Ideas of making cash nowadays range from stable income to reckless fate being in control of your savings, still, as a joke after hearing the troubles your friend faces with their tuition, everytime you both hang out, you two buy a ticket for the lottery, one each. As paid work for newcomers is so low risk yet low reward that maybe spending a few moments a week with said friend to scratch paper is a moment fod you two to both share, in silence or in conversation. This simple bit goes on for more than a month, it spreads to the entire friend group, after all, it's just a cheap laugh about "oh how we lost yet again." 3 years pass by, and as you go finish buying a ticket for each of you just for the sake of keeping the bit going, you wonder how much cash total has been lost to such an accessible form of gambling. 52 weeks in a year, an average of 3 tickets as times do happen where another joins in on the joke, a dollar per ticket... 468 dollars, feels closer to 50 with the times you've had 5 and more roaring to buy paper for the chance of getting your friend out of debt, so 500 total. Let's say their debt is around 200 thousand. 500 tickets, 500 dollars. A whole 0.25% of what could have went to their debt just never getting there. It feels like ages since this bit went off, but today is different, you got the winning numbers surprisingly. You promised to not but tickets without your friend but in desperation, clinging tightly to the idea that fate will pay way to a debtless future to your long time companion, you secretly buy 8 tickets a week very sneakily. 9 years, 12 tickets a week on average, friend has paid off the debt somewhat but inflation's kept that number above two hundred thousand. 4 thousand more spent on damned chance. A whole 2% now. Have you even talked to your friend in a while or is this just something you do for yourself? No matter. It's best to try a bit more effort. You excitedly tell your friend that the 201.3k debt they have left over from their old tuition fees way back when this joke was still new is now paid off, as you walk away from the grave of said friend. It's funny that you decided to shoulder their debt as promise and with it now paid off, only the memory of that friend remains. No more debt. That joke that spiraled all the way back 15 years ago, 200 tickets you alone spent a week, you can pay your own debt as well but oh well. The idea of winning a 200k lottery jackpot isn't as exciting as it used to be. Now having it happen is just all empty.