After years of waiting, Jeremy McLean of Roanoke Rapids can finally marry the woman of his dreams thanks to a $100,000 lottery prize.
"We've been engaged for four years," McLean said. "We just haven't had the extra money to get married until now."
McLean's fiancé Heidi Hobbs said the win will make her dream come true. "The first thought that ran through my head when he told me was, 'We can finally get married,'" Hobbs said. "I don't want anything fancy, just something simple to celebrate that we're together."
The electrician's good fortune happened Tuesday night when he stopped for some Mountain Dew at the New Dixie Mart on East 10th Street in Roanoke Rapids. While there, McLean spent $20 on a $5,000,000 Fortune scratch-off ticket.
"I didn't win anything on the ticket," McLean said. "I got back in my truck and started pulling out of the parking lot when something just said I should get another ticket."
McLean went back inside and asked for a second $5,000,000 Fortune scratch-off ticket. When he saw what he won, he rushed home to tell his fiancé.
"He came in yelling, 'I did it!'" Hobbs said. "When he showed me the ticket, I started jumping on the bed I was so excited. This feels like a dream!"
McLean claimed his prize Wednesday morning at lottery headquarters in Raleigh. After required state and federal tax withholdings, he took home $70,756.
"You've changed our lives forever," McLean said when he got the check. "This is incredible."
McLean is the first player to claim a big prize in the game since it launched earlier this week. Three $5 million prizes and five $100,000 prizes remain.
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Congratulations to Jeremy McLean and his fiance Heidi Hobbs!!
What a wonderful start to a life together.
Jeremy is an electrician which is an excellent trade. We do not know if Heidi is employed.
He heard a voice and paid attention to that voice.
$70,756.00 is a good start.
Probably read my thread in the discussion forum. Bringing joy to others makes my day..or not!
Have an uplifting weekend good people.
Save enough for the divorce!!!
wow.
lol that is a good 1. lol buy low.
and congrats to him. (and her) but you're able to marry on a dime, or a few hundred IF truly meant to be and really are IN LOVE, so congrats either way.
I m remembering i just bought one as soon as it came out new book here in nice wilson,
and won nothing on the 1st one at all.(i usually wait to buy a few and not on each/every TUE, (the new ones come out)like this one but he had major luck with buyin' these NEW one's during only a few days out! that's awesome!
So happy for him and her. so nice, just alot of taxes are taken out. So, i hope he flip it $
invest with the fiancee' wife to be, and live healthy and nice,and blessed!
Couldn't get married for the last four years because they didn't have $75 K to spare, even though anyone can get married for free or nominal fee at the courthouse...
Congrats to the dude on the windfall. The only caveat is now he will have to come up with a new excuse why he can't marry her.
it seems obvious that he didn't want to get married. doesn't even look that thrilled in the lottery picture. not buying the story about going back in for another ticket because he lost on the first one either. this story smells like fake news. it costs about 40.00 to get married if you really wanted to.
Paying under $100 to get married is a huge expense for some lottery players and as somebody suggested have the significant other should sign a prenup and then tell them about the win wouldn't work because she knows he won.
They will owe more taxes. The Lottery deducts 24% for the IRS. Then 13% is still owed.
Payment is due before tax day 2020.
"They will owe more taxes."
100k in lottery winnings and his income as an electrician in NC might give him a taxable income of 120 to 140k this year. He might owe a few bucks because his employer has been withholding taxes for an annual income that's a lot less, but the 24% withholding for the lottery win will cover every dime he owes for that.
"Paying under $100 to get married is a huge expense for some lottery players"
Dude managed to spend $40 on lottery tickets in less than5 or 10 minutes. You really think $100 to get married was such a huge expense he couldn't scrape it together in 4 years?
If they've wanted to get married for 4 years and didn't do it because they couldn't afford a fancy wedding they must want to be married less than I want a snack after dinner.
Congratulations !!
They will need a CPA. When do they start filing as married? How much of this year's income will be taxed? At what rate?
Congrats to the Lucky Couple!
Though estimates vary, the cost of an average wedding is well into the five figures. The website costofwedding.com pegs the national average at $25,764, while The Knot reports an average of $33,391. The Knot also says the typical wedding includes 100 to 150 guests.
Honeymoons comprise a $12 billion-dollar-a-year industry. Couples spend an average of $4,466 on their honeymoon. That's three times as much as the average U.S. adult spends on a vacation. Luxury honeymooners, which account for 15% of the market, spend an average of $9,954 for 11 days.
Get married in the City Hall and spend your money wisely instead.
Doesn't appear to be very many people here that paid taxes on incomes around $100,000 or understand IRS form "schedule A", but that doesn't stop some from pretending they do.
"If they've wanted to get married for 4 years and didn't do it because they couldn't afford a fancy wedding they must want to be married less than I want a snack after dinner."
Lots of people wait until they save enough for a fancy weddings and some even have their children in their weddings too.
"They will owe more taxes"
Federal tax on $100,000 is $18,290 and if the lottery deducted $24,000 from the winnings, he will get a return. And if they get married, their return will be more.
This right here will make or break their relationship. Well wishes to them both.
I think they were both content with the status quo.
The last time I checked, electricians make good money. He has no excuse now why he can't tie that big ole knot.
McLean might have figured 'why buy the cow when the milk is free?' In any way, none of my business or concern. As long as they're happy, that's the bottom line and congratulations!
that's funny "he has to come up with a NEW excuse, as to WHY he can't marry her lmfao good 1 again joe,
lol
i just read, this to me, and thanks for the quoting of my post and
LOVE MARCIA "sure, jan' lol
as my sister Rebekah in Orange County CALI, saying, "oh um yea sure they couldn't, Cassie! (She don't believe they were goin to rush and get married lol)
or would just do it lol my brother in law(on this winter's thanksgivin' eve) he is electrican for 20 yrs almost, make GREAT DOUGH $$$$ so he do not believe the guy lol or my sister lol
LOL but, yea i mean it sounds "odd" cotton eyed joe.
just go yes! to your local courthouse, and then
"later"if need be, have a nice big wedding. IF that is even needed...
so you're right.on courthouse et.al.,
Good luck joe, with your lottery this week coming up...
G-night.
oh i did not know that, hence, thank you for sharing such factual. (about WHEN married, their 2020 tax return will be more.)had no clue..
g-night. good luck with your own lottery a new week commencing! so good luck.
i know!
lol my sister in california, rebekah fiancee' mark is an electrician,
and he is doing' well $$$$ since young late 20s, into all thirties,
now upper to mid forties,and still doin' so $$$ well,hence, both marrying soon,
on 2019 thanksgiving eve,"
and they are both ready so a few more months. Good luck to you
red.
g-night.
"if they get married, their return will be more."
Does "return" = "refund"? I'm guessing the girlfriend isn't getting rich either, but with no clue how much she earns and how much is withheld it's kind of hard to know how much they'll have paid and how much they'll owe.
"The last time I checked, electricians make good money."
Maybe you're confusing what an electrical contractor charges their clients with what some of their employees make. As a rough guess, the annual income of an "electrician" in NC ranges from $10k to $10 million.
My point has wasn't about a return/refund or whatever you want to call it, but the fact somebody erroneously said "they will owe more in taxes. The Lottery deducts 24% for the IRS. Then 13% is still owed." and you commented on it.
I suppose if one never earned over $100,000 in one year they wouldn't know that income amount is taxed at around 22%, but if they don't know, why even comment on it?
Let's hope they don't get too extravagant, there's a saying, "The success of any marriage is inversely proportional to the amount spent on the wedding"
That is 100% true! Every over the top wedding I atttended resulted in all the couples divorcing within 10 years or far less. Ones who married with simple family only type weddings, are all still married.
Good point Artist77. I had a co-worker who was a bride's maid in a wedding that had 10 and 10, 10 bride's maids and 10 groom's men. Open bar and real expensive catered food. Honeymoon was spent in the Bahamas. Their marriage lasted two years.
There is a 3rd way to look at this, if they have been engaged for 4 years without money, there is a good chance they can go the distance if they end up poor. It's all in the wrist...* risk.
Lol I have been in weddings like that and it was like being in a Broadway play with high strung actors. And the 5 largest over the top ones I was in, lasted 3-5 years. I kept thinking....you could have put down a huge amount on your home or retirement account. I can see spending 3-6000 on the dress since it will be passed on, but the reception could be done in a Church or restaurant for a few thousand, assuming you keep the guests to family and very close friends. I attended one recently, and it cost over $100,000. The dress was over $30,000 and they had all these crazy fountains with chocolate or cheese.