The Most Overlooked Problem of Managing Money with ADHD…
It’s almost April 15. Are you ready for Tax Day? Do you have a budget and do you stick to it? Do you pay your bills on time every time?
If you have adult ADHD you probably need to pay more attention to managing your money. In fact, not paying enough attention to your money may be one of the things that keeps you awake at night.
“A big part of financial freedom is having your heart and mind free from worry about the what-ifs of life” -Suze Orman
When your money-management is out-of-control you overspend, pay late fees on bills and bounce checks. Getting your taxes together is a nightmare. It’s not unheard of for ADHD adults to have their electricity occasionally turned off because they forgot to pay the power bill.
You may even hide how you handle money from your spouse. Do you live in fear that the person you vowed to love and protect will find out what’s really going on with your checking account and credit cards?
Yep, not keeping track of money causes all kinds of problems.
(Not to get off-focus, but there is often a direct connection between spending and clutter: When you buy too much stuff you typically add to the clutter and disorganization in your life.)
New ADHD coaching clients usually have money management as part of their coaching program. They know that to save money and reduce stress they need to have a bill paying system, organize their financial records, and pay their taxes on time.
Many of my coaching clients have handling finances at the top of their goals list when they start working with me to get their ADHD under control.
ADHD money management is about more than just handling your bank accounts and credit cards; you also need to learn to control your impulsive spending.
It makes perfect sense doesn’t it? Living with ADHD means you battle impulsivity which means spending too much money probably challenges you. That impulsive spending can be a huge roadblock in managing money.
I’ll talk more about how to control your impulsive spending in my next blog post, but right now I want you to just be honest and aware of the problem.
If you want to get your ADHD finances under control yes, you DO need to pay attention to the paperwork and all those drastic details like paying bills on time etc. BUT, you also need to do something about your impulsive spending.
Do you need help getting your ADHD finances and impulsive spending under control? If so, you are invited to contact me to discuss ADHD coaching and how it WILL benefit you.
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So … to use these ideas, um, how do I first manage to get my mail, open it, sort it, and store it where I’ll be able to find it. How do I focus on web sites, on-line banking, and e-paperwork without being too distracted to accomplish my original goal?
Hi R. You need to treat your ADHD – medication, brain care, systems – in order to stay focused on your original goal.