A last-minute lottery choice made a North Carolina lady hundreds of thousands of dollars wealthier. According to a news statement from the NC Education Lottery, Stephanie Israel, 39, won a stunning $501,544 after purchasing a Quick Pick ticket only minutes before Saturday’s Cash 5 drawing. However, the Guilford County lady didn’t know she’d won on her $1 ticket until she checked her email the following morning.

“I yelled for like 20 minutes when I got in and saw it,” Israel told lottery officials. “I guess I frightened my family a little.” According to the press announcement, Israel acquired the ticket “just four minutes” before Saturday’s drawing. “I was laying in bed late at night when the spirit simply ordered me to go online and purchase one,” she told lottery authorities.

Never miss a story again — subscribe to PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to get the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to intriguing human interest stories. On Monday, Israel went to the lottery offices to collect her winnings, which totaled $356,147 after state and federal withholdings. The Browns Summit lady plans to invest the money in her family. “We are always thinking of new business ideas,” she said, adding that “our lads already have a gardening company.”