So, as you know, if you’ve read my previous blogs, I am living at the hotel due to the crazy amount of debt that I’m in. I won’t tell you how much, but let’s just say it’s a lot. Someone told me that poor money management is a symptom of ADHD, so I decided to look into it and it’s true. So, let me share a bit of my ADHD and money journey.
Researching ADHD and Money
“People with ADHD have a higher rate of debt, more impulsive spending and more arguments with their partner/spouse over money issues” This quote was said by Staphanie Sarkis. And I agree with all of it. Well, I can’t speak into the arguments with a partner or spouse because I’m single. High debt? Yes, we all know that. Impulsive spending? How do you think I got into debt? Well, you know what they say. Knowing what the cause of a problem is is half the solution. Now that I know that ADHD plays a huge roll in my debt, how can I overcome it?
Awareness
Knowing that ADHD and money are not a good fit is actually huge. There have been lots of times where I’ve caught myself thinking negatively about myself and then remembering that what I’m negative about is an ADHD symptom. Don’t get me wrong here. I have no intention of using ADHD as a crutch or anything like that. No sitting around and being like oh well, it’s all because of my ADHD. I want to use the awareness of what ADHD all has an impact on in my life, and find solutions.
Idea Brainstorming
So, now I know that my ADHD is a huge reason for my impulsive spending, which leads to the drowning debt I’m in. How do I combat that? I guess you could say that, in a way, I have already started. There are lots of times where I still want to spend money I don’t have. I’m not perfect and there have been times I spent money I shouldn’t have recently. Now though, through prayer and talking with others, I’m slowly starting to figure out where my money needs to go at the moment. Making a priority list is going to go a long way .
Priority List
I have never been one for making lists. However, this year I started writing out daily to do lists. This has been in an effort to deal with my motivation issues that are tied to ADHD. I’ve also learned that if I just allow myself to think of everything that needs to be done, I get overwhelmed, freeze up and then just don’t do anything that needs to be done. What I have started this year is figuring out what is most important and putting those things on the days to do list. Everything else can wait. And you know what, it’s working. I’ve successfully completed my entire to do list every day since January 1st. I know, it’s still early in the year. But it’s working right now, so I’m going to stick to it.
Now I need to do the same with my money. Each paycheck I need to pick three things that I need to spend money on, and tackle those things first. With the paycheck I have coming up, I already know that I need to pay my car insurance, pay the last of my hydro from when I moved out of my apartment, and get an oil change done. Those three things are at the top of my priority list for this paycheck. The rest of my check I’ll divide up to making payments towards my debt and getting some groceries.
It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint
This is going to be a journey. I’m not saying I have it all figured out, because if I did I would be lying. I will continue to keep you all posted as I figure out little strategies here and there. Currently, other than making priority lists, I am also forcing myself to give up some of the things I really enjoy. I used to get waxed regularly, but I have cancelled my appointments and I’m now back to using a razor. Not going to lie, I hate it. I’m also not a fan of my hair right now, but I am holding off on my hair appointment for now. For those of you who are wondering why I don’t just use box dye; I’m slowly going blonde and not doing that on my own with box dye. So, I’ll wait till I can afford my appointment. The plus side is I can use my full loyalty card to get a discount when I do go.
ADHD and Money Battle
This won’t be easy, and I eagerly look forward to the day when I can tell you that I have one less debt to pay. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with money. Maybe some of you do as well. Let’s make this the year we start to figure things out and spend smarter, not impulsively. If I can take steps in this journey, so can you. Let’s do this together. Anything can happen, but only if we try.
