2 Broadcaster Press December 24, 2019 www.broadcasteronline.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 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. Dakota Senior Meals Served at The Main Street Center & Town Square, “Meals on Wheels”. Please call before 9:00am to schedule or cancel a meal at 624-7868. Menus listed below are December 25th – December 31st. Menus are subject to change without notice. All menus are served with whole grain bread and 1% milk unless otherwise noted. Wednesday – Merry Christmas No Meals Thursday – 3 oz Ham, 1/2c Boiled Potatoes, 1/2c Green Beans, 1/2c Blueberry Parfait, 4oz Apple Juice Friday – 1 1/2c Cream of Broccoli Soup, 1/2 Grilled Cheese Sandwich, 1/2c Fruit Cocktail, 4oz Cranberry Juice Monday – 3oz Chicken Strips, 1/2c Macaroni Salad or 3-Bean Salad, 1/2c Mandarin Oranges, 4oz Tomato Juice Tuesday – 1 1/2 c White Chili or Regular Chili, 2oz Cinnamon Roll, 1/2c Pears, 4oz Apple Juice Additional Financial Assistance Available For Homeowners Recovering From Natural Disasters PIERRE, SD – South Dakota Housing Development Authority’s (SDHDA) Board of Commissioners approved additional funding to aid in recovery efforts for households impacted by the 2019 natural disasters. Financial assistance available for the disaster support includes cleanup or removal of debris; mold remediation; restoration; purchases of ma- jor appliances lost due to disaster (i.e., hot-water heater, furnace, etc.); rent payments; utility security deposits for displaced households; and downpayment assistance for the purchase of a housing unit. Eligible households must have incomes at or less than 80 percent of the HUD area median income in order to apply for assistance. Documentation of losses and expenses, along with any reimbursements received from FEMA, SBA, donations from other sources and insurance proceeds, will be used to determine actual amount of assistance available, which is limited to $5,000 per household. Anyone interested in applying for funds may do so by reviewing income May every day of the New Year sparkle with good cheer & happiness! qualifications, completing the application form and submitting the application requirements found on the SDHDA website, www.sdhda. org. People who are not able to access the information via the internet may request an application and information by calling Amy Eldridge, Housing Development Officer, at 605.773.3181 or 800.540.4241. While SDHDA will process applications are they are received and funds remain available, no applications will be accepted after June 30, 2020. Thank You & Happy New Year! PRECISION PAINTING •Interior •Exterior •Commercial •Residential 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. We’re all ears. Your opinion is something we always want to hear. Questions? Call, write us or contact Comments? us via e-mail and let us Story Ideas? know how we are doing. Quality Workmanship, Reasonable Rates 5 W. Cherry St., Vermillion • 605-624-4444 Since 1983 CLINT TUCKER 624-4621 201 W. Cherry •Vermillion, SD 57069 605-624-4429 • classifieds@plaintalk.net The Vermillion Public Library wants your feedback! Take our survey for a chance to win Vermillion Bucks! Irrigation Sales & Service Visit: vermillionpubliclibrary.org/survey Surveys completed by December 31st, 2019 will be entered to win! Irrigation PVC, Wire Installed, Well Drilling Domestic & Irrigation Pump Installation Find the Right People Advertise your job openings in the Broadcaster. WATERLINE & ELECTRIC TRENCHING Tree & Concrete Removal, Site Clearing, & Ditch Trenching ALL TYPES OF DIRT WORK - FREE ESTIMATES Bobcats • Crane • Dozers • Excavators • Grader Grain Trailer • Scrapers • Side Dumps • Trenchers Vermillion, SD (605)670-9567 Hartington, NE (402)254-2568 Licensed in SD, NE & IA 201 W Cherry Vermillion 624-4429