I scooped a cash prize on the lottery but pals can’t believe I spent most of it on my dog… I have no regrets
A DOG owner who scooped hundreds of pounds in a free postcode lottery spent the cash in the least glamourous way possible – getting her pup spayed.
Laura Elleray, 30, wanted to treat herself after her £415 win but ended up forking out £320 on sterilising her Weimaraner Evie.
Thankfully, she used the rest of the dosh to take herself out for a pricey meal with a bottle of wine.
Laura, who works in procurement, said: “Evie is a really big dog so it was quite expensive but it needed doing.
“That was quite a boring adult thing to spend the money on.
“But I split it with my ex as we have shared custody of her.
“The rest of it went on a really nice dinner with a nice bottle of wine – something I wouldn’t have done anyway. It’s nice to have a treat isn’t it?”
Laura, from Buckingham, who also has a working cocker spaniel called Poppy, entered the Pick My Postcode draw after reading about it in the Money Saving Expert newsletter.
The lottery is completely free to enter as it is funded by advertising and market research, not ticket sales.
All users have to do is log onto the website each day and check if their postcode is the winning one.
When Laura saw hers online in September, she thought she was being scammed.
“I was completely shocked. I almost clicked off and didn’t realise,” she said.
“£415 is quite a lot for this kind of draw. I thought, ‘is it a scam?’
“I didn’t think it was real.
“I was slightly worried I might have scammed myself but obviously I hadn’t and it was amazing.”
Laura, who lives alone, added: “It meant so much to me.
“Having a bit of a cushion to help me through the following months was amazing.
“I was always a bit sceptical that I’d win anything, but checking the website and building my bonus eventually paid off.
“I’d definitely recommend entering. I immediately told all my family and now they all do it too.”
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.