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Feb 13, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Anger, resentment, jealousy and hate are terribly draining emotions. If you have any of these going on in your life then you’re going to be tired most of the time. They can be mentally exhausting. Maybe you are free and clear of any of these. If so, you probably have a lot of good days and sleep better at night than people who constantly harbor ill will toward others.
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Feb 13, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Here are some not-so-fun facts for you to noodle on: Almost 8 in 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck.1 And according to a study by Ramsey Solutions, just over half of Americans have had difficulty paying their bills in the past three months, and 1 in 3 have no savings to speak of. Now, I don’t know about you, but all of this gets me thinking: If we live in the most advanced society in history, why does it seem like we have less time and less money than ever before?
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Feb 6, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Well Wayne County, if you haven’t heard by now, here is your official tell that this is my last edition of this paper as Managing Editor. I have accepted employment elsewhere, and after 11 years (almost) I will be leaving the newspaper industry. kAmxE H2D ?@E 2 564:D:@? x >256 =:89E=J[ 3FE @?6 >256 H:E9 >J 9625 G6CDFD >J 962CE :? E96 72G@C @7 96=A:?8 36EE6C >J 72>:=J]k^AmkAm$A62<:?8 @7 962CE[ =6E’D 86E E@ E96 A@:?E @7 E9:D 4@=F>?]k^AmkAmx H2?E E@ E2<6 2 =:EE=6 E:>6 E@ E92?< 2== @7 J@F :?
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Feb 6, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Dear Dave: Our 21-year-old son is in college, and we’ve always warned him to stay away from credit cards. Despite our warnings, we recently learned he got a store-branded credit card. The good news is he has stayed under the credit limit. The bad news is he has never made any payments on the purchases he made, and now he owes about $3,800. He’s a good student, and my husband and I want to look at this as a young person’s one-time mistake.
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Feb 6, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Valentine’s day is coming soon and you better go to the store today if you want a cheap box of candy!A pharmacist friend recalled a man coming into his store late on Valentine’s Day a couple of years back. He only had one big box of candy left that sold for over $50. The man looked the shelves over but there wasn’t a more reasonable box of candy to be found in the store. He continued to eye the candy and finally paid for it and left the store.
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Jan 30, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Dear Dave: My wife and I have started teaching our five-year-old son about money. Do you feel we should step in and fix things when he makes mistakes, or let him experience the consequences of his actions? It’s so hard on my wife, especially, to see him disappointed when he makes a mistake, and his plans don’t work out. — LanekAmkDEC@?8ms62C {2?6ik^DEC@?8m x <?@H E9:D >:89E D@F?5 >62? E@ D@>6 7@=<D[ 3FE D@>6E:>6D 2 8@@5 7:?2?4:2= 5:D2AA@:?E>6?E H96? J@F’C6 J@F?8 :D E96 36DE E9:?8 E92E 42? 92AA6?
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Jan 29, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Numerous people have frozen to death in America this winter. They literally died from exposure to the cold. In nearby Evansville, Indiana a homeless man was found in his routine sleeping spot after a night of frigid temperatures. He was dead. Like any of us, he could not survive trying to sleep in the sub-zero temperature. kAm!@=:46 C6A@CE65=J E@=5 E96 9@>6=6DD >2? E92E 96 ?66565 E@ D66< D96=E6C @C 96 H@F=5?’E DFCG:G6] x 5@ ?@E <?@H H9J 96 H2D 9@>6=6DD] x 5@ ?@E <?@H H9J 96 H2D?’E :?
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Jan 29, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
I turned on my car radio this morning and had to smile. John Denver's song, “Country Roads” was playing, which always makes me happy. I am not an exception in loving this song; and hearing it lifts my spirit, which is true for all West Virginians. As I listened to the lyrics, my mind drifted to the many who use our highways every day as they travel through our mountains. We are a friendly bunch, not only offering hospitality, but caring about the safety of others.
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Jan 24, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Here are some not-so-fun facts for you to noodle on: Almost 8 in 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck.1 And according to a study by Ramsey Solutions, just over half of Americans have had difficulty paying their bills in the past three months, and 1 in 3 have no savings to speak of. Now, I don’t know about you, but all of this gets me thinking— If we live in the most advanced society in history, why does it seem like we have less time and less money than ever before?
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Jan 24, 2024 | 
waynecountynews.com | Nikki Dotson Merritt
Dear Dave: We’ve all our debts paid off, except for our home, and our fully funded emergency fund of six months of expenses is in place. In talking to people, it seems there are lots of different opinions as to what constitutes an emergency. What guidelines do you suggest when deciding whether to use our emergency fund? — IngridkAmkDEC@?8ms62C x?8C:5ik^DEC@?8m %96C6 2C6 E9C66 E9:?8D E@ 2D< J@FCD6=7 H96?
