I know they sound cheap, but I think you're underestimating how hard an extra $250 can be for a lot of people and how little savings the bulk of the US has (par

I know they sound cheap, but I think you're underestimating how hard an extra $250 can be for a lot of people and how little savings the bulk of the US has (particularly lower income areas/populations, since we're talking in the context of "when their town has no future"). You are also assuming 1 ticket, and if my memory's right then there's a negative correlation between income and family size/age of having first child.