“My Best Tip for Staying on a Budget Is…”
Looking for ways to lower your spending, curb impulse buys, and live within your means? Our money’s on this advice from other adults with ADHD.
I avoid stores and go to the gym when I have the urge to shop.
-Amanda, Quebec
The best thing I ever did was let my husband manage our household budget. He is great with numbers and very organized. Handing it over to him alleviated a lot of stress for me.
-Vicki, Arizona
Before you go grocery shopping, look at your credit card statement to remind yourself you are in debt.
-Andrea, California
If you can’t pay cash, you can’t buy it. Period. If you can’t pay the credit card bill in full on the next due date, you can’t use it. I stopped carrying credit cards because I always forgot to pay on time.
-Angie, Maryland
Look at your financial obligations every day, even if it hurts. Do this when you are bored!
-Candy, Texas
I don’t go shopping unless I need something. When I do go shopping, I make a shopping list first and use it to remind myself that I need to stick to the plan. My problem is less about overspending than about getting distracted in the store and spending hours there, instead of 15 minutes.
-Clare, British Columbia
Use cash whenever you can, because when it is gone, you are done. This has helped me a lot through the years.
-Cressy, Minnesota
If I’m thinking of buying something on impulse, I force myself to picture where the item will go in my house and what its purpose will be.
-Donna, California
I carry a small Day-Timer (something I can write in) with me at all times. It has a calendar, small sticky notes, and a running total of my bank account. All bills go into the Day-Timer, and I write down the dates when everything is due. I have to look at it every day, and it helps me keep up with my finances and appointments.
-Beth, New York
I use the Mint app and the website mint.com. It has great charts and visual information that my brain can understand. Also, we’ve changed some of our grocery shopping habits. We’ve been able to cut about $200 a month just by paying attention to sales.
-Eric, Illinois
For my online shopping habit, I put things in the Shopping Cart, but I don’t click on the next step. I let the products stay there for a day or two. If I still want/need them, they get purchased. If not, they get dumped.
-An ADDitude Reader
I ask myself whether it’s a need or a want. Needs get purchased, wants have to wait.
-An ADDitude Reader
I keep money hidden in different places — my car, nightstand, in the basement. So when I want something, I have to search all the hiding spots and hope I remember where they are.
-Kae, Pennsylvania
