Building A Budget For Intern Year

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.

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Fitness Log #291, Friday Firsts, Fabulousness, And Monthly Goals

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for 5 years, and plan to continue doing so.

Since the pandemic started, I have been keeping track of “firsts,” and more lately, I have been trying to note good things (“fabulousness”). It’s a good way to pay attention and not let life slide by.

Continue reading “Fitness Log #291, Friday Firsts, Fabulousness, And Monthly Goals”

Fitness Log #290, Friday Firsts And Fabulousness

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for 5 years, and plan to continue doing so.

Since the pandemic started, I have been keeping track of “firsts,” and more lately, I have been trying to note good things (“fabulousness”). It’s a good way to pay attention and not let life slide by.

Continue reading “Fitness Log #290, Friday Firsts And Fabulousness”

Fitness Log #289, Friday Firsts And Fabulousness

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for 5 years, and plan to continue doing so.

Since the pandemic started, I have been keeping track of “firsts,” and more lately, I have been trying to note good things (“fabulousness”). It’s a good way to pay attention and not let life slide by.

Continue reading “Fitness Log #289, Friday Firsts And Fabulousness”

Would You Rather?

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?

A sketch of an 18th century woman pouring steaming coffee from her cup into her saucer.
Enjoying your doctor income to the fullest
A young woman with brown hair, wears a light brown turban, a dress (blue with large flowers) with a large red collar, leaning on a table with a book.
Tracking the budget carefully
Continue reading “Would You Rather?”

Future Me, May 2024

Not long after the start of this blog, I cut my hours very slightly, and wanted to make sure I didn’t waste the extra time I was paying dearly for. I had started reading about preparing for retirement in non-financial ways, and I realized that it was time to start (re-) building a life that didn’t revolve solely around medicine.

I started this series of posts at the end of October 2018 with lots of big goals, but even at the beginning, knew that I couldn’t follow all those dreams all at once.

Every few months, I try to look at what I have accomplished, and see if I can adjust course to focus my free time in the directions I wish I would go: increasing fitness, building (or maintaining) connections with friends, family and community, engaging with the arts, and, lately, keeping up with financial tasks.

My last update was in January 2024.

How did I do over the past 4 months?

Continue reading “Future Me, May 2024”

Fitness Log #287, Friday Firsts And Fabulousness

I have been keeping track of my exercise every Friday for 5 years, and plan to continue doing so.

Since the pandemic started, I have been keeping track of “firsts,” and more lately, I have been trying to note good things (“fabulousness”). It’s a good way to pay attention and not let life slide by.

Continue reading “Fitness Log #287, Friday Firsts And Fabulousness”