We’ve all dreamed of winning the lottery. We’ve spent hours, maybe even days, throughout our lifetimes planning what we’d do if we ever got lucky enough to have our numbers come up.

For some of us, the ultimate goal would be to own a Ferrari or lay our heads down in a sprawling country mansion. For others, the fantasy is a little more altruistic: setting up a horse sanctuary, or being able to fund the ambitions of the people we love.

But did you know that bog-standard lotteries are not the only way to win big? Unlike the traditional lotteries we’re familiar with, there are a number of others out there, some of which pay out not just once, but in regular intervals for a period of years. Seeking to change the lives of those who win, their aim is to set you up forever. Intrigued and want to find out a little more? Here are two you need to know about.

Available to UK residents, Set for Life turns on a pretty unique concept: the top prize is not a lump sum of money, but a means of changing your life forever. Having just launched on 15th March this year, its tickets are priced at £1.50 and can be bought both in-store and online. The way it works is simple: you choose five numbers between one and 47, and an additional ‘life ball’ number between one and 10. Match all six and you’ll receive an astonishing £10,000 per month for the next 30 years. We can’t think of many things more enticing than that!

Cash4Life

Intriguingly, the Set for Life lottery is not the only one that’s changing the way we play. Cash4Life works on a similar principle. A lottery betting game from Lottoland – where you bet on the outcome of an existing lottery game – it’s even more lucrative than its counterpart, paying out £1,000 a day for the rest of each winner’s life. Second prize is pretty profitable too: £1,000 a month for as long as the runner-up lives. The game revolves around the New York Cash4Life Lottery, and playing is simple. Costing £2.50 per ticket, players must pick five numbers from one to 60, as well as an extra ‘cash ball’ from one to four.

Set for Life vs Cash4Life

Of course, this poses something of a conundrum for those who want to play one of these ‘lifetime lotteries’. The good news is that both Set for Life and Cash4Life offer many boons, so you can’t really go wrong with either. The major upside to them is that you’re not at risk of going wild and spending your winnings all in one go, so you can stay safe in the knowledge that you have a steady and reliable income to fall back on.   

However, one area where the latter undoubtedly reigns supreme is the size of the prize pot. Whilst £10,000 a month for 30 years is nothing to be sneered at, £1,000 a day for the remainder of your life definitely works out better – a fact backed up by the figures. Indeed, the difference is marked, with those who win the Set for Life pot walking away £3.6 million richer after three decades of payouts, compared to Cash4Life winners coming out almost £11 million in the black after the same amount of time.

Tell us, were you to ever buy or bet on the winning ticket, what would you spend your prize money on?

We already know that humble Ipswich is not only the greatest town in the South East but also the entire country.

While the overcrowded, overpriced, and over-polluted capital might hog all of the limelight, it is actually Suffolk that houses the most fascinating and lively metropolis of these islands. With a history stretching back thousands of years and a leading role in countless important historical events, true culture vultures would be better off avoiding the Big Smoke altogether and heading straight to our sunny shores.

Here are the three indisputable ways that Ipswich is better than London.

History 

Sure, the Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral might look impressive, but once you’ve elbowed your way through the crowds of gawking tourists, there really isn’t that much to get excited about. Our history is so rich that we don’t need to make a big song and dance about it. One of the grandest historical buildings in town, Ancient House, currently houses a branch of Lakeland Plastics.

Our monument to the Russian Prince Alexander, who fled the Communists to make a new home in Ipswich, is a grey, muted slab tucked away in an obscure corner of town. The same goes for our statue of Cardinal Wolsey, the Tudor Kingmaker who was born here. When you have as much history as Ipswich, you don’t need to bang on about it.

Nightlife 

Rather than having to face-off against brutal bouncers and merciless door policies at the exclusive, glitzy nightclubs of the capital, you can have the night of your life in Ipswich without the unnecessary stress. Instead of trying your luck at Fabric you can just head to Unit 17, formerly known as a branch of Liquid Envy. Whilst the always-rowdy Unit 17 humbly bills itself as “the only nightclub in Ipswich”, there are plenty of other raucous options for the keen nightcrawler.

If your idea of a good time is the night at the casino, you can be a high roller without having to dress up in a tuxedo. The town centre has not one, but two branches of the small casino chain Cashino, which one online reviewer described as “okay”, so you know they must be good. While these hotspots might not offer the glamour of the roulette table, people looking to channel their inner James Bond can always play roulette online, without having to step out onto the mean street of Ipswich.

Architecture  

Last but not least is Ipswich’s stunning architectural heritage. Any true connoisseur would agree that the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf look gauche in comparison to the elegant Willis Building, one of Norman Foster’s first ever commissions. Similarly, the sprawling glass complex that houses the county council, Endeavour House, surely puts The Shard to shame.

Stepping further back in time, architecture fans can soak up the soaring tower of the Medieval St Mary-le-Tower church, or simply walk a little further down to road to take in 3-5 Silent Street, the oldest house in all of Ipswich, which dates back to 1480.

As you can see, Ipswich really does have a lot to offer both tourists and locals. Next time you’re considering getting a train down to London for the weekend, remember that anything they can do, we can do better.