![]() It has fill-in-the-blanks pages for income and expenses, plus a calendar to log the actual versus predicted numbers. I recommend The Too Busy to Budget Financial Organizing System (#CommissionsEarned) by Kathy Miller. If this idea appeals to you, make sure the bank does not charge service or minimum balance fees on each account.Ī paper-and-pencil budget is sometimes best for an ADHD brain. Some people open multiple bank accounts to keep their budget categories separate: one for vacation, for savings, for household expenses, and for emergencies. Then my executive coach demanded that I move to spreadsheets it was a disaster. In my previous business, I successfully tracked my cash flow on 3” x 3” sticky notes – it wasn’t fancy, but it worked. There are other fun and useful ways to keep track of expenses. If you prefer not to handle cash, there are software programs that mimic jam jar budgeting like, which uses virtual envelopes, and, a free budgeting program. It’s visual and visceral, always a plus for those with ADHD. Under normal conditions this is a cash system: Cash is put into different jars or envelopes for each budget category (think gas, phone, electricity, water, etc.). One option is the “jam jar” method of tracking expenses. Separate Expense Categories in Ways That Work for Youįolks with ADHD are “pile people.” We like to separate our expense categories so they don’t get muddled. If you perk up only when you get an overdraft notice, it’s too late! 2. Paying attention to money is all about timing, so pay attention to cash flow weekly. Even looking over your bank statement is a post-spending task. That is monitoring your spending after the fact. But do you have the “extra” money for it this month?Ĭhecking your bank balance every few days, however, is not the same as budgeting. Ah, the lure of a new car or a stand-up desk. The more often you check in on your progress, the more likely you are to notice when you are going off the rails. Subtracting step 2 from step 1 for an idea of how much discretionary spending you have per month.Calculating essential monthly expenses (housing, utilities, groceries, loans, etc.).The power comes from comparing your predictions against the actual money that ebbs and flows each month. ![]() But a budget is merely a projection of what you expect to receive and spend. The word “ budget” raises hackles for many folks with ADHD it elicits images of scarcity and rigidity. That takes an ADHD-friendly budget of some kind - plus these other budgeting tips that work for ADHD brains. ![]() The hard truth is that bravely facing your current cash flow - the money that comes in and the money that goes out - is the only way to gain control of it. They ignore bank statements or let the mail pile up for months in a game of financial Russian roulette: “If we don’t see the bills, they don’t really exist, so we don’t have to deal with them.” Many adults with ADHD are masters at avoiding direct contact with their finances. ![]() The problem is that they have skipped over the very first rule of money management: Money loves attention! Even though they know better intellectually, they like to believe that it will all work out - fingers crossed. Many folks with ADHD don’t like to look at their finances for one simple reason: It’s often not good news. ![]()
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