I read many blog posts each day. They mostly focus on personal finance, but also on minimalism and travel . Here are some of my favorite posts I read in February.
A number of posts this month, from different sources, address the idea of keeping quality stuff and discarding what doesn’t suit you.
No Sidebar writes about The 10 Things You Don’t Realize Are Draining Your Energy Every Day. In addition to excess possessions, they also list the unfinished to-do list, lack of rest, etc. It’s a list to pay attention to.
From the same site, I liked a post by Joshua Becker, reminding us that If You Own Too Much, Organizing More Is Never the Answer. I can’t say that I have achieved minimalism bliss in my home, but every time I declutter a closet, I do get to see how much better life is without the stuff I don’t need.
In a very different vein, Nick Maggiulli writes at Of Dollars and Data about his writing, and the importance of editing. I also like his beginning, pointing out that success in writing books is not a zero sum game–There’s Always Room for Quality [books].
The White Coat Investor is putting out some great posts this month. Perfect for readers who may be new to personal finance, but also informative for those who have been reading and thinking about it for a while.
A guest post reviews work-life balance and doctor pay. The author has a second job as founder of a job platform, so I suppose in some way it’s an advertisement for his site. I still think this is a worthwhile look at what attending physicians think about the time burdens of their work, which is important for students in their mid-20s to consider. It’s also good for doctors to think about when they complain that other specialties have it so much better. Though like one of the commenters, I too question the statement that full-time Internal Medicine doctors work only 44 hours per week.
Another post argues that doctors worry about the wrong financial stuff. Jim Dahle lists 9 topics that get discussed (possibly ad nauseam) in the personal finance space. Often on his website. He then lists another 9 that are more important, but possibly less exciting to write about. Go see if you agree with his lists.
Will Your Retirement Go as Planned? is based on a forum thread and full of reminders that our bodies and lives will not stay fixed. How we feel and live in our 40s is not the same as in our 60s or 70s. A reminder that a good financial plan includes saving for tomorrow while living a good life today.
On a different note, I enjoyed this guest post From Early Retire to Émigré. Dr. Hofmeister has been writing about early retirement, and now–poof!–he’s working again. In New Zealand. I’m very interested to hear how he likes it in a few more months.
Speaking of retirement, Fritz Gilbert has another post at The Retirement Manifesto. He writes about How to Refill Your Buckets in Retirement. Although he frequent writes about personal fulfillment in retirement, this is a straight-up nuts-and-bolts look at managing his money once you no longer have a paycheck from work. His blog was the first place I read about the “bucket strategy,” and I appreciate the look at how to manage money this way several years after stopping (paid) work.
Humble Dollar is a site I look forward to reading every day. I very much enjoyed Dennis Friedman’s thoughts on the Value of Waiting, and William Houseley’s story of someone who waited a bit too long to save for retirement, but who found that It’s Never Too Late.
The Woke Salaryman has a nice (sponsored) piece about finding learning opportunities in unexpected places. The year I fell behind my peers definitely resonates with me, as i was a non-traditional medical student.
No Sidebar reviews 10 Things You Can Do Today to Make Tomorrow Better. These are all excellent habits, and unfortunately I know I won’t go through with all of them. Maybe I should add one a year?
I picked a few posts this month from personal finance sites I read regularly, which are a bit more political in nature. I myself don’t choose to write about politics on my blog, but that doesn’t mean I don’t realize that political choices affect us all. [I work in primary care. I have to pay attention to political discussion at least at some level, whether I want to or not.]
Find your favorite reading chair, prepare a cup of tea (maybe a pot?) and settle in for a very long piece about wealthy families, corporate structure, and greed. Kitty at Bitches Get Riches asks Who Killed the Great American CEO?
Joe Udo at Retire By 40 explains Why I Won’t Carry My Passport to Run Errands. This is not an issue I ever would have thought would need to be discussed in this country growing up.
Do you have any favorite posts from February?