16 Ways to Better Manage Your Money with ADHD
Here, adults with ADHD share the mobile apps, tools, and strategies that help them resist impulse buys, set aside savings, and regain control of their finances.
“Do not save what is left after spending but spend what is left after saving.” — Warren Buffett
We’re taught this money-management principle from a young age and the advice is sound, but hardly straightforward — especially when ADHD impulsivity, time blindness, and executive function challenges make it difficult to plan and meet financial goals.
In a recent ADDitude survey, 47% of adults with ADHD said they are dissatisfied with their money management and budgeting. The top challenges were:
- Resisting impulse buys (46%)
- Sticking to a budget (35%)
- Reducing debt (27%)
- Creating a budget (26%)
- Saving for long-term goals (24%)
When asked to size up their money-management skills, the 1,869 respondents largely pointed to problems with execution, not education. “I know ‘what’ to do,” wrote one ADDitude reader. “Getting my brain to apply this to tangible actions is the crux of the problem.”
Some said they dodge the topic of money altogether: “I don’t go to meetings with my financial planner. I find it far too stressful with dyscalculia and dismal impulse control. It just becomes a blame game. My partner goes for the both of us.”
Another wrote: “I can’t resist impulse buying, so I cannot get out of debt and can’t save for anything. I know nothing about investing because I’ve never had money to invest.”
[Download: The ADHD-Friendly Budgeting Guide]
Where to Find Financial Support
The most helpful money-management services and support networks, according to ADDitude readers, include the following:
- A financial planner (3.64 average ‘helpfulness’ rating out of 5)
- Spouse, family, or friend (3.21)
- Free services (3.18)
- Bank services (2.96)
- Budgeting app/service (2.95)
- ADHD coach (2.89)
Ninety-three percent of respondents reported hiring an ADHD coach, making it the most popular option. However, it was reported to be the least helpful relative to money management.
“You do not have to be rich to use your bank’s (or credit union’s) financial services,” one respondent wrote. “Appointments don’t cost anything, and it’s a great place to ask questions and make a plan to work toward your financial goals. And if you don’t mesh well with your advisor, just book an appointment with a different one until you find the right fit.”
[Read: Smart Money Management for Adults with ADHD]
“Find a free service group that does financial budgeting until you find the best budget template that works for you,” another respondent wrote. “It might take several tries before you find the right one, but the simplest is best to get started.”
Other Popular Resources
The money-management mobile apps and services recommended most often by adults with ADHD include the following:
- You Need a Budget uses a step-by-step system for “assigning every dollar a job.”
- Monarch Money was voted the best budgeting app of 2024 by Wall Street Journal.
- Rocket Money finds, tracks, and cancels unwanted subscriptions.
- Every Dollar uses zero-based budgeting principles and spotlights simplicity.
- Quicken/Quicken Simplifi is an established, best-selling finance app offering personal and business plans.
- Dow Janes for Women was founded by women, for women. It empowers users with easy-to-grasp financial strategies to build wealth.
- Notion is a productivity app with free, ADHD-friendly budgeting templates.
- Debtors Anonymous is a community-focused meeting space for people with problematic debt to come together and find support.
- The Budget Mom helps women find financial fulfillment through its Budget by Paycheck® Method.
- Acorns is an investment app that helps customers build wealth with spare change.
DIY Money Management & Budgeting Strategies
Money is a taboo topic for many, and asking for help can carry a lot of shame. As one ADDitude reader said, “Admitting you have money issues can be harder than admitting you have ADHD.”
It may take some trial and error, but good, helpful support exists. Using strategies that work for your ADHD brain (not against it) can make a world of difference.
“It’s a pain before you do a budget: the agony of knowing it’s going to demand your full attention and a sharp brain,” one respondent wrote. “But once you can really see your expenses, the stress settles. It’s a much calmer feeling to know than to guess.”
Below, ADDitude readers recommend do-it-yourself strategies and approaches to reach your financial goals.
“My dad told me to measure items in work hours. If I make $10 an hour, and I want something that costs $40, would I be willing to work four hours for that item? Labor is a more real way to measure value vs. price.”
“To prevent impulse buys, I try to enjoy the ‘free’ dopamine (e.g., taking a picture of that funny shirt instead of buying it). If I still want it tomorrow, I can come back for it. But usually, it’s just the one-time appreciation (or text to a friend) that’s enough.”
“I set up my bank account so that every time there is a debit, I get an email. That not only helps ensure that it is me making the charges, but it also reminds me to spend less. The goal is to have fewer emails from the bank!”
“I like to create no-shopping challenges for myself to help gamify avoiding impulse purchases. Sometimes, I’ll designate a whole month as ‘no shopping month’… If I find things I would have otherwise bought on impulse, I’ll save them to a wish list for later and either buy them after the no-spend period ends or realize I didn’t actually want/need them by the time it does.”
“Consider where you’re going to put the item you are thinking about purchasing and if you really want to take care of it once it comes into your house. Is it useful? Do you love it? Need it? Sometimes it’s fun to put things in your cart, both online and in person. Then, after a little time, you realize you don’t actually want or need these things, so you take them out and leave them for someone else.”
“Make sure to allow money for having fun in addition to necessary expenses. We are impulsive people, and shutting it completely down backfired for us. So my husband and I set aside an allowance for ourselves every month — ‘me money’ that we can use for whatever we want. It’s worked really well so far. We can choose to be impulsive or save up for a bigger purchase, and no actions impact our ability to pay our bills.”
ADHD Budgeting Strategies: Next Steps
- Watch: Smart Money Habits for People with ADHD
- Read: 6 Ways to Build Wealth After Retirement
- Read: How to Curb Your Spouse’s ADHD Impulse Spending
- eBook: Getting Things Done with Adult ADHD
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