I'm in a similar position regarding late diagnosis and being an adult full-time student with a family. I know how the budget can squeeze and the pressure of leaving school to earn more money. I don't have the impulsive spending (because I have no money!), but I have a family member who deals with this and ADHD. I'd strongly recommend seeking a counselor for it. It helped her situation. I'm not a finance guy or any kind of expert. But I've read about this and know that financial setbacks can hurt progress made in all other areas of one's life. I hate that idea, so I felt the need to respond to urge you to hang in there!!!

The obvious solution here is spending less money or allowing yourself a tiny amount of money for impulse buys. That way you acknowledge your impulsivity but also put a fence around it without feeling horrible about impulsive behavior later. Having a small (small) slush fund makes each purchase a conscious act.

The more useful questions and answers probably relate to what you spend money on and why. I would suggest raising this as an issue with a counselor, especially if your finances are in crisis, creating worry, etc. They often know helpful financial planners and can also spend time discussing your impulsivity, especially as it relates to ADHD...practically every ADHD book discusses this problem, so this must be a common problem among ADHD adults. Good luck to you and hang in there!!!

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Thanks - I will look into that. I recently found out that the students with disabilities office on my university campus can offer some help in that direction so I am taking advantage of that service. Thank you again for your kind words.

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My ADHD tends towards impulsivity, and I know EXACTLY how you feel! Maybe I can offer some help? The biggest help that I have had is multiple bank accounts. I have an account for my paycheck (direct deposit is great if you can get it setup) that I use for my "bills" which is a nice way of saying I only have a checkbook for it. I also have a second account that I have a debit card for that I titled "card." My card account is great because anytime I need gas, food, or want to buy anything, I have to transfer from "Bills" to "Card." Having to make a conscience choice to move money from one account to another has eliminated a lot of my impulsiveness because it makes me really think about what I'm doing, and then if I go so far as to do it, I get some down time before I buy it to get some "buyers remorse" before I've even purchased anything.

I don't know if this will help, but I hope it does!

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Hi. I am very new to the boards (this is my first post) and newly diagnosed as ADD. I am a woman that just turned 40 and I'm relieved with my diagnose. I have spent years and years and years in therapy for major depression and anxiety and getting treatment for that. However, I've been on ADD meds for about 4 years not really thinking I was ADD, just having side effects from the depression symptoms and meds and the ADD meds helped me focus and concentrate. But for the last year or so things have been horrible with concentration, getting things done, organization, trying to slow my mind down, and on and on and on. I've read several books now on ADHD and totally see myself and so many of the things I went through as ADHD from childhood to present time, not just being depressed. Yes, I am depressed but I think that is because of my ADD - I always thought it was the other way around - my depression was causing ADD symptoms. NOPE! I believe my symptoms of ADHD/depression began when I was around 9 - 10 years old and I totally believe my mother is ADD also. By the way, I am now on year 11 of trying to get my bachelor degree done! I have dropped so many classes because I got overwhelmingly behind and thought dropping the course was the only way to end the pain I was going through - reading text books is horrendous for me and getting organized enough to complete an assignment has been torture! But I want to learn and I want to finish my BA - I only have 4 classes left. Now that I am on the right path with my diagnoses I think I will succeed when I return to school in the fall. I certainly hope so!!

Anyway, what I initially wanted to say when I started this post was that the idea with the seperate checking accounts is brilliant! I'm totally an impulse spender and sticking to a budget is so hard. It drives my husband crazy when I keep buying things when I dont need them, I just want it and I want it NOW! I'll have to look into having seperate accounts for our stuff and my spending! I think that could work for me and keep me in "check", so to speak! Thanks for the idea!

Nancy Lincoln, Ne

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Hey Nancy, Welcome to the boards! Thanks for sharing... Your story reminds me of a reader profile from Additude mag a couple issues back. This woman, diagnosed late, super educated, clearly really bright, (hint hint) but sort of all over the place until she developed the right systems for the parts of her life that weren't working so well, and played up the natural gifts that were working well already, and then in time, her mood began to lift. Sounds like you might be on a similar road, but like you said, YOU'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH!

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/2522.html

Stick to it this fall. Sending good luck vibes your way!! :o)

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I am 43 and feel like I've probably had ADD most of my life. I'm also an impulse spender, but am also the type to not keep up with what I'm spending. In other words, I get paid and think I have this money and start spending. I keep meaning to write the amounts down and then all of a sudden it's gone and I"m in the negative. I'm making adequate money, but owe major bills and loans and don't even know where to start getting out of this pit I've created for myself.

I do like the checking account idea. Thanks.

Hang in there.

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