“Pay yourself first” is a catchphrase that means prioritizing your personal savings above other expenses. Savings should not be an afterthought or an extra that only happens if there’s money left over at the end of the month. Putting aside money should be a fixed line on your budget that happens every month without fail. 

   Here’s how to successfully pay yourself first.

 

Review your spending

   Take a clear look at your spending. If you already have a budget, this will be as easy as reviewing the column that lists all of your expenses, including your discretionary spending. If you don’t already have a budget, track your spending over several months to identify your primary expenses and to find the average amount of money you spend monthly. A budgeting app, like Mint or YNAB, can make this step super-simple.

 

Set short- and long-term saving goals

   Before you start setting aside money each month, you’ll want to have a clear picture of your saving goals. 

   Short-term savings, or funds you want to be able to access in the near future if necessary, can be allocated to an emergency fund. Experts advise having three to six months’ worth of living expenses set aside in an emergency fund in case of a sudden, large expense and/or loss of employment. Some people also build a rainy-day fund, or a slush fund that can be used to pay for anything at all, such as a spontaneous vacation or a large discretionary purchase like a new phone. 

   Long-term savings should include funds you can afford not to touch for several years or more. Your long-term saving goals can include funding your retirement, as well as a downpayment on a home, a new car, a sabbatical from work or any other super-big expense.

   Narrow down your short- and long-term goals until you have a realistic picture, then attach a number to each savings category.

 

Set a timeline for each savings goal

   Now that you have a number for the amount of funds you want to save, you'll need to determine a realistic timeline for meeting those goals. You'll want to give first priority to your emergency fund, but at the same time it’s best not to neglect your future and to start saving for retirement today. This allows time to let compound interest work its magic. To that end, you may want to allocate the bulk of your monthly savings to your emergency fund until you meet your goal. Once your emergency fund is full, you can divide your savings more evenly between your short-term savings and long-term savings. 

   While you work through this step, you may want to reach out to an HR rep at your workplace and/or your accountant to discuss your options for a 401k, IRA or another retirement plan. 

 

Calculate how much you’ll need to save each month 

   You’re ready to determine how much money you’ll need to put into savings each month to reach your goals by their deadlines. Take your total for each goal, and divide it by the number of months in your timeline. For example, if you’ve decided you want to have an emergency fund of $24,000 set up in four years’ time, you’ll divide $24,000 by 48 months to get $500 a month. This is the amount you’ll need to set aside each month to reach your goal in time. Do this for each of your goals. 

   As you work through this step, don’t forget to account for any interest you’ll accrue for your long-term savings. Also, remember to prioritize your short-term savings for emergencies and adjust your savings allocation once your emergency fund is set up. Without the funds to get you through an emergency, your savings can be depleted as soon as any unexpected expense crops up.

 

Automate your savings

   Once you’ve got your savings plan ready to go, it’s best to make it automatic. You can set up a monthly transfer from your credit union checking account to your credit union savings account [or share certificate]. This way, your savings will grow even when you forget to feed them. Think of this money like taxes – it’s not actually part of your take-home pay, because it gets skimmed off the top before it even hits your wallet. But unlike taxes, all of this money (and the dividends or interest it earns) will land in your pocket one day, with some extra, too!

 

Monitor and tweak as necessary

   Life is dynamic, and your savings plan should be, too. If you find the system you’ve set in place is not working anymore, you can always tweak and come up with one that better meets your lifestyle. If you find that you’re short on the funds you need for paying yourself first, consider trimming your discretionary spending in a budget category or freelancing for extra cash before lowering your monthly savings goal.

 

   Whether you need help preparing a new budget, are struggling with debt, or want to repair your credit score, we’re here for you. Take the first step and call us with your questions at 606.329.7876. Members Choice CU offers a free Money Management Program, where you will connect with an expert financial counselor. We’ll help you understand your situation, learn about options, and make a plan to meet your goals. The Members Choice Credit Union Money Management Program is accessible to anyone in our community.

 

Stay Awesome,

Tiffany Black,

CUBDP Manager

Business Development/Marketing

Members Choice Credit Union

Jarrod E. Stephens

The Ashland Beacon

 

   “Hear that lonesome whippoorwill; he sounds too blue to fly.”

   If you are a fan of country music, then you likely identified the previous line as being from the song “I’m so Lonesome I could Cry” by Hank Williams. While ole Hank was a master of words and had the ability to almost make you feel his pain, I have never felt that the sound of the whippoorwill sounded lonely or dreary. Hank Williams had a different perspective on the call of the whippoorwill but his sentiments of the bird’s call being sad or mysterious is also shared by other writers and various cultural beliefs.

   For some native cultures the call of the whippoorwill was quite unsettling since they believed that its call was associated with a soul leaving a body. It was a terrifying omen if one called too near your home. Believe me, if I felt that was true, I would certainly not enjoy their rhythmic call. However, for me, the whippoorwill has always been one of the most anticipated guests to our country hollers as their call is a sure sign that spring has arrived.

   As the late winter freeze thaw cycle gives way to the warming days in March, the farmer finally gets some relief from that itch that has plagued them all winter long. Anyone who truly loves to farm spends each winter day looking forward to spring when we can put our hands in the soil. Around the first week of April the woods are greeted with the echoing of the newly arriving whippoorwills that return from their winter retreats. 

   At first you typically only hear a few "whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will, whip-poor-will" calls scattered throughout the holler. Each night there is an increasing number of calls each night until there is a steady call each night. A drive up a gravel road in spring or summer will lead to a close encounter with the whippoorwill as they sit in the road to make their call. The whippoorwill loves open forest areas and clearings where they'll call and eventually lay their eggs. 

   Since the whippoorwill is a ground-nesting bird it is quite vulnerable to predators that love to eat their eggs and even their chicks. Coyotes, fox, racoons, and owls are their most serious wild threat while domesticated dogs and cats also pose a threat.

   The nighttime call of the whippoorwill is actually its way of attracting its mate. The females will lay only two speckled eggs on a nest of leaf litter. After hatching the chicks are cared for by both parents and begin flying only twenty days after hatching. 

   Sadly, much like the aforementioned "good" country music tune, there has also been a sharp decline in the number of whippoorwills across their native range. There is much speculation as to what, other than natural predators, is causing the decline. Pesticides and habitat destruction seem to be the most likely causes. Since the whippoorwill stirs in the night most folks have not noticed its steady population decline. 

   A few years ago, I wrote a novel that highlighted the togetherness or farming families. In one chapter I mentioned hearing whippoorwills as we harvested our tobacco around the Labor Day weekend. A reader contacted me and said they never recalled hearing whippoorwills as late as Labor Day in our region. Funny thing, their comment arrived in my inbox on a particular evening after Labor Day and I happened to be on the front porch. Low and behold, echoing in the holler in front of my house was the sound of a whippoorwill. More recently I heard one last week and saw a few flittering around near our hay field late one evening. 

   With Labor Day behind us we are indeed approaching the days whenever the whippoorwills will begin their southward migration. Since they feed primarily on insects they head south before cold weather sends our insects underground. Late in the evenings the adult birds will flutter near field edges and congregate together before they leave. 

   Unfortunately for those of us who love the warmer months of the year, summer is coming to a close and the whippoorwill's departure is one of many tell-tale signs that cooler weather is just around the corner. Without the sound of the whippoorwill in the forests and hollers, the other creatures certainly must notice their musical absence and perhaps they feel so lonesome that they could cry. 

James Collier

Ashland Beacon

 

ASHLAND 69 WEST JESSAMINE 63

   Ashland and West Jessamine decided to play some basketball Friday night in Nicholasville,

at least that is what the final score might have indicated. 

   Combining for 132 total points—91 by halftime—the Tomcats and the Colts offenses showed off with Ashland getting the final say in a 69-63 shootout. 

   Terell Jordan provided one of few defensive plays in the contest, but his pick-6 gave Ashland the lead for good. Braxton Jennings rushed for 167 yards and three touchdowns and LaBryant Strader added 142 yards on the ground and a pair of scores. Strader went 15 of 21 through the air for 222 yards and 3TDs. Brandon Houston hauled in four balls for 140 yards and a pair of touchdowns. 

   Altogether, Ashland tallied 576 total yards of offense in the win. 

   Ashland heads to Hazard Friday night. 

 

MASON COUNTY 13 BOYD COUNTY 12

   Mason County tried running Boyd County out of its own stadium after taking a 13-0 lead to the locker room Friday night. 

   But the Lions had other plans as they found pay dirt twice in the second half while holding the visiting Royals out of the end zone the rest of the way. Trailing 13-12 after a Josh Thornton 18-yard touchdown pass from Rhett Holbrook with 7:13 to play, all the Lions needed was an extra point to even the affair.

   The attempt never made it to the Cole Thompson’s foot as a botched snapped force Boyd County into a 2-point conversion try that failed, allowing Mason County to escape with a 13-12 win. Boyd County failed to convert on both extra point attempts with the first being blocked. 

   Dakota Thompson got the Lions on the board with nine minutes to play in the third on a 1-yard TD plunge. A pair of Malachi Wheeler runs set up the scoring play for the first Lions points of the night. Wheeler led the Lions with 100 yards on 14 carries. 

   Rhett Holbrook threw for 230 yards with Thornton hauling in 94 yards on nine balls. 

   Boyd County welcomes Harrison County to begin district play Friday night. 

 

RACELAND 67 WEST CARTER 7

   Raceland showed Friday night it's not how long you have the ball but what you do with it when you possess it. 

   Raceland totaled eight drives when it welcomed West Carter for Homecoming to Rams Stadium and the result was nothing less than dominant. The Rams visited the end zone seven of its eight offensive series with the eighth being the final snap in victory formation for a 67-7 win over the Comets. 

   After forcing a three-and-out by the Comets to start the contest, Raceland marched 67 yards on six plays with Parker Fannin taking care of the final 55 for a 7-0 lead. Logan Lundy found Fannin over the middle and the shifty receiver found a seam to the endzone for his longest catch of the season. 

   The drive was the first of many to come, including three one-play drives of 36, 27 and 43 yards. Lundy threw for 236 yards and four touchdowns before handing the ball off to the backup quarterback midway through the second quarter after the Rams put the running clock in motion with 5:02 to play in the frame. Fannin led the Rams with five catches for 135 yards and a pair of scores. Conner Hughes had two grabs for 46, both landing in the end zone. Brayden Webb secured his first touchdown on the season on a 36-yard hook up with Lundy to close out the points from the air raid attack. 

   Lundy added a rushing TD to his total with a 3-yard dive. Isaac Browning’s 27-yard trip to pay dirt capped off a 28-point first quarter for Raceland and Isaiah Dinger’s 27-yard scamper closed the book on the Rams offensive point production. But the defense got in on the scoring frenzy in the second half after Bryson Rowsey’s 80-yard scoop-and-score and a Parker Ison 30-yard Pick-6. 

   Raceland visits Greenup County Friday night in the Backyard Brawl. 

 

GREENUP CO 34 ROWAN CO 6

   Greenup County found itself in a tight contest at Rowan County Friday night leading 13-6 at the break. But a 21-point second half explosion by the Musketeers rushing attack propelled them to a 34-6 win over the Vikings. 

   Tyson Sammons accounted for both Greenup County scores in the opening half after falling behind 6-0 to open the contest. Sammons dashed 14 yards to paydirt to give the Musketeers a 7-6 lead after Carson Wireman’s PAT split the uprights. Sammons second, a 3-yard plunge just before halftime gave Greenup County a 13-6 edge at the break. 

   The Musketeers signal caller gave his squad some breathing room midway through the third with his third score of the night, a 12-yard run and a 20-6 lead. Rushing scores by Ike Henderson and Waylon Perkins of one and six yards, respectively in the fourth quarter closed out the scoring in the contest. 

   Henderson led the Greenup County ground game with 159 yards on 29 carries. Sammons added 147 on 13 totes. 

   Greenup County welcomes Raceland Friday night at 7:30 p.m. for Homecoming. 

 

MONTGOMERY CO 21 RUSSELL 17

   An early lead fell to the wayside for Russell when the Devils visited Montgomery County Friday night. 

   The lead, however, would not hold up as the Devils fell, 21-17. 

   Ethan Pack threw for 222 yards, Carson Patrick caught five passes for 115 yards and Andre Richardson-Crews ran for 140 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort. Ethan Oborne provided the other Russell touchdown and caught five passes for 94 yards. Nathan Totten tacked on a field goal. 

   Russell welcomes Paul Lawrence Dunbar Friday night. 

 

GREEN, OH 43 FAIRVIEW 18

   A week after snapping a winless streak that stretched nearly two years, Fairview was hungry for its second victory on the year when Green, OH visited Westwood.

   The Bobcats had other plans. 

   The Eagles found themselves on the mat and a standing eight count against them when the visiting Bobcats blitzed the Eagles for 28 first half points and a 28-7 lead before the half. Trailing 28-12 at the half, Fairview could not find an answer to slow down Green’s Nathaniel Brannigan who tap danced to pay dirt four times and tallied 216 rushing yards in the Bobcats 43-18 win. 

   Austin Miller provided Fairview with a pair of rushing touchdowns in the second and third quarter. His first went for 24 yards and added a 3-yard score late in the third. Cade Thomas hauled in a 30-yard touchdown pass from Miller just before the half.

   Miller threw for 167 yards while rushing for a team-high 86 yards. 

   Fairview visits Leslie County Friday night.  

Deidra Bowling-Meade

The Ashland Beacon

 

   “The BlackHorse Farm is the place to be.  Farm livin’ is the life for me.  Land spreadin’ out so far and wide.  Keep Manhattan, just give me that countryside.”  You might be singing this little tune once you visit the authentic horse farm located in Rush, Kentucky known as the BlackHorse Farm.  This farm has the most breathtaking atmosphere with friendly owners who make you feel like family.  

   Farm Day at the BlackHorse Farm will be September 24 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  This day coincides with the Heritage Harvest Tour sponsored by the Boyd and Lawrence County Extension Offices.  This will be the second year the BlackHorse Farm has been a part of the tour.  Jessica Adkins, who owns the farm with her husband, discussed the importance of participating:  “Rural Appalachia is making big moves, and we love all of the stops on the tour and the farmers; we want to promote rural Eastern Kentucky as much as possible. It's a great way to allow people who have never experienced a rural way of life- to come out and experience it.”  

   Admission to BlackHorse Farm is only $5 per person to come to the farm. Admission is sold at the gate, and children 12 and under are free.  Activities include bluegrass music by the legendary band Hammertowne, barn tours, horse/pony rides (one ride is included in admission), carriage rides (additional fee), farrier/teeth floater demonstrations and trackless train rides (additional fee). You can even get up close with their farm animals and a camel!  

   In addition to the Farm Day events at the BlackHorse Farm, people can stop by Buddy’s Clubhouse Grill, which is also owned by Adkins.  Supper and picnic boxes will be available for people to bring a blanket to sit on the lawn or dine in the climate controlled indoor area.  Picnic box menu items include: chili, pork barbeque sandwich, grilled cheese sandwiches, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken salad sandwiches, pimento cheese sandwiches, hot dogs and desserts. The regular menu is also available, in addition to delivery services.  Adkins said, “We deliver to ‘my people’ who are sometimes left out of delivery ranges in larger businesses.” Adkins makes sure to treat her customers like family.  

   Participating in Farm Day is a wonderful way to build back communication and grow more as a community since the pandemic. “Now, more than ever, we want to allow families and children the opportunity to be exposed to our way of farm life; the focus is on faith, family and farming,” shared Adkins. Since 2015 when the BlackHorse Farm was established, the Adkins family has maintained their focus.  Each year they have served Boyd County with several events such as the Bethlehem Experience, open farm days and egg hunts.  Weddings, receptions, and special events for parties can also be held at the Blackhorse Farm. 

   The Adkins family is involved with several business opportunities in Boyd County.  Adkins’ love for her community shines through her daily living.  Adkins spoke proudly of the connection she has with the area saying, “My husband built and designed our entire farm. I grew up two roads over from my place now. It was called Long Branch Road. My grandparents are buried in a cemetery on that road. Rush is my home. I am so blessed to have three businesses in Boyd County. The BlackHorse Farm (established 2015), Diamond Links (we bought in 2017) and we started Buddy's Clubhouse Grill in 2019.”  For Adkins, this is more than just a business and lifestyle, it’s worth preserving for generations to come.  

   The BlackHorse Farm is located at 18517 State Route 854 in Rush, Kentucky.  Buddy’s Clubhouse Grill at Diamond Links Golf Course is located at 200 Fairway Drive in Catlettsburg, Kentucky.  Make sure to support these local businesses in Boyd County, and come enjoy Farm Day on September 24 where faith, family and farming are harvested in abundance.