, are thrust into the role of ultra-wealthy, without needing the years of experience that others may have had. This is why a lawyer can give great advice and be a good help while you begin your new life.

A financial planner can also be an important person to talk to. They may help you make the decisions early on in your life to guarantee that you never have to work again. If you make wise investments with your lottery winnings, as opposed to spending it foolishly, you will truly be a lottery success story.

Focus on your dreams

Winning the lottery is one thing that most of us dream of doing. So now that you've won, what would you like to do with your winnings? Maybe you have always wanted to travel. This is now your chance to be a world traveler. Or maybe you've always regretted that you weren't able to go to college. You have the opportunity to get that degree! Making a number of all your hopes and dreams can help you to find the best path to achieve them.

In addition, think beyond just things to buy. Sure a whole new car or dream home will be nice, but think more about lifestyle changes rather than new toys. Many people do not love their jobs, but find it nice to have a hobby to take up time. Your hobby can now become your full time profession, if you wish it. Being happy means spending your time doing the things you love.

Learn how to say "No"

Whenever you make a big win at the lottery, you will hear from friends you have not spoken to in years. You will hear from cousins that you never knew existed. You might even hear from complete strangers! How did everybody find you all of a sudden?

Most state lotteries make their winners public. It's within their terms of service that winners has to be prepared to go public. They do this for a range of reasons. For one thing, it is a great promotional device and it generates interest in the lottery. Additionally, it proves that the lottery is a fair draw and that there's absolutely no cheating going on. The flip side of this is that having their names made public puts a target on many lottery winners' lives. As a brand new lottery winner, you may have to learn how to say "no" to the many requests which will be coming to you. If you have a hard time doing this, then you will be effortlessly taken benefit of, and pretty soon you will find your fortunes dwindling.

One alternative for all those who may not be looking forward to a life of public scrutiny is to try their hand at online lotteries. The relative anonymity provided by winning online means that a big winner can still remain relatively anonymous. If you've always dreamed of having all of it, but you would like to still live the life of a regular Joe, then you certainly may want to try your hand at online lotteries.

Give some back to charity

Despite the fact that you definitely will have to say "no" to a great deal of greedy people trying to take advantage of you, you could discover that you are considering giving back to charity. Many millionaires and billionaires have done great things with their donations, whether it be to hospitals, colleges, or any other non-profit organizations. You may even donate your time! Even though it sounds crazy, many millionaires and lottery winners do it. (If you don't have a regular job anymore, or only work part-time resulting from winning the lottery, you might have a whole lot more free time for you to share and may discover that you enjoy volunteering tour time).

If you do opt to give to charity, do your research first. You'll need to discover what your interests are and how you want to see your money spent, so make a list about which charities interest you. You may even research your favorite charities to determine where they spend their money, just how much of each gift they receive is utilized for charity, and other facts. This data should help you decide on a few worthy charities.