(WJW)- You might want to think twice — or at least check twice — before throwing out what you think is a losing lottery ticket.

A man in Maryland almost tossed away a $50,000 winning scratch-off ticket. According to Maryland Lottery, the man, who is not being identified, said he had purchased about $30 worth of scratch-off tickets at a Wawa convenience store.

He and his wife then scratched off the tickets and separated them into winning and losing piles. Somehow, the $50,000 ticket got separated and nearly ended up in the trash. Thankfully, the 22-year-old said they had the good sense to double-check the ticket.

“We were going to throw the ticket away,” the man told Maryland Lottery officials. “We are lucky we didn’t!”

The lucky winner now plans to use the winnings toward purchasing a home.