Sometimes, asking for something you don't really want can be an indirect way of getting something you actually do want or need. A million dollars? Not quite what I had in mind, actually. Nice thought, though!
Actually, what I had in mind was something a little more mundane. In particular, getting an econometric package to save you a lot of work by delivering up some information you need, when it's not at all apparent that the package is able to do so. It's a matter of asking it for something else, and getting what you really want as a by-product. A bonus, if you will!