A female primary care physician opines on money, travel, fitness, and other topics to be determined
Every year around the New Year (Eve or Day), I calculate my (our) net worth and tot up my (our) spending. [I’ve been doing this for many years, since well before I met Mr. PiN, so I will revert to the singular going forward, mostly.]
I have written about this on the blog before, usually in January.
So why am I writing now, at the end of 2024, about our 2023 spending?
Continue reading “My Thoughts On Our Spending In 2023”Since Mr. PiN and I married, I have put away money every year for travel. It’s been the same amount every year–no increase for inflation–and I think we have only met or exceeded that number twice.
Continue reading “Letting Loose On Vacation Spending?”This weekend I logged into my donor advised fund (DAF), to make a one-time donation in memory of a college friend’s wife. The process was quick and easy, no running around the house to find the check book, an envelope, a stamp. Click, click, click–all done.
While I was logged in, I decided to look at the total that has been donated in 2024.
Continue reading “A Return To The Donor Advised Fund”This past month has been a parade of high costs, what with a funeral, a professional exam (with a hotel stay the night before), and now a last minute vacation
The amount of money flowing out of the house has been…. amazing to me. Luckily, each time we pulled out the check book or plunked down the credit card, Mr. PiN and I were able to say: we have the money, this is what it’s for.
However, by seeing how expensive it is to do things at the last minute, it becomes clear that our habit of (usually) planning ahead has saved us a good chunk of money over the years.
Continue reading “Planning Is A Saving Super Tool”Since early in the pandemic, I have been meeting weekly with a group of girlfriends via video.
We all knew each other before the pandemic, but even my closest friend didn’t meet up with me every week. After 4 years of (nearly) weekly meetings, I think we are all closer friends than before.
We are not all doctors, but we enjoy talking a little about medicine (for some reason, we especially love references to syphilis–don’t ask). Most weeks we just catch up on each others’ lives, our work challenges, our family woes, and lately our vacation plans, and support one another.
In the past 4 years, two of us have gotten promotions at work, and another took a new, more senior position. The last one, my friend with One More Year Syndrome, cut back on work and has her last day of work in her sights.
Continue reading “In Praise Of Great Friends”A few months ago, I took the plunge (so to speak), and decided to try using a shampoo bar instead of the liquid stuff sold in plastic bottles. I was mostly inspired by Michelle at Boomer Eco Crusader, who argued that shampoo bars were better for the environment and less expensive, too.
I started using my first bar about 3 and 1/2 months ago, and I see it’s about time to replace it, so I thought it might be time to reflect on my experience.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that I have contradictory thoughts about the impacts of small changes.
Continue reading “Shampoo Bars, Little Splurges And Big Deals”It’s currently early in the academic year, when newly graduated medical students finally get a paycheck, and newly minted attendings finally receive their “Doctor Salary” income.
I think it’s worth reviewing the ways in which the sticker price of a purchase is not the same as the full cost of ownership.
Continue reading “The Sticker Price Is Not The Full Cost”If you look for it, money lessons are everywhere.
This weekend, I was working with the brand new interns. They had a tough morning, rounding with a tired attending, with lots of new-to-them patients. As we finished, I was hungry starving. I asked them if they had anything for lunch lunch: they did not. The hospital cafeteria was closed.
Many doctors go straight through school, meaning that they haven’t had to live off of their salary, ever. This suggests that they may need (want) some guidance in figuring out how to live off their first salary, once they are receiving their first paycheck in internship.
It’s always better to have a plan. Or, as people periodically tell me, failing to plan is planning to fail.
I’ve written about a budget for intern year before, in some very wordy posts. I thought I might recap those posts with a few words, and a few tables.
Continue reading “Building A Budget For Intern Year”My friend with One More Year Syndrome has finally decided to retire.
She met with her financial advisor earlier this year, and was assured that she has plenty to support herself (and spouse) if she stops working.
However, she came back from that meeting with a notebook and a mission to track her spending. I guess she didn’t really know what she was spending her money on.
In the weeks since, I have heard about her canceling subscriptions, and cutting back on smaller purchases.
Which leads me to wonder: would I rather screw down the clamps on my spending early, perhaps feeling pinched (or at least careful) for most of my high-earning years; or would I rather start watching my spending in the 6 months leading up to retirement?
