Physician In Numbers – Page 44 – A female primary care physician opines on money, travel, fitness, and other topics to be determined

Are We There Yet?

I stayed home from work for nearly a month this summer. It took a while to adjust to the slower pace, to find meaning and accomplishment in my day, but I did. I very much enjoyed waking up without an alarm, spending time with my husband, and getting chores done around the house. On the eve of returning to my regular, full-time work week, I found myself asking: can I retire yet?

Fitness Log #94 And Friday Firsts

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

During this pandemic, though, things change so rapidly, I want to acknowledge some of the ways we are coping with it. I am keeping track of some of my “firsts” as I deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summer Memories

Today I went out for what was supposed to be a short walk. It ended up going much longer than I expected–both distance walked and years traversed.

I live far enough away from where I grew up that the flora and fauna aren’t quite the same, nor is the weather. Today, however, it was similar enough that memories of summers decades past came back to visit me as I walked.

One Year Without Mortgage Payments

In some ways I can’t quite believe it has been a year since I paid off the mortgage. Something that was the focus of so much of my attention, scheming, and calculating, is now just history.

On the other hand, the downstream consequences of paying off the mortgage kept showing up months after the actual event.

I thought it might be worthwhile to go over the past year without mortgage payments, and review the different ways my life has changed because of it. I break this down into three different categories: new bills from the loss of the escrow account, increased cash flow without the monthly mortgage payments, and changes in attitude.

In case anyone reading plans to pay off their mortgage soon, I have a few recommendations at the end.

Fitness Log #93 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: Travel Points

I have been saving links to posts by other people for over a year. Some of these posts just struck my fancy at the time, others I find myself thinking about for weeks or months afterwards. I would like to share them with others, rather than hoarding them on my list of saved posts. I hope some of them speak to you as well.

I love, love, love stories about travel hacking. Not the low stakes stories of: I had to rush home for an emergency and saved a few hundred dollars on a last minute ticket using miles. No, I like the big shebang: look at this crazy thing I did for free (or nearly free).

Fitness Log #92 And Friday Firsts

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

There’s No Place Like Home

I must confess, I have been enjoying spending more time at home.

Between stay-at-home orders, then having to care for Mr. PiN after surgery, I have spent more time in the house this year than I ever have. No problems with boredom: I love bustling around the house, rereading old favorites, and enjoying our small yard.

What Are My Best Uses Of Credit Card Rewards?

At the beginning of the year, I was really thinking about how to get more from my credit cards. I opened up a card or two, worked to get the welcome bonus, and was plotting how best to use credit card bonuses to reduce the cost of our multiple planned trips in the coming year.

I have some large medical bills coming up, the question becomes a little more pressing. If I have to pay out lots on money on my credit card(s), I would like to get the most out of it that I can.

Fitness Log #91 And Friday Firsts

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