Do you play the lottery with hopes of winning a big jackpot? If so, you probably already have some idea how you would spend some of the money by buying a new home or car or taking a really great vacation.

Fayetteville's Consumer Credit Counseling Service reminds lottery players that the tried and true way to achieving financial dreams is to set goals, work hard, spend less than you make and save the difference.

According to CCCS, playing the lottery can reduce your likelihood of financial success.

"Lottery tickets can zap a budget over time," said Janet warren, branch manager of CCCS. "People think 'It's just a dollar, it doesn't matter.' But $10 spent on the lottery every week adds up to $520 a year and to more than $2,500 in just five years. That $2,500 could be used to reduce debt, help fund a child's college education or make up part of a down payment on a home."

The odds of winning the Georgia Lotto are one in 9.3 million, which can be hard to grasp, but think of it in the following terms. Stack 9.3 million pennies on top of one another. That number of pennies creates a stack more than 8.6 miles high. Now, out of that 8.6 mile-high stack, select the one lucky coin. Sounds impossible? It pretty much is.

But what are your odds of financial success if you save that money instead?

A $10 a week lottery player decides to invest that money each month. With a 10 percent rate of return, his or her money will grow to $8,603 in 10 years, $31,893 in 20 and $94,940 in 30. That's the power of saving, investing and compounding returns.