December 2020 – Physician In Numbers

A Look Back At 2020

The year is almost over, and as several of my friends have said, good riddance.

However, consigning an entire year to the trash heap seems a little severe.

I spent a little time before Thanksgiving reflecting on what I am grateful for this year; I really do have a lot to be thankful for.

This is a slightly different post, reflecting on 2020, but still focusing on the things that went well for the PiN household.

Fitness Log #114 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over a year, and plan to continue doing so, even on holidays. (Merry Christmas!)

I started the Friday Firsts sections as a way of keeping track of some of my “firsts” as I dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. Things seem to be settling down, but I will keep it for now–more as a way to be aware and thankful of what is happening in my life.

Wednesday Whimsy For The Holidays

It’s the end of the year, and I thought I’d highlight some articles I loved and have been saving. There isn’t a real theme, like finance or travel, just pieces I found interesting, and hope you will too.

Consider it my present to you, the reader. Happy Holidays!

Questions About A Spousal IRA

I have been talking about setting up an IRA for Mr. PiN forever, without actually getting it done.

For a few years, he didn’t want me to set one up for him. Then he wanted to wait until we had paid off the mortgage. This spring I was thinking about setting one up, and the pandemic hit; we decided it was better to beef up our emergency fund.

Now, though, those barriers are gone.

I thought it might be worth going through some of the questions I have about setting up a spousal IRA. I suspect I am not the only one with these sorts of questions. Except where noted, I found my information from the IRS publication 590-A.

As always, do not rely on what I write to make decisions for yourself. I am not your tax expert, or indeed any tax expert at all. I am just some random person writing on the internet. Do feel free to consult your own tax expert, or to look at the IRS forms yourself.

Fitness Log #113 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over a year, and plan to continue doing so.

Monday Melange, COVID-19 Edition

As you might have noticed, if you read the news, the first (Pfizer) vaccine for COVID-19 received an emergency use authorization 3 days ago. At the end of this week, the Moderna vaccine may receive a similar authorization. Vaccines are rolling out, and healthcare workers–though certainly not all of us–will start vaccination this week.

Most certainly, the pandemic is not over. It will take months for enough people in the USA to be protected to reduce the spread of this illness. I expect the next several months to be full of stories of overfull, overworked hospitals and people grieving for loved ones lost to this disease.

However, I am starting to feel a little hopeful that we might be at the very beginning of the end.

On that note, I thought I would share a number of posts related to the pandemic that struck my fancy over the year. Many are from the very beginning of the pandemic; it is interesting to note the difference in tone from April until now. And yet, I find the messages within remain relevant.

Fitness Log #112 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over a year, and plan to continue doing so.

How Much Does It Cost Me To Work?

It’s that most wonderful time of the year, a time of celebrations, gift-giving and holiday discounts. Not to mention marshmallow toasting, caroling out in the snow, and scary ghost stories.

Unfortunately, it is also the time when many licenses and professional memberships need to be renewed. Additionally, if I want (need) to register for meetings or buy study guides, this is the time to pay for them–prices usually go up sometime in January.

This year I started feeling a little steamed, as I contemplated paying out quite a lot of money for these work-related costs. I started wondering: how much does it cost me to work?

Soon after I jumped down the rabbit hole of totaling up all the costs that I see, or can estimate, just to be able to keep working. I am not counting all the other expenses related to work, à la Your Money or Your Life (professional clothing, dry cleaning, massages or vacations to decompress), just the plain, required (and possibly reimbursable) ones that keep me eligible to work in medicine.

Fitness Log #111 And Friday Firsts

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for over a year, and plan to continue doing so.