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10 biggest money wasters

Lottery tickets
Lottery tickets
They say you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning the lottery. But that doesn't stop people from trying.

Consumers bought more than $70 billion worth of lottery tickets last year, according to the North American Association of State and Provincial Lotteries. About $38 billion was awarded in prizes.

Thurber said most of the clients he works with spend between $10 to $20 a week on lottery tickets -- mostly on the scratch-off variety. That adds up to a whopping $520 to $1,040 a year. So far, none of Thurber's clients have hit the jackpot.


Last updated May 18 2011: 5:07 PM ET
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