Finance – Page 3 – Physician In Numbers

Money Lessons From My Dad, Redux

In memory of my Dad, I am republishing this post from 2021. I expect the blog will be quiet for a few weeks.

A Look Back At 2022

Happy New Year!

Before I start thinking about hopes and plans for 2023, I do want to reflect a bit on the year that has just ended. It ended with tough times, but I don’t want that to be the only thing I remember about the year.

A winged angel, with pink dress, blue overdress, and a white scarf. — This angel should be bringing tidings of joy.

The Flip Side Of Money And Medicine

I think about money and medicine a lot, and write about them often here. My writing usually focuses on the practice of medicine and saving money.

This post is a little different.

The past week or so has been spent away from home, watching other people practice medicine on my Dad, while I spend money like water.

While I deal with all the challenges this week has presented, I have had the opportunity to reflect on how my pursuit of FI (financial independence) has helped–or not–during this time.

Giving: Thanks And Money

I know we are supposed to think about what we are grateful for in time for Thanksgiving. To, you know, give thanks for what we have.

However, the events of the past few days brought up a number of ways that I am thankful–and they all occurred on or after the holiday. I figure giving thanks is always okay, even if it seems a little late.

Being thankful for money seems awfully tacky, but I am particularly thankful for some of the opportunities that pursuing financial independence allowed me.

One of the great advantages of having a little (or a lot) of extra money is the chance to make other peoples’ lives a little happier. For which I am also thankful.

Six Benefits I Received From My Donor Advised Fund

One year ago, I opened up a Donor Advised Fund (DAF). I wrote here about the reasons I choose to do so, along with some practical tips on setting it up.

I thought this might be a good time to talk about the real benefits I have received (being totally selfish), in the hopes that I might inspire someone to consider setting up their own DAF.

Car Calculations: Renting Vs. Buying

If you have been following the blog for a while, you may remember that we are a one-car family. And that our singular car has been paid off for just over a year.

This was the first ever brand-new car for me and for Mr. PiN, and I had hoped to keep it for at least 8 years, maybe 10, before having to think about replacing it. We were definitely not planning to buy a new car this year.

What To Do With Some Extra Cash

Do you have a pile of cash sitting around, earning 0.001% interest at your local bank?

Is this money you may need to use in the near future, possibly your emergency fund? Or money earmarked for a purchase relatively?

I want to give a tip of the hat to Kevin at Financial Panther, who highlighted a bonus with Discover Savings Bank.

Future Me, October 2022

I started this series of posts at the end of October 2018. I had just cut back my hours, and wanted to use my new free time wisely. Some of that time was to relax, but I also wanted to improve my fitness, make my home a more pleasant place to stay, and work on becoming a more well-rounded human being.

Over time, I also been thinking about these projects as preparing for retirement life, though that might be years away. Building a better life now, and getting ready for a life without scheduled work, seem worthy of my attention and efforts now.

My last update was in June 2022, after a 6-month gap; I am hoping that more frequent updates will keep me on track.

So, what progress did I make over the past 3 months?

Still My Brother’s (Money) Keeper

This Spring, I was very excited about the possibility of my brother selling his first house, now a rental. In April, I offered my own opinions of what he should do with his expected windfall.

With the drop in the real estate market, it took longer than expected for the sale to finalize, but the day has finally arrived.

I figured my brother would be on easy street: no more carrying costs or paying for repairs for his old house. Not to mention, he has better cash flow with his youngest finally out of day care.

When he told me he was meeting with a financial advisor, a class mate of his wife’s, to help decide how much of their profits they could use to improve their current home, I didn’t think too much of it.

After years of reading blogs in the personal finance space, I forgot that not everyone swims in this stuff. Then we spoke last weekend, and I shocked at some of the things he told me.

I think there are some personal finance lessons to glean from his situation.

Wednesday Woolgathering

Random thoughts on a Wednesday.