November 20, 2018 • Page 2 Dave Says shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com The Weight Loss Center Home Warranties? Dear Dave, Are home warranties a waste of money if someone has been following your plan and already has six months of expenses set aside in an emergency fund, plus home insurance? Andrea Dear Blake, Congratulations on being debt-free at such a young age! I appreciate the credit, but the truth is I just pointed you in the right direction. You made the sacrifices and did all the hard work. I’m really proud of you! Yes, my advice is to temporarily stop making contributions to your 401(k) until you save up an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. It shouldn’t take a year, though, to set aside an emergency fund if you’re debt-free and making decent money at your job. Just make it part of your monthly budget plan, and get Dear Andrea, that emergency fund set up in a few months. Home warranties are a waste of Here’s the way I look at it. If you don’t have an emergency fund, money even if you don’t have quite but you’re contributing to a 401(k), there’s a good chance you’ll that much set aside in an emergency end up cashing out your 401(k) if something happens that leaves Dave fund. I recommend an emergency fund you with a large, unexpected bill. When you cash out a 401(k) of three to six months of expenses to early, you get hit with a penalty plus your tax rate. That’s not a good plan! cover the unexpected things that life And that’s just one of the reasons I tell people to have an emerwill throw at you. This amount of cash, sitting in a good money market account with check writing privileges, will give you easy gency fund in place before they start investing. — Dave access in the event of a financial emergency. I don’t recommend extended warranties of any kind. They’re just not a good deal. You’re better off to self-insure against * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and busithings breaking down, and putting what would have been profit ness, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven bestand marketing dollars for the extended warranty company in selling books, including The Total Money Makeover. The Dave your own pocket! Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million listeners each — Dave week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital platforms. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com. By Daris Howard Sam was tired of working his boring job and wanted to strike out and become an entrepreneur. He had a great idea for a business venture. He was going to start a fitness and weight loss center. He loved to work with people on losing weight, and he had trained as a fitness coach. It was the perfect business for him. But the first thing he had to find was a place that was big enough for a gym. Sam searched all over and found a basement of a business building. It had a high ceiling, high enough he could put in some basketball hoops in one end. He could put exercise equipment in the other. It would need quite a bit of work, but the rent was cheap. He also felt that the businesses that were in the upper two floors of the building would draw people in. Sam continued working his job, but the minute he got off work each day, he was working on his newly rented hall. He was cleaning, painting, and making it look inviting. He used his savings to buy some exercise bikes, treadmills, and weight machines. He hoped to add more later, but he felt it would give him a good start. He took out a small loan to pay the wages of the employees and other expenses for the first six months. It seemed like forever to Sam before his business was ready, but finally, the grand opening day arrived. He had a newspaper reporter come, and the mayor even did a ribbon cutting. Sam offered a first month free or six months at half price. His business boomed, and he was doing well, but there was something that really troubled him. His customers didn’t seem to be losing hardly any weight at all. In fact, some of them seemed to gain weight. Sam consulted all of his books from his training. Everything he was doing seemed to be right. And none of his customers complained too much about the lack of weight loss, but he was sure that his business couldn’t sustain itself with the numbers he was seeing. He tried everything he could think of and decided he needed to seek some outside help. Sam went to one of his professors who had trained him as a fitness coach. Sam explained his dilemma and asked his professor if he would mind coming and spending an hour or so watching Sam work with his customers. The professor kindly agreed, and the next evening he came at the appointed I was recently invited to join Bob Milford, manager hour. of the prestigious Diamond W Ranch, on a drive-around The professor seemed pleased with the work Sam had put tour of the place. It’s a huge, private ranch, with tiny into his business. He looked around and commented that he ex-logging roads winding around through 13,000 acres of felt the equipment was sufficient for the job. But as Sam started training customers, the professor seemed occupied with pine trees and rocks. A real paradise. other things. He kept walking around the gym as if searching But I was horrified to see wooden street signs nailed for something. He must have found what he was looking for, to trees wherever two of these old logging trails came because he then walked to the exit and watched people who together. were leaving. “Oh no,” I said, out loud. Sam was somewhat annoyed, wondering why the profes“What’s the matter?” Bob asked. sor wasn’t watching the workouts Sam was having people “I see you’re planning a subdivision here.” do. But Sam didn’t dare question his professor. After about Bob started laughing when I pointed at the signs. a half hour of watching people leave, the professor returned “Those are for the owners,” he explained. “They live Back to Sam. East and visit here one weekend a year. When they get “I’m pretty sure I know what your problem is, Sam,” the out here, they take the pickup and drive around and get professor said. “What?” Sam asked. lost. The professor led Sam to a vent near the ceiling. “Sam, “Once I got a call on the cell phone from the owner, what is above that vent?” who said he was lost and couldn’t find his way back Sam thought about it, considering the layout of the busito the house. So I asked him where he was and he said nesses on the nest floor. “That would be Antonio’s Pizza Parhe was right there, sitting on a rock and close to a pine lor,” Sam replied. tree.” “Just as I thought,” the professor said. “This place smells He chuckled. “That narrowed it down to about 13,000 of cheese and garlic. How can anyone concentrate on workacres. Well, I managed to find him, and after that, I put ing out in a place that smells like the pizza center of Italy? these signs up. I tell them now, if they get lost, to drive And you know what else I noticed? The minute your customuntil they come to Home Road and then head downhill. It ers leave, they head right upstairs and put back on every ounce they burned off.” solved the problem.” Sam couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that. He got the vent rerouted outside, and immediately his customers’ Check out the weight loss started to increase. As thanks to his professor, Sam invited him out for dinner. Of course, they ate at Antonio’s. And as Sam finished his last piece of wonderful pizza, he understood even better why his customers hadn’t been for great specials at your losing weight. local restaurants! RAMSEY Put Retirement On Hold Temporarily Dear Dave, Should I stop making contributions to my 401(k) account for a year in order to save up an emergency fund? Thanks to you, I’m 33 and debt-free. Blake 2018 Bush Prize for Community Innovation Winners Announced The Bush Foundation awarded the 2018 Bush Prize for Community Innovation to six organizations with a track record of successful community problem solving. The Bush Prize celebrates organizations that are extraordinary not only in what they do but in how they do it. This year’s winners are recognized for working inclusively, in partnership with others, to make their communities better for all. “The 2018 winners drive breakthrough solutions for our region,” said Bush President Jennifer Ford Reedy. “They demonstrate an amazing ability to tackle whatever complex issue comes their way by engaging their communities to identify and solve problems.” The 2018 Bush Prize winners are: Capital Area Counseling Service Pierre, SD Mid-Dakota Education Cooperative Minot, ND Native American Community Board Yankton, SD Nexus Community Partners Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN Northwest Indian Community Development Center Bemidji, MN Springboard for the Arts Saint Paul and Fergus Falls, MN The Bush Prize is awarded annually in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. Winners receive a package that includes promotional support and materials, and an unrestricted grant equal to 25 percent of the organization’s prior fiscal year budget, up to $500,000. The Foundation received 110 applications in 2018. Three panels of community members chose the winners from their respective states. In Print and Online! Save 10¢ Off A Gallon Of Gas When You Use Your Sinclair Card Happy Thank sgiving! Captain Prices Best n Town! I Morgan Spiced Rum $25 .99 Svedka Vodka $9 1.75 ML .99 750 ML,All Flavors Smirnoff Vodka $ 18 Black Box Wine $ .99 1.75 ML s 1 Baci Dolci Wine $ 8.99 3 LTR s 9.99 Cork N Bottle 1500 Broadway, 665-3881 We’ll Match All Local Advertising Prices! We’ll M Local Adve r4PM atch All THURSDAY    29 NOVEMBER 2018  tisingTO 7PM Prices! HOLIDAY FESTIVAL of Dining & Entertainment Lesterville Fire & Rescue ANNUAL FALL DANCE Sat., Nov. 24th, 2018 • 8pm - 12am Clay Creek Deaf Cowboy banD Tickets: $7 each Proceeds go to training and the purchase of equipment. YANKTON, SD 4:00PM 6:00PM 6:30PM  For a full list of events and other information please visit: YANKTONFESTIVALOFLIGHTS.COM Follow us on Facebook at Yankton Holiday Festival of Lights WJ Ranch 17th Annual Cowboy Christmas (7 mi. south of Yankton, SD just off Hwy. 81) ids! Hey Katurday eS See M1-3pm Sat. & Sun., Nov. 24 & 25 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Both Days •Horse, Buggy & Hayrack Rides •Trick Pony & Trick Roping Shows •Crafts For Kids •Petting Zoo •Family Activities •Refreshments All Rides Begin at 1PM Daily Clothing, Primitives, Jewelry, Western Decor, Florals, Metal, Wood, Fabric, Christmas Decor & Much More! NO ADMISSION CHARGE! See www.schiferlswjranch.com State Veterans Home Achieves LEED Certification PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs has achieved LEED Silver certification for the Michael J. Fitzmaurice State Veterans Home in Hot Springs. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used green building rating system in the world. LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and costsaving green buildings and is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement. There are less than 200 buildings in South Dakota that are LEED certified. “Receiving LEED certification is a great accomplishment for our State Veterans home,” said Larry Zimmerman, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs. “These efficiencies will save on the environment for decades to come.” “LEED is a third-party verification system for green buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC),” said Zimmerman. “We were fortunate to have TSP, Scull Construction, and the Office of State Engineering working with us to achieve this certification.”