BY NATASHA ETZEL
Picture this: It’s midnight. Your online shopping cart is full. The dopamine hits.
No regrets… until your credit card statement arrives.
If you’re neurodivergent like me, you may know this feeling.
- Impulse spending
- Forgetting to pay bills
- Avoiding important money tasks
These are some common challenges that neurodivergent folks face. As a financial writer with ADHD, I’ve uncovered practical ways to manage my money with less stress. Want to feel more confident with your finances? Try these neurodivergent-friendly money moves:
1. Use Automation To Stay In Charge
Time blindness and executive dysfunction used to hinder my financial wellness. Like that time I forgot to pay my credit card bill and was hit with a late fee.
Now I use automation to overcome these hurdles and stay in control of my finances.
I’ve enabled autopay for many of my bills. Each bill is automatically paid on its due date, helping me avoid late payments and late payment fees.
Automation also helps me prioritize my savings goals, even when I’m overwhelmed or distracted. I set up automatic transfers through my bank.
Every month, a set amount of money is moved into my savings account before I can spend it. I’m saving more with less effort.
2. Spreadsheets Make Budgeting Easier
Sometimes my overwhelm led me to ignore money tasks, like budgeting. But I’ve learned that staying on top of my finances reduces my stress. Here’s how I stay on budget:
My brain prefers digital organizational solutions, so I use Google Sheets to budget my spending for the month. I also track my income in my spreadsheet. Because freelance income can fluctuate, I log each freelance project and its pay rate.
I make a list of fixed monthly expenses, like my mortgage and cell phone bill. Then I set spending limits for expenses that can fluctuate, like groceries and gas. I tally everything up so I know how much money I need to earn to cover my expenses every month.
This system allows me to determine whether I’ve earned enough to cover my living expenses and helps me set financial goals for my business.
3. Stay Informed With Financial Apps
Free mobile apps from my bank and credit card issuers help me track my finances in real time. They’re visually engaging, which is something my ADHD brain loves. It’s easy to manage my financial accounts, check recent transactions, and look at my statements.
Through these apps, I also enable account alerts to avoid overspending and missed payments.
Some bank and credit card account alerts that keep me in control include:
- Account balance alerts
- Payment due alerts
- Large transaction alerts
With real-time info and alerts in place, I can stay informed and catch issues early.
4. Manage Multiple Savings Goals With Virtual Buckets
I used to delay saving because I found it difficult to juggle my many goals. But now I’m hitting my savings goals. Here’s how I stay on track:
I use Ally Bank’s virtual savings buckets to separate and track different savings goals in a single savings account. I have buckets for different categories, like emergency savings, self-employment taxes, and travel.
Watching each bucket fill up keeps me motivated and gives me a dopamine boost.
5. Create Barriers To Reduce Impulse Spending
Over the years, I’ve gotten better at managing my spending. But sometimes I still feel the urge to make non-essential purchases — especially during sales. These barriers help me curb impulsive spending:
- Logging out of retail websites
- Deleting shopping apps
- Unsubscribing from retailer email newsletters
- Waiting 24 hours before checking out
BIO: Natasha Etzel is a writer, traveler, and lifelong learner. She embraced her never-ending curiosity and ability to talk endlessly by becoming a professional writer. She covers travel, finance, and business. Read her free weekly newsletter: Finance for Freelancers.
