Most dental students know what it’s like to live on a budget. After graduation, money will stay tight when student loans come due. Before long, a new dentist will want to buy a practice, buy a house or start a family. As your dental career begins, your financial planning skills will be just as critical as your treatment planning skills.
We all know the scenario. It’s Sunday. You wake up and think about whether or not you should check your bank account after your weekend’s activities. While we are all wary of our wallets, this doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a nice night out every now and then. Here are some tips to help you save a few dollars while still making the most of your weekends.
As a busy mom myself, one of the phrases I hear most from others (and think often to myself) is “I don’t have time for this.” It is natural instinct to “push things to the back burner” if they do not require your immediate attention. However, making a financial plan while in dental school and after should receive the same attention as practicing dentistry. This can be difficult when you are prioritizing a career that you have invested so much time and money in. However, if you do not prioritize your finances along with your dental practice, you may find yourself quickly approaching an inflexible financial situation when you least expect (or least need) it. Making a financial plan may not come naturally to you, as you have focused years on dentistry and not finances. Most dental schools offer very little (or nothing) in the way of financial education, which makes it even more important for you to be financially proactive yourself.
According to Merriam-Webster, a foodie is “a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads.” We all have that one friend. The one boxing you out from your utensils until a properly staged and lit photo of the spread is captured. Naturally, this “avid interest” comes in a variety of flavors. Whether we know (or follow) a fit foodie, a vegan foodie, a dessert foodie, or a trendy foodie, etc., a few common links classify them as foodies: They all invest time, stomach space and money to their passions.
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The majority of the time, foodies have a social media presence. In fact, much of the foodie persona is built on media sharing platforms. Instagram revolutionized the foodie world with instant shares of dishes and constant competition to frame the best photo or garner the most “likes.” Gaining and maintaining followers on various forms of social media takes time and commitment every day.
You’ve been sitting in lectures or clinic for eight hours each day. Some days you don’t get a lunch because clinic runs late and there are pages of notes and treatment plans to finish before food is even in the equation. Instant ramen has become a mainstay or you find yourself buying cookies from the vending machine and spending two dollars on a soda for lunch. Do you, like so many of your classmates, feel that stress, a busy schedule and a tight budget negatively affect your eating habits?
Here are five meal-planning hacks to stay healthy and save money…
One of the ways I maintain personal wellness is by cooking food for friends. Both the health benefits of eating a home-cooked meal and the social aspect of breaking bread with friends help me relax and de-stress.
With summer slowly coming to an end, I find that more and more friends ask to come over for dinner parties. Although jambalaya pasta may sound a bit intimidating, creating this dish is definitely easier than it seems and very quick to prepare. Read on for instructions on how to make this quick and satisfying pasta dish!
Happy Money Monday! There is a website that we have mentioned a few times on Money Monday that is a great resource for dentists at any stage of their career, from student to retired. Today, there is a relatively new feature on the website that we would like to share with you. Keep reading for the link…
