Save Ottumwa Post October 18, 2023

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•••••OCTOBER 1 8, 2023•••••

Luby’s The man stared blankly, almost in a daze, through the heat lamps that hung over the glass shield above the steam table while waiting for the next customer. “Excuse me, sir,” I said.

The man snapped from his daze, “I’m sorry, did you need something else?”

“I just wanted to tell you that you’re doing a good job, and I appreciate you,” I replied.

The man blushed a little.

Then, the man in line behind me chimed in, “That’s right, John. We all appreciate you.”

Then the man said to me, “Thank you for acknowledging him. I eat here at least five times a week, and John is always here. He’s worked here for years and is a good man, just kind of quiet.” I was at Luby’s in Conroe, Texas.

My sister Patti introduced me to Luby’s when I was visiting in August. She had been out running errands and came home with just one dinner. “Did you already eat,” I asked.

She replied, “We’re going to share.” Patti took two plates from the cabinet and divided the meal, giving me half the entrée and a portion of each side. She broke the cornbread in half, sharing that also. “I got the LuAnn platter,” she explained, “but I should have got the regular combo; you get a lot more food, and it doesn’t cost much more….”

I heard Patti talking, but honestly, I was distracted. I was focused on the dinner plate; (Just the Other Day cont’d on pg 3)

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SAVE OTTUMWA POST takes many years to accumulate the savings you need to retire comfortably.

Your children are likely just starting their careers, while your time remaining in the workforce may be limited to 5, 10 or 15 years. Putting yourself first isn’t a selfish move.

It’s about being wise with your money. If you make it a priority to have enough saved when you retire, your kids won’t have to worry about providing you with financial support later in life.

est rate or more favorable repayment terms.

Have conversations about money. Your willingness to talk about your finances is a valuable example for your adult children. So too is your attention to your retirement savings. I encourage parents to invite their adult children to attend a financial planning session with a financial advisor. It’s a time to address money concerns and explore how actions today can affect your future finances.

strategic with your The 2023 research was created by Helping Adult Kids Be financial gifts. Like other Ameriprise Financial Inc. and cononline by Artemis Strategy Without Harming monetary goals, it’s impor- ducted Group from January 19 to February 14, to add gifts of cash 2023 among 3,518 Americans ages Your Own Financial tant 27–77. Millennial respondents have to your overall financial $25,000 or more in investable assets, Future plan. When you treat and Gen X and boomer respondents 1

According to a recent study published by Ameriprise Financial, individuals in their 30s and 40s have received significant financial help from family and expect additional assistance in the future. And over a quarter of those surveyed said they received $25,000 or more1.

cash gifts separately, you shortchange other priorities such as retirement.

What will it cost you to divert savings from your retirement plan? With a complete list of financial priorities, you can see how much you need to save to reach them all.

Consider alternate approaches to helping It’s admirable to see that your kids. There may be parents want to go to such ways to help your kids great lengths to help their other than by dipping into children achieve financial savings. Encourage them success. Yet parents need to take financial responsito be mindful that they bility when they can do so. don’t inadvertently diminYour college-bound son or ish their own success in daughter may be able to doing so. As a financial take out student loans at advisor, here’s the advice a low interest rate, which I offer parents who want will reduce or eliminate to give their adult children the amount you need a financial head start to contribute for tuition. without harming their own Instead of writing a check financial future: to help your child buy a car or house, you might Prioritize saving for co-sign on a loan to help your own retirement. It them lock in a lower-inter-

have $100,000 or more. The sample is weighted on region and by generation on age, gender, race/ethnicity, assets, and income based on the Federal Reserve 2021 Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED). To ensure sufficient response sizes for additional analysis, Ameriprise oversampled investors who identify as millennials. For further information and details about the study, including verification of data that may not be published as part of this report, please contact Ameriprise Financial or go to ameriprise.com/millennials.

Duane J Lusson, CFP, ChFC, CLU, MSFS, is a Private Wealth Advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. in Ottumwa, Iowa. He specializes in fee-based financial planning and asset management strategies and has been in practice for 30 years. To contact him, call 641-6844200 or stop by his office at 527 W. Second in Ottumwa, Iowa.

Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results Ameriprise Financial, Inc. and its affiliates do not offer tax or legal advice. Consumers should consult with their tax advisor or attorney regarding their specific situation.

Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value.

OCTOBER 1 8, 2023 Investment advisory products and services are made available through Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, a registered investment adviser.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2023 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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OCTOBER 1 8, 2023

(Just the Other day cont’d from pg 1)

the food looked delicious, and I was hungry. It didn’t take long before my plate was cleaned up. I popped the last morsel of cornbread into my mouth, then pointed my fork toward her plate, “Are you going to eat all that?” I was shunned away.

A couple of days later, Patti and I were running errands.

“Where is that Luby’s place,” I asked. “Maybe we could go have lunch there after your appointment.” Patti said it was just a few minutes from where we were going.

“Great, then it’s a plan. We’ll have lunch at Luby’s.”

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I planned to order the same entrée Patti had brought home. You might wonder what could be so good that I would have it twice a week?

Liver and onions! Yum! My wife does not like liver and onions; nor does she care for the aroma it leaves in the kitchen – even with the exhaust fan running. So, lunch at Luby’s was a real treat!

My August visit to Texas soon ended, and I returned home. Fortunately, I would be visiting again in October.

During my October visit, we dined at Pappas Seafood; it was a bit pricey, but the food and service were excellent, and the portions were plentiful. I had a combination platter with grilled salmon, scallops, and shrimp. I was very full and should have taken a to-go box, but it was so good. In a food coma, I wasn’t thinking straight.

A couple of days later, I could not find my credit card.

(That’s always a sickening feeling.) After searching everywhere, I finally looked at my online credit card statement. The last charge was at Pappas Seafood. The restaurant was closed, so I called first thing the following morning. Sure enough, I left my card with the signed charge slip in the waitress’ booklet. I told you I wasn’t thinking straight.

Even though Pappas restaurant was almost an hour’s drive (each way) from my sister’s house, I needed to retrieve my card. I went alone; why should anyone have to spend two hours in the car because of my boneheaded mistake? I made the most of the trip by planning several stops. The final errand was to ship a gift to a friend.

After dropping the package at FedEx, it was another thirty-five minutes to Pappas. I called Patti, “Would you like lunch from Pappas? I could pick it up while getting my credit card.” I could hear Patti rolling her eyes as she didn’t yet know I’d relocated the card.

“By the time you drive home, the food will be cold,” she said. She made a good point. I didn’t want to pay for (Just the Other day cont’d on 4)

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(Just the Other day cont’d from pg 3)

a nice seafood meal only to eat it cold.

“Okay, I’ll get something else on the way home.” She asked what I was bringing.

“I’ll surprise you,” I said. It just so happened Luby’s was right on the way home.

Customers pick up a tray and silverware wrapped in a napkin at the beginning of the line. There is a long track made of four round stainless-steel tubes to slide your tray on as you make your way down the line. I looked at the menu of entrées; there was so much to choose from, and it all looked so good!

Chicken and fish (fried or baked), meatloaf, chopped steak, or ribeye steaks.

They had jumbo pork chops, turkey, home-style pot pie, and more; even burritos!

They had potatoes mashed, baked, baby reds, or sliced and fried. Every vegetable from the garden was on their steam table, plus a chilled section of salads, puddings, fruits, and desserts. And, of course, gravy, brown, turkey, or chicken flavors. I recalled my old friend Dick Allen saying of buffets, “As long as they have gravy, everything’s going to be okay.”

But this wasn’t a buffet – Luby’s is a cafeteria.

better value. I glanced at the menu; the LuAnn platter was $8.99, and the combo was only one dollar more.

“Make them both the combo meal, please,” I said. The man served good-sized portions of liver with plenty of onions. Then he slid the togo boxes down to the next server, and she asked what I wanted for sides. “Let’s have fried okra and boiled cabbage on the first and baby reds and spinach on the second. (As long as I was eating out, I might as well have all those sides I enjoy but rarely cook at home because they make the kitchen smell.) She dished up all the greens then moved the containers to the potato man.

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The potato man, John, blushed a little, “Thank you, sir,” he said, as his blush turned into a grin, then a full smile.

I slid my tray down the line. “What kind of bread and desserts, followed by would you like,” the bread the drinks and the cashier. lady asked. She offered all The potato man stared kinds of bread, but my eyes blankly, almost in a daze, locked onto the big, round, through the heat lamps that warm, soft, buttery dinner hung over the glass shield rolls. I forgot that Patti liked “I’ll have two take-out meals, “No gravy, just potatoes, thank you.”

(Dick Allen above the steam table while the cornbread, but the rolls both liver and onions,” I said. would have been disappoint- waiting for the next custom- looked almost as good as ed.) The potato man filled “Combo meal or the LuAnn er. I addressed him, “Excuse those I make at home. the remaining compartment me, sir?” platter?” with baby red potatoes and “You went to Luby’s,” Patti “What’s the difference?” secured the lids. After he set The man snapped out of said when I returned to the the containers on my tray, his daze, saying, “I’m sorry, house. She pulled the con“The LuAnn platter is half an he thanked me for coming to sir, did you need something tainers from the bag, “You entrée, with two sides and a Luby’s. else?” got two full combo meals?” roll,” the server explained. I remembered Patti telling me The cafeteria was busy.

“I just wanted to tell you that “The last time, you told me the combo gave you much The line backed up near the you’re doing a good job, and the full combo was a far betmore food, saying it was a chilled section with salads I appreciate you.” ter value,” I said.

Their staff dishes your food, “What kind of potatoes would you like, sir?” I orthen sets the plate on your tray, always starting with the dered the buttered baby entrée. “What would you like reds. “Do you want gravy today?” today, sir?”

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“Yes,” Patti replied. “But last time we shared a LuAnn platter. This is a lot of food.”

I quickly added the remaining days of my visit. “Well, we’ll have liver and onions for at least one meal for the next four days.” I had a good laugh about that but laughed alone.

Schools and hospitals are the only places I can think of that still have cafeterias – and their food is often pre-packaged. I miss the old-fashioned full-service cafeterias, like Luby’s, with hot food served from steam tables by real live people.

Maybe I’ll call Luby’s and entice them to open a cafeteria at home in Duluth. I hope they’ll offer liver and onions.