But one person who knows exactly what that’s like is 62-year-old Bernard Smith, who was ‘thrilled’ to be presented with a cheque for £30,000 by the People’s Postcode Lottery, this October.

The grandfather-of-two scooped the life-enhancing sum when his Lewisham postcode was drawn at random in the amazing #30KADAY Street Prize, which players pay just £10 a month per subscription to be in with a chance of winning.

Thanks to his incredible lottery win, Bernard has been able to book a Caribbean holiday with his girlfriend Kim, who has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer since September.

He tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to take Kim on the trip of a lifetime in Jamaica this January. I could never have dreamed of finding the money to treat us both.

‘Thankfully, she’s feeling a lot better now and the treatment is almost over, so it will be a welcome break for the two of us.’

Bernard has lived in the UK for 53 years, but Jamaica holds a very special place in his heart as the place where he was born and raised until the age of nine.

He explains: ‘I came to the UK in 1966, as part of the original Windrush generation so last year was the first time I was able to return to Jamaica without any fears about coming back to the UK.

‘I can’t wait to visit again with a bit more money in my pocket!’

Bernard has been playing the People’s Postcode Lottery since 2017 when a friend persuaded him to spend £10 on his ticket, instead of a packet of cigarettes.

People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery where players who use their postcode to sign up are automatically entered into every prize draw, with one postcode announced that will win £30,000 every Saturday and Sunday.

In 2019, as much as £150million in prizes have been won by players.

Even before his £30,000 jackpot, Bernard had previously celebrated small wins of £10 or £20 in the weekly draws, until his SW13 postcode made him and one other lucky neighbour big winners in a special #30KADAY extravaganza week in October.

Unfortunately, his partner Kim was in hospital on the day that the People’s Postcode Lottery team surprised Bernard at his London home, but he says she would have loved it.

‘The whole experience was unbelievable,’ he gushes. ‘It was just a pity Kim wasn’t there to meet Jeff Brazier and the team.

‘I don’t know what I was more thrilled about: a cheque with my address on it, or a visit from Jeff, who I’ve watched on TV for years. It was great.’

And, while Bernard’s very first purchases were a bottle of white rum and a brand-new sound system for his London home, the father-of-one has been able to plan for his family’s future with the funds.

He says: ‘I love my music, so naturally my first treat was to upgrade my system but the money will go a long way for my family, now.

‘I’m able to help out my daughter and her children a lot more than I could before and as for Kim’s recovery, I’d like to put some of the money towards cancer research over the next year by hosting a big fundraising party in the local area.’

Bernard says that the People’s Postcode Lottery’s own generous charitable contributions are one of the biggest reasons he would recommend playing every month, just like he does.

That’s because a minimum of 32 per cent of every ticket purchase goes towards over 7500 charities and good causes, amounting to a staggering £500 million in donations, to date.

He says: ‘I recommend the People’s Postcode Lottery very much because not only are you spending just £10-a-month to be in with a chance of winning a mega prize like mine, but your money is helping good causes, which makes it all the more worthwhile.

‘Since I’ve won, a lot of people in my local area – my friends and my family – have signed up because now they know it works. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know!’

Terms and conditions apply. £10 to be entered into all draws, paid monthly in advance. Winning postcodes for February draws announced daily from 8 February to 6 March. Estimated max possible ticket prize in the February millions draw is £194,750, which is 10% of estimated draw proceeds. People’s Postcode Lottery manages 20 draws per month across multiple lotteries for good causes who receive a minimum of 32% of each ticket sale. To find out draw dates, which good cause promotes and benefits from each draw, and the relevant prizes, see Prize Draw Calendar at HYPERLINK “http://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/good-causes/draw-calendar” http://www.postcodelottery.co.uk/good-causes/draw-calendar . Not available in NI. Conditions apply. Postcode Lottery Limited is incorporated in England and Wales and is licensed and regulated by the Gambling Commission under licences 000-000829-N-102511 and 000-000829-R-102513. Registered office: Postcode Lottery Ltd, Titchfield House, 69/85 Tabernacle Street, London, EC2A 4BD. Company reg. no. 04862732. VAT reg. no 848 3165 07. Trading address: 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, EH2 4ET. © 2019 Postcode Lottery Ltd.