March 24 (UPI) -- A Michigan man won hundreds of thousands of dollars after receiving a winning lottery ticket as a birthday gift.

Ervin Smolinski's daughter-in-law bought him the winning Double Bonus Cashword ticket, worth $300,000, as a gift for his 94th birthday.

"Every month, I buy some instant tickets and send them as gifts to family members who have birthdays that month," he told the Michigan state lottery. It's turned in to a bit of a tradition, and now everyone sends me scratch offs and chocolate for my birthday.

Smolinski said he received four Double Bonus Cashword tickets and won the prize after scratching off the first one, but managed to keep his cool.

"I've seen a lot in my time, and I don't get worked up too easily. I think my son-in-law was more worked up than I was," he said.

The lucky World War II veteran claimed his prize at the lottery office on Tuesday, but he spent the days after his birthday fearing he might lose track of the lucky ticket.

"I wanted to keep the ticket safe, so I kept it in my pocket," he said. I got a little nervous about that, because a lot of time I'll toss the paper I accumulate in my pocket into my wood burner. Luckily that didn't happen with my ticket.

Smolinski said he's "pretty frugal" despite the windfall and said he plans to spend the money to invest, buy a new shed, and buy a newer used car.

"The only thing that will change is I won't have as much stress in my life worrying about money," he said.

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