…if you can still afford to blow chunks of your paycheck on the lottery. This report from WRAL.com summarizes the reality of lottery fever in an age of $4-per-gallon gas.

Lottery sales have risen 60 percent this spring compared with last, despite high gas prices. The article describes one woman who plays seven days a week and spends $60 per week ($240 per month). That would pay for several full tanks for your SUV.

Meanwhile, the media continues to pepper us with stories (example) of high gas prices pushing average Americans to the brink of poverty. Maybe avid lottery players should look beyond gas prices for an explanation of why they are experiencing financial hardships.