Mental Money

Have you ever gotten a piggyback ride that was too rough? You and the other party engage in this activity with the intent of having a great time but all of a sudden you realize that how good of a time that could be had is not up to you at all, you are along for the ride and have little to no control as to whether this game is fun or not. That is what it feels like when I am faced with a financial choice. ADHD is carrying me and I am just along for an experience that was intended to be a fun time.

To be transparent, money is one of my biggest triggers. It causes me to feel physical discomfort. Why? Because there is a list of symptoms that cause people like me with ADHD to be the perfect victim of financial ruin.

Individuals with ADHD have challenges with dopamine balance. Our brain is constantly searching for the next dose of dopamine. This is how we feel enjoyment in what we are doing. For a lot of people with ADHD, they get that rush from impulsivity that leads to some sort of immediate gratification. For a lot of people that comes through spending. We are sitting ducks for people in marketing. They have strategies to elicit excitement from people who aren’t even looking to spend money; how easy is it to attract those on a dopamine haunt?

So how do we protect ourselves? There are unhinged things I do to keep money in my pocket and then there are the sensible and sane things that professionals suggest to do. I will share both below.

My neuro-spicy tips

Witnesses: I talk on the phone with someone who is financially responsible when in the store. I prefer to bring them with me so they can slap my hands and gently shame me.

Hide and Seek: Pretend that I have much less money available than I do and hide money from myself in harder-to-reach accounts.

Filtering: I plan to be at the store for a while. I can usually be satisfied by the thought of buying something. I will fill my cart with whatever my mind says to buy. I will go through the whole store, all of my favorite sections, and then begin to “filter”. I pick and choose what I need and what I can’t let go of. Most of the items I had put in my cart no longer excite me and I can put them back in their rightful spots. Also, having to walk through the store and put everything back is kind of a punishment so that I am less likely to put as many items next time.

Professional tips

Create a spending plan: Examine all of your expenses and how much you have coming in monthly. Come up with a budget and stick with it. They recommend checking it weekly and to pick a specific day of the week to do so. If I were to utilize this strategy I would probably pick Wednesday.

Technology: Some other tips that are floating around are automatic payments and using money management apps so that you can have visual aids to better understand your spending habits. It is also suggested to set an alarm for reminders of payments and what is due when.

Conclusion

Overall you, I, and none of us are alone when it comes to financial struggles these days. I hope that after reading this article you are left with the comradery that is people just trying to be financially stable and happy. I hope you know that you are not less than or a failure as a human being. You still deserve to treat yourself and things will get better.

Comment your spending tips below. Is anyone doing what I'm doing? Did any of the professional tips help? Thanks for reading.