The Sunday Best (07/02/2023)

The Sunday Best is a collection of articles I’ve curated from the furthest reaches of the internet for your reading pleasure.

Every week, I scan hundreds of headlines, read dozens of posts, and bring you the best of the best to save you time and mental energy.

Financial Independence (FI) is a primary focus, but it’s an awfully broad topic. I tend to approach FI and early retirement from a fatFIRE perspective and through the lens of a physician, so expect to see those biases in the selected articles.

Related topics that have become recurrent themes include early retirement, selective frugality, tax issues, travel, physician issues, and of course, investing.

For more great articles, take a peek at The Sunday Best Archives. Now let’s get to the best… The Sunday Best! This weekend’s edition was curated by Leif Dahleen, MD.

The average person would benefit from learning to spend less, but you’re not average, are you? Many readers of this blog, including me, might be better off spending more. Nick Maggiulli with Of Dollars and Data shows us How to Spend More in Retirement (without squandering your future).

There’s some math that supports the strategy described in the post above, and the Brandon, the Mad Fientist, helped come up with the concept. The more fluff in the budget, the more wiggle room you have to violate supposedly safe withdrawal rates. The Problem with the 4% Rule (and Why You Could Retire Even Sooner.

Nick and Brandon discuss the “problem” that super savers have with Dr. Jordan Grumet on the Earn & Invest podcast. You’re Not Spending Enough!

Feeling like they haven’t been spending enough, my friends Carl and Mindy turn to Ramit Sethi for advice on spendthriftery. Episode #108: “We achieved FIRE with $4.3M. Why can’t we enjoy it?” from I Will Teach You to Be Rich.

• Bonus: I Will Teach You to be Rich Ep 108 – Behind the Scenes from the Mile High FI Podcast.
• Double Bonus: Why Ramit? from 1500 Days where Carl explains why he chose a public podcast instead of private therapy to work through his money issues.

Jeremy from Go Curry Cracker has no issue spending into the six figures annually, even though his income is a fraction of that. Big Spending, Little Income.

• Related: The Taxman Leaveth: A No-Tax Early Retirement

If you’re not tax loss harvesting, you’re missing out on an annual $3,000 tax deduction and potentially a whole lot more. The Monetary Value of Tax Loss Harvesting & How to Report it to the IRS.

Retirement should be a jubilant time in our lives, but for a substantial number of people, it’s not. Fritz Gilbert with Retirement Manifesto describes Why 28% of Retirees Are Depressed.

I’m sure you’ve heard about the importance of retiring to something. Howard Rohleder, a retired hospital executive, retired to… attend college? At the Humble Dollar, he explains College in Retirement.

While Howard is learning about European history, Ryan Holiday‘s been learning about money. There’s wisdom to be found in his 31 Lessons I’ve Learned About Money.

While I’m familiar with sequence of returns risk, I’ve only recently learned of a different sequence risk. Dr. David Graham, the FI Physician, delves into Sequence of Inflation Risk.

You’ve Been Called to Testify

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If you’ve found this website to be helpful in any way, we’d love for you to describe how in one to three sentences.

Please leave your testimonial in the comments below or email pof (at) physicianonfire (dot) com.  We kindly thank you!

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Copy that discount code [ WCISUMMER23 ] and save dozens or hundreds of dollars on your next or first WCI course!

4th of July Brouhaha

If you’re busy like I have been lately, I hope it’s the good kind of busy.

In the past few weeks, my family and I have built and installed a grand walk-in closet, visited friends and family in Minnesota, and both my wife and I achieved a personal best for the half marathon the weekend before last at Grandma’s in Duluth.

We finally got our boat in the water in time for the 4th of July “weekend.” If you’re working the holiday, know that you are appreciated, and if you’re out celebrating, let teacher Ginny Stroud remind you what it’s all about.

Top 11 Financial Mistakes That I Have Made

The Yield Curve is Un-Inverting and Why It Matters

Save, Grow, Value: Lessons for Children’s Financial Literacy

Have an outstanding week!

-Physician on FIRE