Woman wins $11.7 million lottery, keeps her job as a server

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Minn. Woman Wins Lottery, Plans To Go Back To Work As Server
Minn. Woman Wins Lottery, Plans To Go Back To Work As Server


It's a question we've all probably pondered: If you won the lottery, or otherwise came into a boatload of money, how would your life change?

Well, for one Minnesota family, the answer is apparently -- not much. Rhonda and Joe Meath of Bethel, Minnesota just won $11.7 million in the Minnesota Lottery. Joe is already retired, but Rhonda's plan? Just go back to work and keep her server job at the Lake Elmo Inn.

Joe explains, "I don't think it's going to change our life that much."

Rhonda agrees. "No. We just hope it doesn't change people around us. Because we're just really easy going and laid back."

So laid back it seems that the couple won't be splurging on new cars either. While Rhonda might go for an upgrade, Joe told KMSP: "My truck has 280,000 [miles] on it and I'm going to try to get 500,000 on it. I mean we're not doing anything special except help our kids and family."

OK, so there is a little bit of splurging going on, but thus far it all seems to be for good causes.

The couple says they'll set some money aside for their kids, donate some of the money to a local Police K-9 foundation and according to The Star Tribune they've already given the young woman who sold them the winning ticket $15,000 for her part.

Of course, not everyone is quite so conscientious when it comes to spending a newly acquired windfall.

Business Insider wrote up a list of 20 lottery winners who blew their fortunes on everything from big houses, to fancy cars, to partying and even gambling.

And TheBlaze points to one lucky winner who managed to blow a prize of more than $300 million: "Powerball winner Jack Whitaker. He landed the big kahuna Christmas day of 2002, but booze, strippers, fancy cars, and a freewheeling daughter who turned to substance abuse ruined his fairy tale fortune."

According to USA Today some of the things not to do should you hit the big time include: telling everyone you know, managing your own finances, and living the high-life.

Well, Joe and Rhonda don't seem to have any plans of living the high life, but everybody pretty much knows about their winnings.

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