December 24, 2019 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Dave Says Great Start, But Follow The Steps Dear Dave, I’ve recently begun living on a budget, and I’ve got $1,000 saved. At the moment, I have $150 left over each month after everything is account for in my budget. I also have three debts totaling about $12,000. Should I use this extra cash to pay off debt, or would it be a better idea to start investing the money? Leland Dear Leland, Let’s put off investing for the time being. You’ve done a great job so far by getting on a budget and saving $1,000. Making mature decisions and telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went, is the key to gaining control of your finances. Now, let’s take a closer look at my plan and where you stand. You’ve already set aside $1,000 for a beginner emergency fund. That’s Baby Step 1. Don’t touch that money except in the event of an actual emergency. You’re ready now for Baby Step 2, which is to pay off all debt except for your mortgage using the debt snowball system. To do this, make a list of your debts from smallest to largest. Make minimum payments on all but the smallest debt, and attack it with a vengeance. As soon as you get that one paid off, move on to the next one and then the next one. Once you finish the debt snowball, and you’re debtfree except for your house, you go back to your emergency fund and stash more money away until you have a fully-funded emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. This is Baby Step 3. Now you can begin concentrating on investing for retirement, which is Baby Step 4. Start with your employer’s 401(k) plan. Then, you can invest the rest into Roth IRAs—one for you, and one for your spouse—if you’re married. Saving and investing are both very important. But it’s Dave RAMSEY The main problem, said Windy to himself, is a lack of variety. He got up from his kitchen table and poured a fourth cup of coffee. The weather outside was terrible, he didn’t have any work to do today, Ramses was healthy and asleep over next to the heater. Not bad, said the old cowboy philosopher and camp cook. I could do a lot worse, he thought. But still, there was that darn lack of variety. And it was this problem that took him back to the table and made him shuffle the cards once again. When he was a young cowboy and learning to lose at the non-stop poker game in the bunkhouse, it was different. The card playing itself was fun, but losing money wasn’t. Oh, it wasn’t much money … cowboy wages being what they were then … and still are. It was just the laughing and the storytelling, really, and waiting to see if Lady Luck actually recognized you sitting also important to become debt-free. That’s what makes them easy! —Dave Who Will Be Liable For The Debt? Dear Dave, My parents are getting up there in years, and they aren’t really prepared for when they pass away. They can’t afford life insurance at this point, and they also have a lot of debt. When they die, who will be liable for their debt? Tammi Dear Tammi, Any outstanding debt your parents have upon passing will likely go against their estate. If they have a positive net worth—meaning they owned more than they owed— there will be money left over after the debts are paid, and this could go toward an inheritance. If they have a negative net worth, which means they owed more than they owned, everything could be sold off to cover as much of the debt as possible. Regardless, you would only be held liable for any of their debt if you were a co-signer on the loans. I’d also suggest getting their permission to buy burial policies on them. If they won’t agree to this, you might have to save up money for their final expenses yourself. In most areas, $10,000 to $15,000 is enough to cover basic burial costs for two people. —Dave * Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling 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. there waiting for her. Windy Wilson also remembered the preacher staring into the congregation looking for a sinner or two and declaring playing cards to be one-way tickets to perdition. Well, that sermon had a profound effect on young Windy, so he stopped going to church. But this solitaire game. You just deal them out face down and start to turn them over slowly. Red on black. Black on red. Then, about three rows up, he hit a red roadblock, with no black cards. Well, maybe just this once I could use a red card to sorta get me started again. Cheating? Maybe. But Ramses won’t tell. Not my fault, thought Windy. The cards are only in red and black. Had a winter shirt those colors once. This solitaire is not my fault. It’s just that darned lack of variety. Treasure Awaits! Shop Classifieds 319 Walnut St. • Yankton, SD 57078 605-665-5884 www.missourivalleyshopper.com A special This Holiday Season to all our valued customers and employees. Just Need a Hug By Daris Howard I don’t get much chance to play Santa, but I like to when I can. And I never do it for pay because that takes away from the reason I do it. Each time I get the chance to brighten the lives of children, I always feel it is I who come away better for the experience. This year, I was Santa for a big group of children. The director sent me instructions on when to come in. At the right time, I jingled the bells in my hand and made my way into the hall. As I stood waving, before going to take my place, a young girl, about three years old, came over and hugged my knees. I knelt down and talked to her. I asked her if she was going to come up and visit with me. In wide-eyed wonder, she nodded. As she and I were talking, a little boy on the first row saw me. He put down what he was playing with and came running with arms spread wide. He threw his arms around my neck and hugged me for quite some time before his mother called to him. When he pulled away, I also asked him if he was going to come up and see me. He nodded vehemently. Once I was settled in the chair that was prepared for me, the children flocked to get in line. With the children in the group and all of their siblings, there were probably more than fifty of them. One of the first to come to me was a little girl who was around seven. She stopped in front of me and looked right into my eyes. “Are you the real Santa?” she asked. I love to help children believe in the magic of Christmas, and I laughed a deep Santa chuckle. “Of course I am.” “Then am I naughty, or am I nice?” she said in a somewhat defiant tone. I considered the type of child that would ask such a question and used that logic to answer. “You,” I replied, “are a bit mischievous. But you are still a good girl.” I must have nailed it. Her face showed her amazement. “You are the real Santa!” She then leaned up close and told me that for Christmas, she really wanted an American Girl doll. I talked to her briefly about American Girl movies, and she left with a candy cane. One little girl asked me for a robot cat. “Do you have a dog to terrorize with it?” She said no, so I said, “Then what fun is a robot cat?” Her parents laughed. I told them that when I was in New York, there was a place that trained cats to be like watchdogs. They called them attack cats. But the problem was, the cats could not quickly distinguish their owners, and the cats often attacked their owners. Near the end of the line came the boy who had hugged me. When it was his turn, I pulled him onto my lap. “What would you like for Christmas?” I asked. Though he was plenty old to speak, he said nothing. Instead, he threw his arms around my neck and hugged me tightly for some time. I hugged him back and felt there was more to his hug than just a child’s love for the magic of Christmas. When he finally let go, and I looked into his face, he was smiling a happy smile. “Is there anything else you want?” I asked. He shook his head, so I grabbed a pretty blue candy cane. “I’m sure you could use this.” He gave me another big hug, smiled, took the candy cane, and headed on his way. His mother said, “I’m sorry he hugged you so tightly and for so long.” I smiled. “It’s okay. Even Santa needs hugs now and then.” “He lost his father some time ago,” she said, “and he hasn’t spoken a word since then. He also has hardly let anyone touch him. Maybe in Santa he feels a little of the love of his father.” After she left, I pondered what she said. Maybe there was a bigger reason I enjoyed playing the part of Santa. At this time of year when we celebrate the birth of He who loved children most, perhaps playing Santa helps me experience a portion of that love He has for them. 319 Walnut St. Yankton, SD 57078 605-665-5884 Merry Christmas During the Holiday Season more than ever, our thoughts turn gratefully to those who have made our progress possible. And in this spirit we sincerely say Thank You and Best Wishes for the holiday season and a Happy New Year! 2409 N. Broadway Yankton, SD 605-665-9651 Save 10¢ Off A Gallon Of Gas When You Use Your Sinclair Card Great Stocking Stuffers! Holiday Sinclair Gift Card s! No Liquor or Wine Sales on Christmas Day! 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