June 25, 2019 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Dave Says Questionable Business Decisions Helping Is Often More Than Just Giving Dear Dave, My husband and I met a young woman through an outreach program at church. She is a single mother with a small child, and recently she asked us for money, so she could buy baby food and diapers. This isn’t the first time she has asked us for money. In the past, she has used money we’ve given her to buy alcohol for herself after telling us it was going to be used for the baby. She truly does need financial help, though. Can you give us some advice on handling this situation? Angela Dave RAMSEY Dear Angela, Financially speaking, her problem sounds as much of a mismanagement of money as it is a lack of money. That, and she seems to have an issue with lying. If you’re determined to help this woman, you can put conditions on your help designed to improve her decision-making abilities and her life. If someone is bold enough to ask for your money, you have every right to attach requirements to the money for their own good. One of two things will happen if you handle it this way. She’ll either graciously accept your conditions and welcome the help, or she’ll get angry and say you have no right interfering in her business. I’ve never had a problem helping people who have good hearts and Steve looked out from the turret of his cabin and watched the sun set behind the mountain. Branding is over for the spring, and he was able to get away from the ranch for a few days, so here he was, in his private castle, sipping private coffee, looking down at his private horse eating hay in his private corral. For a man who has spent most of his life in a Happy 80th Birthday Marlene Ackerman July 2, 2019 The family requests a card shower. Greetings may be sent to: 515 Ohio St., #38 Wakonda, SD 57073 (Formerly Baldwin Filters) just need a break. But if someone cops an attitude with me in a situation like this, I wouldn’t be breaking out my wallet anytime soon. If you choose to do this, make the money a gift and not a loan. Concentrate on trying to get her on a path where she’s a little more honest with you and thinks a little straighter. Hopefully, as a result she will start making better choices. Teach her how to create and live off a budget, or help her enroll in a personal finance course, too. Right now, just handing her money is like giving a drunk a drink. This whole situation is a lot bigger than helping someone with baby food and diapers. The answer to that is easy. In this case, however, I’d probably give it to her in the form of a gift card. Some of those don’t allow alcohol purchases. You could avoid that possibility, too, by getting things for the baby yourself and taking them to her. In many cases, truly helping someone is a lot more work than just throwing money at them. Sometimes, you have to get down in their mess, get real with them, and walk with them. —Dave By Daris Howard Anyone who has had an accident and dealt with insurance may have come to wonder about the policy-making of modern companies. We had an experience with it which left us scratching our heads. The van we wrecked was not damaged too much, but the fender was bent enough that it pressed against the tire. This left the vehicle undrivable. Because of that, we either needed to have the car fixed immediately, or we needed another vehicle to drive. We first approached the body shop to find out how long it would take to get our car fixed. “The fix won’t take too long,” the man at the auto body shop said. “The biggest challenge is getting the part. We can put the part on in just a few hours once we have it. But it usually takes about a week to get it. However, for an extra twenty-five dollars, we can have the part shipped overnight, and we could have the car ready tomorrow.” That sounded reasonable, so Donna, my wife, called our insurance company. She explained to the representative about the van and that we needed something to drive. “That’s not a problem,” the insurance rep said. “You have a rider on your insurance for us to pay for a car while * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and your van is getting fixed.” He then gave Donna the name of business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored a local car dealer that their company worked with. “Just seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeogo to them, they will rent a car to you, and we will pay for ver. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million it,” he said. listeners each week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital Donna and I went together in our pickup to the car platforms. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on dealer so one of us could drive the rental car home. We the web at daveramsey.com. explained our dilemma to the car dealer. He contacted our insurance company and verified we had insurance for a car rental. He then showed us an almost new car. “How much does it cost to rent that?” I asked. “We work out a special deal with the insurance company to be their approved car rental company,” he said. “We provide this rental for only thirty-five dollars per day.” “Thirty-five dollars per day?” I questioned. “But the auto body shop said they could fix the car by tomorrow bunkhouse, a suite at the both getting years on them, for only twenty-five dollars extra for shipping. Wouldn’t Ritz couldn’t be more won- but they have this evening. it just be cheaper for the insurance company to pay the derful than this little hole- They have this ride. They extra shipping?” The car dealer laughed. “Good luck with that.” up spot in the mountains. are together now. We weren’t sure why he said that, but we were posiHe slid open one of the And it was like taking a tive the insurance company would insist we do the thing turret windows and let the dry bath in paradise. warm breeze of early sumSteve reached down that would be least expensive for them. We decided we mer caress his magnificent and patted Snort on the better call them. We went out and sat in our pickup, and mustache. neck. “You know, O.S.,” Ste- Donna called them. Once she had the insurance repre“That does it!” he said. ve said, “can you think of a sentative on the line, she explained the situation. When He closed the window, luckier man/horse combi- she finished, she said, “So, if you just want to pay for the climbed down the ladder nation than us? I can’t. Not overnight shipping, we can get our car fixed tomorrow and went out to saddle Ol’ right at the moment, any- and won’t need to rent a car.” “Hold on,” the insurance rep said. “You haven’t paid Snort. In a few minutes the way.” two of them were headSnort was used to lis- for the expedited shipping rider on your insurance. If you ing along a little trail near tening to Steve, but bliss- want your car fixed faster, you will have to pay the overThompson Ridge, feeling fully he wasn’t required to night shipping yourself.” “But if you pay for the rental car for a week, it will cost the warm breeze, wonder- do anything but walk along ing how many more of this mountain trail enjoying you two hundred and forty-five dollars,” Donna said. “Or you could simply pay the extra shipping, and you would these evenings they would the evening. share. Steve and Snort were “What do you think, old only pay twenty-five dollars.” “The problem as I see it,” the insurance rep said, “is boy?” Ol’ Snort reached his that you are asking us to pay for something which you did head out and blew his nose. not put on your policy. If we end up doing that for you, “I knew you felt the there is no end to the extra things people will ask for. You same way,” said Steve, can either just take what your insurance covers, or you smiling. Sometimes heaven can pay the extra yourself.” Donna covered the phone and explained the situation comes in small doses. to me. “We might as well do the rental car,” I said. “We will get to drive a nice, new car, and we will come out twenty-five dollars ahead.” Donna ended the phone call, and we went back inside the car dealership. The car dealer smiled. “So, are you ready for the car rental?” He apparently knew what the insurance company would say. Donna and I filled out the rental papers, even as we wondered at the logic of 605-760-7030 some business decisions. Entertainment Career Fair Yankton Fruit Program Wednesday, June 26th 2pm to 6pm Dark Cherries, Rainier Cherries, Blueberries and Apricots The Road To Where You Want To Be Starts Here! Interviews On Site! $1,200 Sign On Bonus! Shift Differentials! In Less Than 30 Days Benefits Begin! • Health, Dental & Vision Insurance (4) Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans to Choose From (3) Dental Plans to Choose From •Company Paid Short Term & Long Term Disability $50,000 Life Insurance •Quarterly Profit Sharing •Retirement 401K Plan (Formerly Baldwin Filters) www.parker.com 1901 Hastings Dr., Yankton 605-857-8400 If Call to order by July 8th to pick up July 21st at Yankton Seventh Day Adventist Church 722 Locust St., Yankton, SD 57078 85TH ANNUAL you read this you know... advertising pays! 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