ODDBALL LOTTO WINS STRIKE FLAXMERE
Four Division 1 prizes in one shop Plus $2.5 million won in Hastings Winning numbers 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 13 — how very odd!
It was all odds against the odds in Flaxmere on Wednesday, with five people winning Lotto’s first division. The numbers drawn were all odd, a rare occurrence
The story gets odder still, however, with four of those five tickets being sold in one shop.
Scott Drive Four Square owner Becky Gee is bubbling with excitement about the win.
“Most of our customers are local people, so hopefully it will help with lots of families,” Gee said.
She said it was the first time they had sold a first division ticket.
“We have second division winners, we have top prize for Instant Kiwi, but Lotto first division, this is the first time.”
The fifth Flaxmere ticket was sold at Flaxmere Pharmacy, where the owner Tim Klingender said the pharmacy was stoked one of its customers had won a big prize.
“It’s going to help untold with paying mortgages, paying bills.”
Hastings councillor for Flaxmere, Jacoby Poulain, wanted to congratulate the families who had won.
“For a community like Flaxmere it will do a marvellous amount of good.”
She said she hoped the families would be able to treat themselves a bit, because people in Flaxmere worked incredibly hard for their wha¯nau.
Budget adviser Kristal Leach’s biggest piece of advice was to take your time when it came to spending a windfall.
“You should treat yourself, life is about stopping and enjoying yourself along the way, but there’s no need to spend it all in one week! “Take out $1000, spend it how you will, put the rest of the $24,000 in the bank for three months, sit on it, come and see us, let’s go through a financial plan and set some goals for that money.
“Don’t go out and quit your job, or blow it on a new car.”
She said three months allowed the novelty of the money to wear off.
“It buys you time to think about it.” The five Flaxmere tickets join 40 others throughout New Zealand who won first division, with each winner taking home $25,000.
Two winning Powerball tickets were also sold — one at Countdown Hastings, with that winner taking home $2,525,000.