Weekend Reflections 1/12/19: Resolutions, Luxury, Deals and More The past few weeks have been quite eventful. Christmas and New Years came and went. It was also my birthday recently. I can confidently say that I am firmly in my mid-30's now. I know, sounds old doesn't it? Especially when it seems like everybody in the FIRE community is trying to retire in their late … [Read more...] about Weekend Reflections: Resolutions, Luxury, and Deals
frugality
Buy Nothing Update: April, The Month We Came Close To Buying Nothing
Buy nothing... sounds easy enough That's what I thought back in January when I first heard that other bloggers were doing it. My wife and I are relatively frugal and semi-miimalists. How hard can it be, right? So I accepted the challenge. The first three months (January, February, and March) were not ultra-frugal. We bought big ticket items that we had planned to purchase … [Read more...] about Buy Nothing Update: April, The Month We Came Close To Buying Nothing
Buy Nothing Update: A Frugal February Fail! (Spoiler Alert… I Bought A Tesla)
If you recall, I joined a few fellow bloggers in a challenge to buy nothing new this year. January was a relatively frugal month. Other than a semi-expensive, organic non-toxic mattress and bed, we didn't spend much on anything. And then February came along. So how did we do in February? Short answer is: definitely not as frugal. I signed a purchase agreement of $56,000. And … [Read more...] about Buy Nothing Update: A Frugal February Fail! (Spoiler Alert… I Bought A Tesla)
Buy Nothing Update: January Edition
Wow. January flew by really fast. If you recall from a previous post, my wife and I accepted the challenge to buy nothing for a year. In addition to a few exemptions for things we were already going to buy, we had planned to be mindful of our purchases through conscious consumerism. So, how did we do? Pretty good if you ask me. Below is a recap of our purchases. Food I … [Read more...] about Buy Nothing Update: January Edition
Conscious Consumerism: How a Frugal Minimalist Justifies Buying Things
Last week, I posted about how my wife and I are challenging ourselves to buy nothing for one year (with exceptions, of course). Upon hearing this, a few of my coworkers were understandably skeptical. They tell me "You make a decent amount of money. Why challenge yourself to buy nothing?" I respond with a simple "I don't have to buy anything to make me happy." To an outsider who … [Read more...] about Conscious Consumerism: How a Frugal Minimalist Justifies Buying Things
Challenge Accepted: Buy Nothing for 1 Year
The Challenge Yup, you read correctly. The challenge is to buy NOTHING for a year. While it might sound ridiculous, I think it's a great way to practice mindfulness, frugality, and minimalism. The originator of this "experiment" was The Happy Philosopher, who then inspired others to join in on this challenge, including EJ from Dads, Dollars, Debts. Initially, The Happy … [Read more...] about Challenge Accepted: Buy Nothing for 1 Year
Home: There’s no place I’d rather be
Life on the west coast, lounging by the beach, looking at the sunset, living the dream. My wife and I live in Southern California and we love it! But isn't California expensive? Yes, it is. And as a physician, I am well aware that living in California doesn't make financial sense. Through geographic arbitrage, physicians can both increase income and reduce living costs by … [Read more...] about Home: There’s no place I’d rather be