ADHD Resources for Managing Finances

Jesse J. Anderson

— 3 min read

ADHD Resources for Managing Finances

Hey friend,

Managing my finances has always been really difficult for me, a common struggle for many people with ADHD.

My increased impulsivity leads me to make purchases without fully thinking through the consequences, difficulties with memory mean I sign up for free trials and forget to cancel them for years at a time, and a fear of anything super boring makes budgeting feel like death.

This usually doesn't result in the healthiest of financial situations...

I recently posted this silly tweet and got a lot of great responses.

How many of you with ADHD have cracked the code to budgeting and finances?

Asking for a friend.
(it's me, I'm the friend)

Here are some of my favorite replies, ranging from the pretty darn useful all the way to not exactly helpful but VERY relatable.

I keep a spreadsheet of all monthly outgoings. I add any annual payments into the relevant month.
I check it every month & budget accordingly.
Also cancelled any payments/contracts that I don’t actually use. @LauraFMcConnell
Increase income up to a point where it covers our (relatively static) level of spend

which is seriously the only thing I’ve ever found that truly works @andrewglynch
Automate all the bills that you can.
Pay nearly everything on a cc that I pay off every month so I know exactly how much I am spending and on what.
Spreadsheet dopamine ✨
Be cheap enough and make enough that number just goes up and stop doing anything to budget at all. @maggiekb1
Marry someone who is good at it @margotwood
This is one of those areas where the ADHD and autism conflict in my brain.

Autism: "Okay. I made a plan, and I see how we can stick to this! It's actually pretty clear, once you see the charts and..."

ADHD: "Oh! A hat! It's in a new color!" @TheeDoctorB
Automate whatever you can. And lots of banking apps now divide your current/checking account into "pots" that certain bills can come out of, so you can put e.g. gas money to one side and it never gets accidentally spent. Oh and give yourself pocket money to waste on whatever nonsense you want each week. Just a small amount allows you to be impulsive in a small way at low cost. @your_nd_coach
Easy… just spend it all and don’t budget @TheFunManAndy

Resources

Here are a few additional resources to help with ADHD and finances:

🎙️ Tina Mathams: Managing Your Budget and Finances with ADHD
I recorded this episode of the ADHD Nerds podcast on managing your finances, making a budget, and more with Tina Mathams, an ADHD accountant and money coach.

📅 "Do your taxes" ADHD Body Doubling Session
Speaking of Tina Mathams, she's teaming up with my friends at Shimmer (ADHD Coaching) to run a quick "Do Your Taxes" body-doubling session this week on Thu Feb 8 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET. Sign up now to get reminders before the event starts!

📝 How we manage our business, household, and personal finances as a couple
My friend and fellow ADHDer Marie Poulin wrote up this extensive article on how she and her husband manage both their personal and business finances, largely influenced by the books Profit First and Worry Free Money. A great read to help get you thinking about possible solutions!

Hope this helps! What tips or tricks have you found helpful in managing finances through the gauntlet of ADHD?

Stay focused,
Jesse J. Anderson

P.S. I'm guesting on a live podcast with Unconventional Organisation tomorrow (Wed Feb 7) at 2pm PT / 5pm ET. You can sign up at this link and join us and ask your questions live!

Podcast Appearances

I've been squeezing in a few podcast guest appearances when I can, and several episodes just recently released!