By Guest Blogger Amanda Steinberg
When I was a kid, being raised by a single mom, money was tight. But I always believed that when I crossed a certain income threshold the money stress would evaporate. I’d be free of the need to be frugal. I’d be able to buy whatever I wanted or needed.
One of the great, ongoing revelations of my adult life is that, for most people, myself included, that is not true. Despite having an excellent income – one year’s earning usually surpassing the last – my husband and I still have financial stress and need to make mindful money decisions. After making these spending cuts and mindful decisions pertaining to money, I’ve come to a great realization. A parallel discovery actually…
I’m a Weight Watchers master. In 2003, I was 5’8? and 160 pounds — not exactly ideal for a 25-year-old single girl living in Manhattan. I spent three (!) years on Weight Watchers, and for two years, failed repeatedly. I obsessed over every drop of salad dressing and kernel of popcorn only to learn at my weekly meeting weigh-in that I’d gained half a pound. I quit multiple times, but would return months later with new resolve. Finally, in my third year, something clicked. I dropped 30 pounds in just six months.
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