The Sunday Best is a collection of a handful of posts I share with you each week. With so many informative and inspirational writers out there, I have no trouble coming up with a number of worthwhile reads each week.
Every featured post should be of interest to any physician seeking financial independence. Some will be written by your physician colleagues; others will be written by our friends and patients who share common goals and interests.
Presenting, the Christmas Sunday Best:
Who Else Wants to be Debt-Free & Quit Working by 36? Dr. Pamela Wible @ Ideal Medical Care did, and she and Dr. Cory Fawcett teamed up to share their advice.
The White Coat Investor doesn’t see Financial Independence as the nirvana we sometimes make it out to be. In fact, he says, “If stopping work is going to dramatically increase your happiness, I would submit that you have allowed yourself to live a terrible, regrettable life.” Strong words from Financial Independence is Not the Holy Grail.
In a post that echoes my sentiment on gifting, Dr. Julie @ Choose Better Life reveals All I Don’t Want for Christmas: My Un-wish List.
In an oldie but goodie, Michelle @ Making Sense of Cents explains Why You Should Spend Like A Millionaire- The Frugal and Smart Money Habits of Millionaires. You already know how I spend.
I sort through many articles, weed out most, and find the kind of dope post that leaves me green with envy. Financial Libre shares The Blunt Truth About Dow 20,000. [site inactive]
Statistics can be downright depressing. So can medical school. Charlie @ Life of a Med Student explores the topic: Study shows Medical Students are at high risk for depression: A few thoughts on why.
I’ve got a “side hustle.” In fact, you’re looking at it right now. The Financial Panther reminded me I really need to start up one of these. The Solo 401(k): The Side Hustler’s Bonus Retirement Account.
Merry Christmas!
I celebrated Christmas with a portion of my extended family a few nights ago. Prime rib, Christmas cookies, and some great consumable presents. I got the brewing kits I requested, some socks and shirts and things I can use, but neither a side of beef nor pork.
I did unwrap a pack of beef sticks, though. With cheddar. I don’t expect them to see the New Year.
Yesterday, I helped a couple Moms and Dads celebrate their Christmas with the greatest gift — a healthy baby. Sorry, kids. Your birthdays will forever be overshadowed by the holiday festivities.
As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been known to celebrate my birthday in style. It must be tough to be a Christmas baby. Good luck getting your friends together for a night on the town, let alone having a birthday celebration separate from the holiday gathering.
That’s what it feels like spending Christmas on call. There’s supposed to be a party, some presents, kids, cousins, aunts, and uncles. The house will be quiet today. My wife and boys are with her family 500 miles away, and it’s just me, the dog, and the pager. I hope it’s quiet, anyway. If not, the solitude will be interrupted by the dog barking, the pager barking, or me barking at the TV over fantasy football.
Did anyone else expect Tampa to sit a healthy Doug Martin?!? I got called in for a broken hip, and the next thing I know, I’ve got a goose egg for my starting running back in the championship game. It’s an outrage, I tell you. An outrage! My other starting running back? Lamar Miller. Grrrr……
A Gift For You
Have you ever visited a brewery’s website? No? Let’s fix that. You don’t have to be a beer drinker to enjoy this exercise.
Most brewery’s websites “confirm” you are 21 by asking whether you are or not. When you say no, these clever brewers respond in some surprising and hilarious ways. Take a few minutes, visit these guys and confirm that you are not 21.
Miller Coors
You’re welcome.
Have a great week!
-Physician on FIRE
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A great list of posts as always PoF! I may not always agree with the authors have to say, but they’re usually great food for thought!
Happy Holidays!
Thanks for the shout out. I had a Pliney the Elder and thought of you yesterday. Thanks for working. The WCI post definitely is driving some traffic. I often wonder what I would do once Financially Independent, and I still think I would retire early or at least go down to 60%.
I was talking to my brother-in-law (he runs his own business) and he said he would be bored if he retired unless he was wealthy and could do whatever he wanted. I suspect it is true, some people really do need their careers.
Not me….at least that is what I say now. Take care and have a happy new year!
I like the list, but particularly from The White Coat Investor. When I first left the corporate world, I thought it was the answer. But now, at 43, I realize that I actually, kind of like my career… just not full time. I now work 2-3 days per week, never work on Mondays, take extended vacations, work on personal side projects and most importantly, I have no golden handcuffs… I mean no benefits. 🙂
We live in Milwaukee, which is the brew city, so let us know if you ever visit and we will buy the beers!
Thanks for the mention. Happy holidays!
Happy Holidays to you, Michelle!
Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers!
-PoF
Merry Christmas PoF! Thanks for the brewer list. That is some fun stuff!
Thanks for the inclusion, PoF!
I also am interested in your thoughts on the WCI post! Aactually when I was reading it originally I was even hoping for a PoF response post. I wonder in 5, 10, 15 years where I’ll be on the spectrum.
Merry Christmas and best wishes!
-LoaMS
Glad to have you, LoaMS! You shared some good insights.
My thoughts on the WCI post? Here’s a trade secret that you may have caught onto: some words are written expressly to provoke. A little controversy can make for some interesting discussion and drive traffic. This particular post was shared on Reddit, and probably sent more than a thousand readers to the site. Bogleheads, too.
I disagree with his choice of words, but understand the premise. If you simply cannot wait to retire, maybe you chose the wrong profession, or the wrong job within it. If your life stinks, change your life. But there are plenty of people who will be happier with no job and no boss, and there’s nothing wrong with that, either.
Merry Christmas!
-PoF
Merry Christmas, PoF, and may the white cloud be yours this year.
Thanks for the shoutout, and for the great recommendations. What do you think of WCI’s view? I love and respect the guy, though I think he might just be rationalizing his hedonistic treadmill a *tiny* bit. For most of us, life will get better when we stop working. Or maybe I’m the one rationalizing a “terrible, regrettable life” into one that seems pretty good.
Thank you, Julie. The cloud hasn’t been too dark thus far [knocks on wood], and I’m a little over half done with this 96-hour stretch.
I think it’s natural to rationalize our decisions, and I think Dr. Dahle (WCI) probably likes going to work more than I do. I often remind myself what a great job I have, but I’d still rather be somewhere else.
Merry Christmas!
-PoF
Thanks for the shout out, PoF! Merry Christmas to you and your family, my friend. We definitely need to get together once we’re up there for a beer…or three. 🙂
The retiree himself!!!
I’m down like gravity for some beers. Hope to see you Up North in the near future.
Merry Christmas to you, Courtney & your canine companions!
-PoF
Merry Christmas to you and the entire PoF party. And many, many thanks for clipping that burned-out roach of an FL article onto your roll here. Puts me right in the holiday spirit!
Enjoy getting hopping with the brew kits… Now let me see if I can’t fool the airtight security on those brewery websites…
Thanks again, and happy holidays!
Feliz Navidad to the FL familia!
I’ll bet we could pool our resources to hire a crack team of Chinese and Russian Hackers to get past the brewery site’s firewalls.
Or just click Yes. But it’s usually more fun to click No.
Cheers!
-PoF
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Those brewers websites were well worth the click, I’d never thought to hit no on them. We did a brewery tour earlier this week so appropriate. And no I don’t mean an actual tour, I mean a different brewery every day for a week. Anyway merry Christmas.
That’s my kind of brewery tour! Glad you enjoyed the links. There’s a reason I put Black Acre at the top. Where does anyone come up with such a thing?
Merry Christmas to you, FTF!
-PoF