My wife is driving me nuts. Help me!

**koenn** · June 21st, 2013

Originally Posted by whatthefunk

Show her that $40 per ticket adds up to a lot of money. If she spends $40 per week on lottery, thats $2,080 per year. I dont know how old you and your wife are, but say youre in your 40s and have, hopefully, a good 35 years of life left. $2,080 per year times 35 years is $72,800. By not buying lottery tickets, shes essentially won the lottery.

Using logic to make her change her mind ? He's got a better chance at winning the lottery than for that to work.

**agillator** · June 21st, 2013

koenn, I wholeheartedly agree with you. Logic is of no use here. Mikodo either needs to decide it is not worth the energy and effort to do anything and there may be nothing to do anyway, or he needs to use some very serious psychology. She needs to decide to stop playing the lottery and she is not going to decide that by his arguing or discussing or using logic. The reason I mentioned Dreikers to him is his idea of 'logical consequences' seems to work for all ages in most any situation.

**agillator** · June 21st, 2013

By the way, mikodo, if you think my idea is at least worth checking out, I did check Amazon and the book is available. http://www.amazon.com/Children-Chall.../dp/0452266556. Just be careful about leaving it lying around. She may pick it up and use it's ideas on you, too! Seriously, although it is a book about raising children, it works equally well for adults. I've seen it.

**Sam Mills** · June 21st, 2013

Originally Posted by agillator

On the other hand, I figure I have won a dollar a week on the lottery here - I don't play.

Going by that logic, I must be rich! That System76 laptop I didn't buy for $800, I must have won that $800. That $10,000 car I didn't buy, is $10,000 I've won! Thanks, now I'm going to not go out and not celebrate with all of the money I didn't spend!

**Copper Bezel** · June 21st, 2013

The comparison case is still valid, though. mikodo is winning $40 more per lottery than his wife is. That could be compared over any arbitrary length of time.

**Erik1984** · June 21st, 2013

That $40/month is a mighty number. Show her how many shoes she could've bought with that $40 by not participating in the lottery for 10 years.

**nothingspecial** · June 21st, 2013

My wife buys shoes and jewellery and stuff I don't see any value in, I buy records and gadgets and stuff that she can't see the value in. So long as the lottery ticket purchases are not more than you can afford, let her have some fun

**3rdalbum** · June 22nd, 2013

How about telling her that she's allowed to spend $10 of your money per week on the lottery, but she's allowed to spend $30 per week of her own money, on the lottery.

The only way she can spend $40 per week on the lottery is by getting a job - she she'll be bringing in more than $40 a week if she got a part-time job. Win!

**Irihapeti** · June 22nd, 2013

Sometimes it's about the consequences. If the consequences of not playing the lottery are more desirable (to her) than playing it, she'll stop playing.