Boston Daily’s Economic Survival Plan: Gambling and Hustling


1222184973As every barfly knows, there’s a correlation between the amount of alcohol consumed and one’s ability to play pool. Get a pleasant buzz, and you’re banking shots like they do on ESPN Classic. Have one Sam Adams too many, and you struggle to sink the easy shots.

The Massachusetts lottery and the overall economic picture have a similar relationship. When the economy was facing only the foreclosure crisis (remember those halcyon days?), ticket sales were up dramatically.

Now that financial giants are collapsing like a college student at closing time, Massachusetts residents are less willing to gamble.

Lottery sales so far this fiscal year are growing by only 2.2 percent, a slowdown caused by a fragile economy and high fuel prices that cut into sales, [lottery executive director Mark] Cavanagh said.

Part of our “weathering the economic downturn” strategy has been to spend a dollar a week on a Mega Millions quick-pick. We figure it’s a less risky move than putting that same buck in our money market account. Combine that with our investments in $2,000 bedsheets and the items we’ve posted on Buy My S—tpile, Henry! and we’re bound to make it through these troubled times unscathed (and possibly richer).

Either that, or we’ll have a couple of beers and hustle you at the pool table. Whatever it takes.

Image from Massachusetts State Lottery website