July 30, 2019 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Signs of Climate Change Dave Says Time For Fun Money? Dear Dave, I had about $12,000 in debt when my husband and I got married three years ago. Since that time, we’ve been given cash gifts from my parents from time to time, and we keep having discussions on how to use this kind of money when it is given to us. I’d like to put it toward paying off debt, but he would rather treat it as fun money. What are your thoughts on this, please? Sara By Daris Howard First, Catch Up! Dear Dave, I’ve had enough of living paycheck-to-paycheck. I’m going to start following your plan, but I have a question. Should I catch up on my past due bills before beginning Baby Step 1? Simon Dear Simon, Go for it! You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired, and you’re going to get control of your money. I love it! First, make sure you’re up to date with necessities— Dave food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and utilities. Next, get current or make payment arrangements for any other types of debt you have, including credit cards. Dear Sara, You mentioned Baby Step 1, which is getting $1,000 If there’s something you need, and you agree on it in the bank for a beginner emergency fund. Baby Step 2, together and choose to buy it as a couple, that’s cool. the debt snowball, comes next. Start paying off all debts, I’ve got no problem with that. But you guys are still just except for your home, from smallest to largest. Then, in starting out, and you’ve got debts to pay. I’m sure your Baby Step 3 you’ll save more and increase your emergenhusband has a good heart, but I think it’s time for him to cy fund to a full three to six months of expenses. grow up a little and realize the importance of getting your Now, you can really start looking at the future. In financial house in order. Baby Step 4, you’ll start investing 15 percent of your Did your parents have specific and reasonable household income for retirement. College funding for the thoughts on how they’d like you to use the money? If so, kids, if there are any, is Baby Step 5, and Baby Step 6 is a you should honor their intent. If not, then how it gets milestone—pay off your house early! used is pretty much up to you guys. But in your situation, But the real deal is Baby Step 7. This is when all your life’s not a birthday party when this kind of thing haphard work, sacrifice, and smart financial decisions put pens. You should be making mature, responsible deciyou in a place where you can build wealth and give with sions together regarding any money that comes into your outrageous generosity. At this point, you’re securing your household. It’s really no different than a paycheck. You family’s future and helping others in a big way! take care of obligations and other important things first. —Dave Adults waste money on play things and fun stuff just because it was handed to them by mom and dad. That’s how a 10-year-old behaves. Sit down with your husband, * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and and explain how important it is that you guys start mak- business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored ing better decisions with your money. If you two start seven best-selling books, including The Total Money Makeoworking together, you could knock out this debt in a ver. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 12 million hurry! listeners each week on 575 radio stations and multiple digital —Dave platforms. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com. RAMSEY When you have a teenage relative, and the minimum age is 21 to go to a rock concert, and this relative has to go to the concert or die. Seriously. Die. Because life isn’t worth living if she misses it. And, if someone under 21 can go to the concert only if an adult accompanies them. And … if the only adult who will listen to the begging and the crying and the gnashing of teeth happens to be a semi-old cowboy, well … say hello to Starving Chickens. I figured, with a name like Starving Chickens, this band probably wouldn’t have the strength to do more than a few numbers before breaking for burgers and fries. Well, that was just about as wrong a job of figuring as was the rest of my figuring. You see, I also figured the music wouldn’t really hurt your ears, because they would want it to be a pleasant experience. I also figured that with three electric guitars on the stage at one time, at least one guitar player would hit the right chords. Furthermore, I figured there would be some friendly banter between the group’s leader and the audience. You know, hi, how are you, having fun tonight? Now here’s one of our mostrequested tunes, things like that. The older I get, the wronger 1915 Broadway, Yankton I get. Oh, the head Glass Repair & Replacement screamer of Starving Chickens (I call him Tattoo Boy) Ron’s Auto Glass came out to say something to all the impressionable minds waiting for his droplets of wisdom, friendship, and gratitude for coughing up admission. He looked around and then told them to do something quite rude, as well as anatomically impossible. This brought down the house. Impressionable Teen looked up at me with the stars of the universe in her eyes and yelled, “Oh wow! Did you hear what he said? And he looked right at me when he said it!” Then it was two hours of throbbing before we got better. When it was over we asked each other in sign language if we’d had fun. One thumbs up, one thumbs down. Sometimes you have to work to stay current with what’s going on in life. Home • Auto • Business 605.665.9841 Donna, my wife, grew up in California, while I grew up in Idaho. The differences in our lives can starkly be seen in how we view the temperature. In the winter, as the temperature in Idaho gets down to zero or below, trying to get Donna to venture outside is next to impossible. In fact, anything below thirty-two degrees, freezing, pretty much puts the kibosh on her outdoor activity. On the other hand, when it’s cold in the winter, I just bundle up a little more and go out, enjoying the crispness of the air around me. Donna says “crispness” does not even come close to the feelings she has for the cold, but she is too much of a lady to say what she thinks about it. Turning things around, when summer comes, Donna can go outside and seems to feel quite comfortable in just about everything Idaho throws at us as far as heat. As for me, when the temperature gets above eighty degrees, I sweat so badly I feel like I am a walking sauna. We have our disagreements about which is worse, too hot or too cold. “Once it gets cold it’s just painful,” she says. “But in the winter, a person can always add more clothes to keep warm,” I told her. “I have never been able to add enough clothes to stay warm and still be able to move my arms and legs,” she replied. “Well, it’s worse in the summer,” I replied. “A person can only take off a certain amount without the neighbors complaining.” The discussion about global warming in the news has just made the debate more profound. I claim the weather is getting continually warmer, but she is not as sure, especially in the winter. A friend said that the proper term is not global warming, but climate change. He said in Idaho that is just another word for “seasons.” With the recent heat wave that has hit the country, the debate over the temperature has only increased in our family. I go out and work for as long as I can, but eventually I have to come in and cool off. This happens about a half dozen times per day. I also buy lots of watermelon and usually eat at least one each day. The problem with this liquid consumption is it tends to catch up to me in the middle of the night, and I get little sleep. But when I complained to my wife about the heat, which was between eighty and the mid nineties, she was somewhat skeptical. “I think I would refer to that as really warm, not hot,” she said. But there have been two things recently that have backed my point of view. The first is our cockatiel. When we let him out of his cage, he will position himself in front of the window fan when it is on, and he will stay there pretty much all day. The second thing was something we saw as we were driving. As we went past one house, in front of it was a fountain sprinkler watering the parched lawn. There are many sprinklers going this time of year, so that in and of itself was not uncommon. But what caught my attention was not the sprinkler, but what else was there. Often a person will see children running and splashing through a sprinkler, but in this one, there was a raven. He stood on the lawn about two feet from the sprinkler, with the droplets of water pouring down over him. He had his eyes half closed as if he was basking in the coolness of the water rolling off of his feathers. I pointed the bird out to Donna. “See, even that raven thinks it’s too hot.” She looked at it, and then grudgingly agreed. “Maybe it is just a bit warm.” Need people to find your business? Get your display ad here! MV Shopper MV Shopper M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y www.missourivalleyshopper.com 665-5884 M I S S O U R I VA L L E Y Participating Businesses Are… The Body Guard FABRIC SPECIALS! Looking for the best deal in town? Check the July 1 thru July 31 44”/45” 100% Quilter’s Cotton Reg. $5.99 - SALE - $4.29 per yard 108" Wide 100% Cotton Blenders & Prints Reg. $11.99 - SALE - $9.99 per yard Lycra- Reg. $5.99 to $6.99 CLASSIFIEDS! 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