Money Talks # 72???? -Buying Lottery Tickets or Start Investing

This morning, while I was out cycling with my 1-year-old son Dhruv, we met a young man in his early 20s who was buying a lottery ticket, something he does daily for ?40.

He told me he works as a waiter and, due to his low salary, hopes to win the lottery and use the money to open his own restaurant.

He's been doing this for a couple of years now, seeing it as his only option to make a big leap financially.

I explained to him that if he could instead invest ?3,000 per month, he could accumulate ?10 lakhs in 12 years.

By increasing his investment by 10% each year, he could reach his goal even faster.

This would be a reliable way to build the capital he needs for his restaurant, unlike the lottery, which depends on luck.

If that young man were your brother, would you advise him to continue buying lottery tickets or encourage him to start investing for a more certain future?