How to Get A Million Dollars Without Playing the Lottery

One million dollars, a majestic number don’t you agree. One million dollars, a splendid word that seems to roll off the tongue so easily. Now before we go any further, try saying it with me – one million dollars. Oh, didn’t that feel good? Come on, let’s say it together one more time – one million dollars.

Although, one million dollars is not what it once was given inflation and the current cost of living, it is unlikely that anyone of us would knowingly give up the chance to have a million dollars. However, unknowingly many U.S. families are doing just that. More families than you could imagine are forgoing – with increased regularity – the opportunity to have a million dollars.

Lifetime Income

Recently, the U.S. Census Bureau released the results of a study on lifetime income. The findings indicate that high school graduates earn $1 million less than those earning bachelor degrees. On average, a bachelor’s degree recipient can expect to earn $2.4 million over their lifetime. Additionally, the study reported that those earning a doctorate degree can expect to earn $2 million more than high school graduates. If math is not your strong suit, I’ll make it clearer:

• Average lifetime earnings for high school dropout – $1.0 million
• Average lifetime earnings for high school graduate – $1.4 million
• Average lifetime earnings for a college graduate – $2.4 million
• Average lifetime earnings for doctorate degree – $3.4 million

I hope the aforementioned data makes it clear – painfully clear in fact – that making sure your child stays in school has significant financial benefits.

More Important Than Money

It is not my intent to reduce the benefits of an education to money. Quite the contrary! I’m a proponent of learning and I believe lifetime learning is a key to a well lived life. I also believe that there are so many things more important than financial remuneration. I merely point out the financial significance because Americans have a fascination with being a millionaire.

Check Amazon for example and you will find countless books about “how to become a millionaire”. Yet, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you won’t find very many if any books that teach becoming a millionaire by simply staying in school – graduating from high school, graduating from college and earning a graduate or professional degree.

Here Are My Lucky Numbers

Every school day more than 5,000 students drop out of school. Those children who dropout more often than not become members of the unfortunate Americans. Unfortunate Americans are those who are most likely to be incarcerated, living at or below poverty levels, depending on government assistance, and the like. There is one additional category high school dropouts become members of – purchasers of lottery tickets.

The revenue of the North American lottery industry exceeds $ 70 billion – that’s seven-zero with a B. The vast majority of those contributing to the outlandish profit of the lottery system are the poor and uneducated. In fact, it is estimated that about 20 percent of the population – mainly the poor and uneducated – are the ones who purchase lottery tickets the most consistently.

In a most cruel irony, those who dropout and or only complete high school are the lottery’s best and most dependable customers. This groups spends 5% or more of their earnings on lottery tickets. They partake on such a level because like nearly everyone in America, they want to be a millionaire.

Fat Chance

It’s unfortunate, that those who place their hopes on a game of chance didn’t realize or were not convinced earlier on in life that there was a better option. The option that consistently provides better odds that the lottery is known as continuing your education.

The chances of winning a lottery like the Powerball jackpot are practically zero. Well actually the odds are about one in 175.2 million. Needless to say that the odds of becoming a millionaire by continuing your education are significantly higher. If you want to personally know a millionaire someday, you can start by considering the following:

1.  Thirty Million – The American Academy of Pediatrics released the results of a study which indicated that many Americans particularly those who are dropouts suffered a 30 million deficit. Not $30 million deficit but 30 million word deficit. The study found that the word gap of 30 million words is evident by age 4 and is typically associated with low-income households.

The study provides guidelines for physicians to give to parents. The goal is to encourage parents to read out loud, sing and talk to their children as early as birth. The underlying aim is to help families raise children who will not suffer the socially and economically ill effects of the 30 million word gap.

2.  Everybody Read – Pick a specific day of the week or designate a time each day where the entire family reads. From finding a book that is age appropriate for the youngest reader that the entire family can read together to selecting individual books for each family member – families simply must make the time to read. The key is to start reading from conception, keep reading through infancy and read and read and read some more.

I’m in a bookstore several times a week. Rarely if ever do I see families come in the bookstore together, select a book, and read together. Hardly ever do I see parents bring their children in the bookstore and read a book from the enormous children’s selection.

The lack of reading and parent-child engagement is a sad phenomenon – one we need to change immediately. A huge store with nothing but great books, coffee, tea and all sorts of pastries and it’s underutilized. Please don’t tell me it’s time to sell books at McDonald’s.

3.  Book Report – If you want your child’s reading skills to increase faster have your child write a book report. Yes, you read that correctly. Have your child read a book and write a book report. I realize reading your child’s book report might require a little extra time out of your busy day but remember it’s worth a million dollars.

If you have concerns about the book your child might choose, relax! I can’t imagine very many children who would have the nerve to choose a book to do a book report on which they knew their parents would not approve. Your child is going to choose an acceptable book and if by some strange chance they don’t – consider the glass half full. The book report will provide an opportunity to have meaningful parent-child dialogue before it’s too late.

More than simply testing the decision-making ability of your child, a book report is a great way to evaluate your child’s reading comprehension, spelling, vocabulary and grammar. A book report is also a great way to give your child a leg up on other children.

Let’s face it, at some point, your child will have to write a report. Now is as good a time as any to give proper instruction on how to do what they will have to do all the way through their PhD – write term papers.

4.  Book Presentation – Don’t just stop with the book report. Add one additional dimension to reading and writing. Have your child give an oral book presentation. Pick one day a week where the family will present a summary and review of a book.

Parents often ignore the fact that there are numerous learning styles. Among the most common are reading, visual, auditory and tactile. This is a great way to find out about the preferred way that your child learns.

Having your child prepare and give a book presentation has the potential of giving your child a chance to become skilled public speaker. This is just another good opportunity to give you child a leg up on the classmates who may one day be the competition for the college scholarship or a job.

Reading Is The Lifeline

Before today, you knew reading was fundamental. Now you know reading is worth a million dollars or more. So who not only wants to be a millionaire but who is ready to read a book?

What was the last book your child read? What was the last book you read? Have you read Raising Supaman?