November 28, 2017 • Page 2 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Thanksgiving and Freedom Dave Says By Daris Howard It’s a Dream, Not a Plan Dear Dave, I’ve been trying to save cash to buy a home, but things always seem to come up that eat away at my savings. I have $130,000 set aside, plus an emergency fund, and I make $120,000 a year. I’m debt-free and renting right now, but eventually I’d like to buy a house in the $300,000 range. I really hate the idea of owing the bank money, so would you advise continuing to save and pay cash, or is it okay to make a big down payment and take out a small mortgage? Megan Dave RAMSEY Dear Megan, I love your idea, but right now you have more of a dream than a plan. You’ll need $170,000 to go from $130,000 in savings to $300,000, right? So, let’s start planning. If you save $60,000 a year, it would take you a little less than three years to get there. If you set aside $40,000 a year, it would take a little more than four years. A little division — just divide $170,000 by the amount you want to save each year — and you’ve got the beginnings of plan. A dream is a good place to start, but I want you to develop this into a plan that focuses on a goal. Break this down, and figure out how to achieve it. I see three ways to achieve this home ownership goal. One, you do the long division math and save like crazy for however many years it takes to save up $170,000. The second is to put $130,000 down on a $300,000 home, and take out a $170,000, 15-year fixed rate mortgage. This is the only kind of debt I don’t beat up people for having. The good news is, with your income, you could probably pay it off in half that time. A third possibility is to buy a $130,000 house. Write a check for nice, modest home now, and in five years — saving wildly the whole time, since you’ll have no house payments — move up and pay cash for a $300,000 home. If I’m in your shoes, that’s what I’m doing! — Dave Get It Now! Dear Dave, I’ve noticed that the younger you are, the less expensive life insurance can be. I’m 32, and I’m still paying off my student loans. With this in mind, what’s the best age to get term life insurance, and what does it cover? Kalina Dear Kalina, Simply put, term life insurance covers death. Having student loans doesn’t really matter when it comes to life insurance, either. If you have a family – or someone who is dependent on your income – you need 10 to 12 times your yearly income in a good, level term insurance policy. If you make $50,000 a year, that means you need a term life insurance policy with $500,000 to $600,000 worth of coverage. If you don’t have a family or dependents, I’d recommend a simple burial policy of $10,000 to $20,000 to cover any final expenses. Either of these would be very inexpensive for someone your age. Keep in mind that life insurance becomes costlier as you get older. The reason? Statistically speaking, the older you are the more likely you are to die. It’s not a fun thought, but it’s the truth. Life insurance, or at least a burial policy if you’re single and have no dependents, isn’t one of the Baby Steps in my plan. But in your case, it’s a go-get-it-now adult responsibility kind of thing! — 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. Snap Up a Deal in the Classifieds Call or go online to browse, buy or sell! In Print and Online! 665-5884 • www.missourivalleyshopper.com Congratulations Steve slowly saddled his horse, Old Snort, and climbed stiffly aboard in the cold snap of morning. He pulled his hat down a little lower and pulled the wild rag up to cover his nose and mouth from the morning chill. How many mornings had he done this? As Snort trotted out into the meadows of the hills surrounding our valley, he looked with perked ears for cattle. That’s what Snort does for a living. Those ears worked back and forth like radar, searching through trees and behind logs for the tell-tale movement or color of range cattle. And Steve just grinned. How many horses has he ridden on a morning like this? A hundred? Well, fifty, anyway. And the mornings all stay the same in his memory even if he doesn’t stay the same. On a morning like this, his daily dose of “cowboyitis” lets itself be felt. That aching hip? Oh, he remembers when that colt dumped him into the rockpile, putting him on crutches for two months. The shoulder ache? Too many years with a rope in his hands. But he also knows when the fall sun gets a little higher, he’ll stretch and suddenly get younger. His gray mustache will, in his mind, turn brown again, and once more that young cowboy who terrorized stray cattle so many years ago will come back to life. He began kicking cows out and heading them back to the home pasture, and both he and Snort watched and waited for that one rogue that would make the morning complete. It was a black baldy cow who made a dash for Mon.-Fri. 1pm-5:30pm the high-ups and Steve and Sat-Sun 9am-5:30pm Snort were flying through trees and over rock piles and finally headed her and Choose & turned her back with the others. A 19-year-old cowCut Your Tree boy couldn’t have done it • Balsam Fir any better. • Black Hills and Steve smiled and Colorado Blue Spruce down to pat ol’ Snortreached on the • Scotch Pine neck. We sell the Thanksgiving can be World’s Greatest Tree Stand more than turkey and cran4 Miles East of Yankton on Hwy 50 berry sauce. Brady Christmas Tree Farm Vast Broadband The Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors hosted a Ribbon Cutting for Vast Broadband on October 25th at their newly remodeled facility at 2801 Fox Run Parkway. The expanded area helps their customers to view the fantastic internet, television, phone and security packages. more information call 605-260-7400 or check out their website www.vastbroadband.com. The year was 1941. There was news of the carnage in Europe and Asia, and many were grateful America was not involved. The country faced the hardship of The Great Depression, and even though Arden’s little community wasn’t spared, everyone had shared food and other necessities. Though there were shortages, everyone had plenty to eat and a place to live. Arden was a leader in the community, and he felt the need for a special Thanksgiving Day dinner. He and other community leaders organized it but they wondered who the speaker should be. Someone suggested Ben. He was the scoutmaster and had been for many years. His love for the country and his gratitude for life was evident in how he lived and how he trained the boys. Everyone agreed that Ben was the perfect choice. When asked, Ben gladly accepted. He asked if his scouts could post the colors. Everyone thought that would be a good idea. Almost everyone in the community came to the dinner. Though money was scarce, the harvest had been good, and food was plentiful. Ben came smartly dressed in his scoutmaster uniform. The boys were all in their uniforms, too. The flag ceremony was impressive. Ben had taught the boys well. Ben’s talk was a great tribute to the country. He told of his great-grandparents immigrating to the United States and how life was hard, but they loved this country. They passed that love to their children. Ben said that after he was born, that same love of country was passed on to him. He was proud to wear the scout uniform that had the American flag emblem on it. He talked about community and togetherness and the great goodness and friendship he felt there. After his talk, a blessing was given, and everyone joined in for a wonderful dinner. The food was outstanding, and the friendship and the love of country was felt by all. Then, only a few weeks later, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. With that act, the United States entered the war. But what bothered Arden most was the divisiveness that act had sown in his community. Many people demanded a meeting, and when Arden heard what it was to be about, it saddened him. But there was little he could do except hold the requested meeting. The meeting had barely been called to order when Mr. Weber rose to address the group. “As you all know we are now at war with Japan. I am concerned about having a Japanese man as scoutmaster to our boys.” “I agree,” Mr. Lombardi said. “He could be a spy.” “But Ben has been one of the best scoutmasters this community has ever known,” Mr. Anderson said. “I trust him completely with my sons.” This discussion went back and forth for quite a while. Most were against Ben and anyone who looked like him. Arden was sickened that this community that had pulled together through the tough years of the depression was willing to turn on the few whom they now looked on with distrust because of their skin color. What happened to that spirit of friendship that had been at the Thanksgiving dinner only a few weeks earlier? Then he thought of something else. Arden arose to speak. “It is true that we are at war with Japan. But are we not also at war with Germany and Italy?” “What has that to do with it?” Mr. Weber asked. “Isn’t Weber a German name?” Arden asked. “And how about Lombardi? Isn’t that Italian?” Suddenly the room went quiet as Arden continued. “Ben’s family has been here for many generations, longer than some of ours. And I know my heritage is from many countries, including Germany. But I am a U.S. citizen, not a German citizen, and Ben is a U.S. citizen, too. If any person in this room claims no heritage foreign to With that, David Brown-Bear, an Indian, stood. Everyone, including Arden, laughed. David Brown Bear said, “I stand in support of Ben, as I have often been considered an outsider in my own land.” The message was well understood, and no one else spoke. The meeting quickly adjourned, and everyone slipped off into the night. And a couple of months later, as Ben left on the train to fight for his country, the whole community was there to proudly shake his hand. Want your business to be seen? Get your display ad here! Call 605-665-5884 Or Drop By At 319 Walnut St. Turn South at our Sign 605-665-4726 st Prices Be Town! 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