December 18, 2018 • Page 2 Dave Says shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Make Sure It’s a Gift Dear Dave, I’m on Baby Step 4 of your plan. I’m debt-free, and I’m currently putting lots of money toward retirement. Now, I want to go back to school and get an MBA. I could pay for school with cash, but that would delay buying a home. My parents have offered to help out financially, so do you think I should accept their offer? Isaac Dave RAMSEY Dear Isaac, I don’t have a problem with this, if they’re doing well enough financially to afford it, and the help comes in the form of a gift. If they’re borrowing the money to make it happen, then the answer is “no.” If they want to loan you the money, the answer is “no.” A loan between family members, or even friends, isn’t help—it’s a trap for both parties. But hey, if they’re in good enough shape to gift you some money to help with the MBA or a home, that would be an incredibly generous thing to do. I think it’s so cool when people work hard, make smart decisions, and manage their money well to the point they can do things like this for others. It sounds like you’re in a really good place, Isaac. Pay cash for school, and if you can’t buy a home outright when the time comes, make a down payment of at least 20 percent. That way, you’ll avoid having to pay private mortgage insurance! — Dave PRICE REDUCED! 406 S. McNamara, Bloomfield, NE • $141,900 This is a beautiful home with lots of room and open spaces. There are 3 bedrooms upstairs and a bonus room in the basement. Everything in this home has been updated and is move-in ready. There is a detached garage in the back with easy alley access. It is in a wonderful location and has a beautiful large backyard. Underground sprinker system. New furnace in 2018. Sellers agent is realted to seller. Kelly Filips, 660-0900 1901 Broadway, Yankton 260-1600 • www.yanktonhomefinder.com Congratulations The Cookie Lady The Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors hosted a ribbon cutting for The Cookie Lady. The Cookie Lady sells hand decorated, frosted cookies and homemade cookies for any occasion. Owners are Janet and Mike McKenzie. Call 605-295-2264 to order cookies. Cash Out Stock For Emergency Fund? Dear Dave, I’m 45, married, and we have a household income of around $85,000 a year. We have no debt, except for our home, and we owe about $70,000 on it. I recently stopped contributing to my 401(k) temporarily in an effort to help us build an emergency fund, but things are moving slowly. We also have $25,000 in stock. Should we cash out the stock, and use the money for an emergency fund? Nate Dear Nate, Yes, that’s what I would do. Basically, your emergency fund is in stock right now. That’s not a good place to keep an emergency fund, because you never know when life will throw unexpected expenses your way or the stock market will go down. I would cash out that stock as soon as possible. Put the money in a simple money market account—one with check writing privileges and no penalties for early withdrawals. You always want your emergency fund to be safe and easily accessible. Then, make sure you keep pushing forward and take care of Baby Step 4, investing for retirement; Baby Step 5, save money for college if you have young children; and Baby Step 6, pay off your home early. Baby Step 7 means building wealth and giving like crazy. These things are easy once you have the other Baby Steps out of the way. Good question, Nate! — 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. Winter Recreation And Seasonal Closures Began Dec. 15 Custer, SD, Dec. 13, 2018 – Dec. 15, 2018 marks the beginning of winter recreation on the Black Hills National Forest as Forest officials open snowmobile, cross-country ski and snowshoe trails in the Black Hills area and close seasonal gates and recreation sites that do not remain open through the winter. Gates are closed to provide a seasonal refuge for wildlife, protect road surfaces and other resources, and provide for public safety as some of the roads are converted into part of the snowmobile trail. Seasonal closures also occur at many of the recreation sites including some campgrounds and picnic areas. Click on list of campground sites that remain open in the offseason. Most restroom facilities and trash collection are closed for the season. As a safety reminder, use extreme caution when driving on forest system roads as the road ahead may become impassable or hazardous due to ice and snow cover. National Forest System roads are not plowed or maintained during the winter. Seasonal recreation sites and roads typically reopen mid-May, weather dependent. For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/ blackhills, follow the Forest on Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/blackhillsnf or Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackHillsNF Large selection of holiday gift sets that the adult on your list will enjoy! Marvin Pincus understands that times change. He sure has. He’s a lot older now, of course, and it gives him more time to consider things, like snowboarding. There he was, the other day up on Parker’s Ridge, our local ski slope, resting his arms on the antique wooden ski poles he’s used since the Hoover Administration. And down the hill came young people, swooping and swooshing on snowboards and it got ol’ Marvin shaking his head. “Back when I was young,” he said, “we had to work at this. You had to have skiing lessons, of course. Then you had to buy the right equipment and the right wax. Oh yes, the wax. You had to know just what kind of wax to use for the current temperature and what kind of snow you had. Then you practiced learning to stop and turn. For some strange reason, we thought it was important to be able to turn on skis, and to stop. “But now we have these snowboards. Near as I can tell, all you need to get started in that sport is an idiot and a six pack.” The Classifieds: Your Ticket to Local Finds Call or go online to browse, buy or sell! In Print and Online! 665-5884 • www.missourivalleyshopper.com Dining & Entertainment Deck the halls for less this holiday season ! Gift Cards Available www.goodwillgreatplains.org selection of at the adult on Large gift sets th list will enjoy! holiday your No liquor or wine sales on Christmas Day! Baileys Irish Cream 34.99 1.75 ML $ Baileys Pumpkin Spice 3.99 750 ML $ Crown Royal XO 25.99 750 ML (Save $3) $ Best Prices In Town! Titos Vodka with Ugly Sweater 19.99 750 ML $ Cork N Bottle 1500 Broadway, 665-3881 We’ll Match All Local Advertising Prices! Save 10 Off A Gallon Of Gas When You Use Your Sinclair Card ¢ Pictured above is the tour group that visited the replica of Noah’s Ark in Kentucky this last September If you’d like to visit the Ark and the Creation Museum in April, call Vi Ranney today. Sign up deadline is January 1. For brochure call: 605-665-3596 or e-mail viranney@vyn.midco.net