A female primary care physician opines on money, travel, fitness, and other topics to be determined
This is a question I have been asking a lot lately.
For the holidays, I ask my loved ones (or their parents): what do you want? Toys? Shirts? Books? A DVD? (For the record, a scarf or two and some lovely Smartwool socks–Margarita, knee-high–would be great for me.)
I have also been asking that question of myself during this season.
Continue reading “What Do You Want?”Just because I am a doctor, and encourage patients every day to exercise, doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own issues with getting sufficient exercise. Long hours, tiring days, family obligations, illness: they are all stumbling blocks, no matter what your occupation.
I have been recording my exercise weekly, mostly to keep myself accountable for reaching my goal (sometimes this works, sometimes I miss). If anyone reads this, I hope they will take this as encouragement to keep going, acknowledgement that it isn’t always easy.
Continue reading “Fitness Log #59”Giving Tuesday has come and gone, but that doesn’t have to mean the end of giving to charity. In fact, I hope it doesn’t. Many charities don’t push Giving Tuesday, or set up different fund raising drives. There are many opportunities and ways to give.
I have read a number of posts in the past several years about the benefits of the donor advised fund, and I think they sound pretty nifty. However, I have not yet set up one myself.
But I have set up charitable giving a different way. One that I don’t see written about much in personal finance blogs, but which I think may be a good option for employed physicians. Or anyone who works for a large organization.
Continue reading “On Giving, Part 2”Thanksgiving has come and gone. I had a great time with family. I hope you did too.
These days, Thanksgiving is followed by Black Friday (I missed out on spending money this year, as I usually do), then Cyber Monday (I might buy things today). All of these special days are geared to part us from our money in the name of consumerism. Or, as the advertisers say, making the holidays special.
Happily, there is also a push towards charitable giving, with Giving Tuesday featured (December 3 this year).
Today I wanted to review some of the blog posts on giving that have affected me most in the past few years.
Continue reading “On Giving, Part 1”Just because I am a doctor, and encourage patients every day to exercise, doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own issues with getting sufficient exercise. Long hours, tiring days, family obligations, illness: they are all stumbling blocks, no matter what your occupation.
I have been recording my exercise weekly, mostly to keep myself accountable for reaching my goal (sometimes this works, sometimes I miss). If anyone reads this, I hope they will take this as encouragement to keep going, acknowledgement that it isn’t always easy.
Continue reading “Fitness Log #58”Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I plan to enjoy myself with my family, eating (too) well and likely failing to keep up with the younger generation.
I feel very fortunate to be able to spend time with my parents, siblings, niblings. We are all healthy, and out of the hospital. We have plenty to eat, can take time off for the holiday, and are able to travel to see each other. As I wrote about last year, I feel quite rich, even if numbers in the bank might tell me I am “comfortable.”
I hope you enjoy your day tomorrow, and feel that you have much to be thankful for as well.
A few weeks ago I started thinking about how to discuss investing with residents, as I have been half-invited to talk with them about financial topics.
I had planned to talk about investing, but realized there were a number of steps a person should go through first before committing money : first, making sure the investor actually has some money they can invest, and then explaining why risking their money in investments beats hiding cash under their mattress.
I have been putting off the discussion of investing–mostly talking about stocks and bonds–because the more I think about them, the more complicated they feel.
Last week I tackled an introduction to stocks, and this week I am attempting to tackle bonds.
Continue reading “Investing Step 1, Bonds”Just because I am a doctor, and encourage patients every day to exercise, doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own issues with getting sufficient exercise. Long hours, tiring days, family obligations, illness: they are all stumbling blocks, no matter what your occupation.
I have been recording my exercise weekly, mostly to keep myself accountable for reaching my goal (sometimes this works, sometimes I miss). If anyone reads this, I hope they will take this as encouragement to keep going, acknowledgement that it isn’t always easy.
Continue reading “Fitness Log #57”A few weeks ago I started thinking about how to discuss investing with residents, as I have been half-invited to talk with them about financial topics.
I had planned to talk about investing, but realized there were a number of steps a person should go through first before committing money : first, making sure the investor actually has some money they can invest, and then explaining why risking their money in investments beats hiding cash under their mattress.
I have been putting off the discussion of investing–mostly talking about stocks and bonds–because the more I think about them, the more complicated they feel.
Continue reading “Investing Step 1, Stocks”Just because I am a doctor, and encourage patients every day to exercise, doesn’t mean that I don’t have my own issues with getting sufficient exercise. Long hours, tiring days, family obligations, illness: they are all stumbling blocks, no matter what your occupation.
I have been recording my exercise weekly, mostly to keep myself accountable for reaching my goal (sometimes this works, sometimes I miss). If anyone reads this, I hope they will take this as encouragement to keep going, acknowledgement that it isn’t always easy.
Continue reading “Fitness Log #56”