November 22, 2016 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Dave Says Is This Plan too Intense? Dear Dave, My wife and I make a little over $50,000 a year combined, and we’re almost debt-free. Right now, we have $50,000 left on our mortgage and $4,000 in student loans left to pay. We’re both really excited about the future, and we’re thinking about selling our home and moving into a trailer her parents own. On top of this, we’d like to save my wife’s entire salary for five years to buy another, better house. What do you think of this plan? Travis Dave RAMSEY Dear Travis, Man, I’m really excited for you two. You’re working hard to take control of your finances and pay off debt. This is what I mean when I use the phrase “gazelle intensity.” However, I think selling your home is going a bit too far at the moment. Despite a really rocky road the last several years, the housing and real estate market is finally starting to rebound. At this point, there’s every indication that your home is going to go up in value. If you go with your plan, you’re going to lose all that appreciation value and lower your standard of living at the same time. While you have something of a modest income, I think you make enough money to pay off the house and become prosperous during the next five to seven years, without going to the extreme. Keep up the great work! — Dave Health Insurance Options Dear Anna, You don’t want to go completely without insurance, because you’ll get penalized by the government. Remember, when it comes to health insurance, the problem usually isn’t a kidney stone or a trip to the emergency room for a few stitches. The problem is a cancer diagnosis, which ends up costing $500,000 or more. You might want to check into an HSA (Health Savings Account) type of plan within the exchanges. Another thing you could look at is one of the medical sharing programs through a Christian organization such as Christian Healthcare Ministries. But a higher deductible, HSA-type plan might help keep your premiums down. It’s sad, but this is what Obamacare has done to independent people like you and me who are self-employed. It’s destroying small group plans, and I guess that was their intent. I suppose they wanted to put those companies out of business, so the government could take it over. — Dave * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven bestselling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million listeners each week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com. Belts. Make sure drive belts are tight but not cracked, glazed or frayed. Belts should not deflect more than half an inch when pushed with your finger. • Hoses. Check for leaks, bulges and cracks. Make sure clamps are secure. • Oil, transmission and brake fluid levels. Change oil and replace oil filter. Check your owner’s manual for the proper way to check your vehicle’s transmission and brake fluid levels. • Air filter. Replace air filter every 7,500 miles or when dirty. • Tires. Tire tread should be at least 1/16 of an inch on normal tires (past Lincoln’s head when inserting a penny into the tread, head first). Tires lose a pound of pressure for every drop of ten degrees Fahrenheit in the outside temperature. Inflate to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure (check owner’s manual or sticker on doorjamb). When driving on ice or snow, remember that the trick is taking it slow and easy. Authorized Retailer If you read this you know... Jurrens Electronics 114 Main St. Avon, SD (605) 286-3630 1-888-873-7382 advertising pays! Call the Missouri Valley Shopper at 665-5884 or stop by to place your ad today! 319 Walnut St. • Yankton MV Shopper MV Shopper MISSOURI VA L L E Y MISSOURI VA L L E Y Brian & Jean DeGroot, Owners 802 Broadway • Yankton, SD (605) 665-1596 www.bridgecityautoyankton.com FEATURED VEHICLE 1986 Chevy Camper Van 82,000 miles Was $8,995 NOW $7,900 Quality Used Vehicles 2007 Saturn Vue, 4Dr., white, 112,000 miles ...........................$6,595 2007 Chrysler Town & Country Van, gold, 159,000 miles .........$4,995 2007 Chevy Uplander Van, maroon, 140,000 miles ..................$4,995 2007 Chevy Monte Carlo, 2Dr., silver, 117,000 miles ...............$6,595 2006 Ford Escape 4x4, maroon, 143,000 miles .......................$5,995 2005 Toyota Corolla, 4Dr., Brown, 150,000 miles .....................$5,595 2005 Nissan Altima, 4Dr., gray, 130,000 miles .........................$4,795 2005 Chevy Equinox, 4Dr., maroon, 116,000............................$6,995 2004 Saturn Ion, 4Dr., white, 150,000 miles ............................$4,295 2003 Ford Escape 4x4, gray .....................................................$3,995 2003 Honda Odyssey Van, maroon, 199,000 miles...................$3,795 2003 Dodge Caravan, silver, 156,000 miles, 1 owner ................$3,995 1999 Ford Explorer 4x4, Tan, 144,000 miles.............................$4,295 1998 Chevy Blazer 4x4, brown, 123,000 miles .........................$2,995 1997 Buick Skylark, 4Dr., tan, 142,000 miles ..........................$2,995 1996 Ford Crown Victoria, 4Dr., Silver, 115,000 miles ..............$4,995 1987 Chevy C-10, 2WD, white ...................................................$1,495 Special Interest 2011 Yamaha 550 cc, 4 wheeler, green, 2,100 miles .................$4,995 2006 Suzuki Burgman 650 Scooter, gray, 3,200 miles ..............$3,295 2005 Forest River Cargo Trailer .................................................$2,995 2005 Yamaha Majesty 400 Scooter, black 7,900 miles ............$2,995 2003 Suzuki Burgman 650 Scooter, Gray, 10,000 miles ...........$2,595 1990 Honda 1500cc Trike, Blue ...............................................$10,595 1989 Pontiac Firebird GTA, red, 62,000 miles ...........................$15,000 1986 Chevy Camper Van, Tan, 82,000 miles ..............................$7,900 1985 Ford Wrecker, 4x4, red, 67,000 miles ...............................$5,995 1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, 2Dr., white, 67,000 miles .$6,995 1961 Fishing Boat with Trailer ..................................................$1,495 By Daris Howard Dear Dave, My husband and I are self-employed, and we currently pay alCyrus was an old farmer and had worked hard all of his life. most $1,000 a month for health insurance. I’ve heard you talk He was independent, but he was getting older and everything about the potential for rates to increase as much as 40 to 60 percent next year. Are there other options, such as just saving the was just a little bit harder. Still, he was determined to maintain his independence and pride. money in case of medical emergencies? Anna When the Boy Scouts came around wanting to rake his Is Your Car Ready For Winter’s First Punch? With colder weather coming, now is a good time to make sure your vehicle is up to winter’s icy test. AAA suggests using this eight-point, do-it-yourself inspection checklist: • Battery. Check for loose cables and corrosive buildup. Make certain your battery is fully charged. If it’s more than two years old, have it tested. • Radiator. Fill as needed with 50/50 blend of anti-freeze and water. • Windshield washer / wiper blades. Add no-freeze windshield-wiper fluid to the reservoir. Replace worn wiper blades. • When to Keep Your Mouth Shut Skidding is caused by hard acceleration or braking, going too fast for conditions, and by quick, jerky movements with the steering wheel. Anticipate lane changes, turns and curves and slow down in advance. Aim high in steering, far down the road. Allow yourself extra time – and be sure to clear all windows before starting to drive. If your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, gain extra traction by placing heavy objects (cinder blocks, bags of sand) in the trunk of your car or in the bed of your truck. The sand can also be used to spread in front of power wheels to gain extra traction on ice. Clay-based kitty litter also works well. Carry a winter trouble kit with you: good working flashlight with extra batteries, warm clothing (gloves, hats, scarves), blankets, jumper cables, cellular telephone and battery-charging cord, first aid kit, simple tools, ice scraper, snow brush, snacks, drinking water and paper towels. leaves, he shooed them away, telling them he was capable of doing his own yard work. When he hurt his back, the men of the community wanted to help him stack his wood, but Cyrus wouldn’t hear of it. Even if he could only carry one small stick of wood at a time, he was determined to do it himself. One fall day there was a big Agriculture Expo at the local university. Though Cyrus was retired from farming, the monotony was driving him crazy, so he decided to go. “Take some food with you,” his wife said, as he was heading out the door. “You know how you get at those farm things, staying for hours. And since you get dizzy when you don’t eat for a long time, you’ll need something.” Cyrus didn’t like the implication that he was old and feeble. He only pretended to take something, and then he slipped out and was on his way. Once at the Expo, Cyrus was in the world he loved. He knew half of the people walking around the big football field where the agriculture exhibits were displayed. New tractors, combines, hay equipment, and every sort of tillage machine was there. The time went by quickly, and Cyrus started realizing he was beginning to feel that dizzy, low-blood-sugar feeling. He decided to visit one of the food booths. But they were on the far end of the football field, and there was a lot of things to stop and look at on his way. He was getting fairly close to the hamburger stand he was aiming for when, suddenly, everything went black. When Cyrus came to, he was lying on the artificial turf with paramedics leaning over him. No matter how much Cyrus complained, they insisted he had to go to the hospital just to be safe. That made Cyrus mad, but he didn’t have much choice. When he finally got to the hospital, they checked him over and felt he was okay to go home. As he was reaching for the phone to call his wife, he was so mad that he mumbled, “I think I’m going to go home and shoot myself.” He, of course, didn’t mean it, but the hospital staff was trained to take suicidal threats seriously. So they took him, hollering, back into the hospital. He was informed that they legally had to watch him for forty-eight hours. If he was mad before, it was nothing compared to his attitude now. He called his wife, and she hurried over. But he still had to stay for the full two days. He was upset, and for forty-eight hours he made everyone’s life miserable until they were as happy as he was to have him leave. When he was finally told he could go home, he was about to march out when the hospital staff informed him that hospital policy required them to wheel him out in a wheelchair. That was the last straw. He stormed out before they could stop him. But just after he stepped outside, he slipped on the newly snow-covered sidewalk, fell, and broke his hip. Back into the hospital he went, riding, not in a wheelchair, but on a gurney. This time he spent a couple of weeks. When he was finally released, he humbly accepted the wheelchair ride. As his wife walked beside him, she asked, “Cyrus, have you learned anything from all of this?” “Yes,” Cyrus replied. “I have learned that there is a time to keep my mouth shut.” USD Named To 2017 List Of Military Friendly Schools “Shore is nice this time a-year,” Windy said, smiling at those gathered. “Minds me of years ago back, you know? When we was young.” Windy, visiting from the ranch, had pulled up a stool so he was partially blocking the hallway entrance – also known The University of South Dakota is on the 2017 list as the “escape route” down at the Rest of Your Life retireof Military Friendly® Schools, designated by Victory ment home. This made it rather difficult for Mabel, who has to use a walker, and Pop Walker, who is on a cane on good Media, a veteran-owned business that connects the military community to civilian jobs, schools and entre- days, and crutches when the weather gets cold. This was a crutch day. preneurial opportunities. The only one ambulatory enough to evade the coming The list is based on public data resources for 8,800 lecture was Minnie Perkins. No walker or cane or wheelschools nationwide along with responses to a survey But that was okay, everyof schools and student veterans. This year 13 percent chair. and enjoys hearing because Minnie smiles atWilson. thing others talk. Even Windy of the schools studied won the Military Friendly stamp She can’t remember what she had for breakfast, but who of approval. can? Victory Media works with the Military Friendly® “Fall is plumb fell, yessir, that’s for certain sure,” Windy Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher said, turning slightly and extending his legs to fend off any education and military recruitment community. Final crutch attempt. “You know, a-course, why the trees all turn ratings were determined by combining the institution’s them pretty colors, right? See, Minnie does. Wellsir, what survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s happens is Mama Nature jest shuts down the supply a-chloability to meet thresholds for student retention, gradu- roform to them leaves so they can’t turn green anymore. ation, job placement, loan repayment, persistence (de- And without that chloroform, well, if you’re a leaf, most as www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com well kick the bucket and fall and get raked up.” gree advancement or transfer) and loan default rates Windy looked around at those he was educating and for all students and, specifically, for student veterans. smiled. “And them clouds? Them autumn clouds? Ain’t they somethin’? All spread out in streaky wonderments full of cumulosities this time a-year. Hardly a rain in ‘em, but look at how they jest kinda hang there. Ain’t that right, Minnie.” Minnie smiled and nodded, enthusiastically. “Where you goin’, Mabel? Why, I was jest settlin’ in for a Lesterville Fire & Rescue nice discussion a how things were around here when I was a youngster. Whazzat? Oh yeah, kinda forgot you was older’n me, Mabel. Why, I betcha you remember when it snowed here ‘long ‘bout county fair time …” Sat., Nov. 26th, 2016 • 8pm - 12am Minnie nodded. Mabel groaned. Pop fell asleep while Clay Creek Deaf Cowboy banD looking for the tv remote. Tickets: $7 each Call 665-5884 to place your the Rest of Your Life. Life can be interesting down at ad here. www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com ANNUAL FALL DANCE www.missourivalleyshopper.com www.missourivalleyshopper.com Interested in this Prizes to be given away at dance! spot? Visit our Web sitethe Proceeds go to training and at purchase of equipment. www.missourivalleyshopper.com Need not be present to WIN Call 665-5884 to place your ad here. 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