Cash Instead of Status
The couple left the gleaming Mercedes behind and opted for the alternative prize: €15,000 in cash. At first glance, it seemed like a strange decision—the list price of a new Mercedes GLA is far higher, making it look as though they were walking away from tens of thousands of euros.
But there was an important catch. The car wasn’t theirs to keep; it was a three-year lease paid for by the Lions Club, after which it would have to be returned or bought out at their own expense. For a practical couple already happy with their Skoda, taking the cash meant no future costs, no worries about lease damage, and real money in the bank instead of temporary access to a car they didn’t own.