Common Financial Problems in ADHDers’ Lives

As I mentioned last week, money and financial management is a struggle for many with ADHD. The way the ADHD brain is wired and the difficulties with executive functions make it more difficult.

As I was looking into this issue, there are some common situations and experiences for ADHDers with regards to money. Many will find themselves in similar situations frequently and similarly as others.

Let’s dive right in!

Overspending & Impulse Spending

One common situation that ADHDers find themselves in is overspending and impulse spending. 

Impulsivity is something that is common among ADHDers. It is one of the symptoms of ADHD. These are two things that pretty much go hand in had.

For this reason, it is not uncommon for ADHDers to make impulsive purchase. It is difficult for ADHDers to resist the urge to buy something that we feel is a reward, something we feel may be useful, and such.

This leads us to overspend, spend money we don’t necessarily have, and tends to have a negative impact on the person’s budget and potential financial goals.

Living Paycheck to Paycheck

Living paycheck to paycheck is another common problem for those with ADHD. 

For those with ADHD, long-term planning isn’t an easy thing to do. It’s not always easy to look at the big picture when it comes to money and finances. 

ADHDers have a difficult time looking at their finances, budgeting, saving, and just money management in general. It’s so easy to avoid it all together.

So this definitely can explain why so many live paycheck to paycheck. 

Lower Income

Several articles that I have read mention the fact that those with ADHD tend to earn less than their neurotypical counterparts. There’s research, surveys and studies to back it up.

I won’t necessarily bring up numbers and such, as results vary a bit depending on when it was done and where. However, it still seems that the general consensus is that those with ADHD tend to earn less. 

It’s sad to see that this is the case. 

With this in mind, it can be easy to see how earning less can certainly have an impact on our finances and make it more difficult. 

Debt

Here’s another common financial problem among ADHDers: debt. 

The issues I’ve just mentioned can contribute and explain how ADHDers can get themselves into debt.

We aren’t always aware of how much money we actually have to spend, easily forget went things need to be paid, and the list goes on.

Debt is definitely an issue that many people have to deal with due to struggles with managing finances. This can be the case whether you have ADHD or not. 

Not Paying Bills on Time

Forgetfulness is not uncommon for those with ADHDers. Unless it’s in place site and somewhere we can easily see, it’s easy for those with ADHD to just forget about it.

This is definitely the case with bills. Often times, paper bills end up in a drawer somewhere. If we receive an email about it, it may get lost among all the other emails. Either way, it’s easy to just forget about it. 

You can certainly guess what happens. We end up paying late. We end up not paying bills on time. 

Final Thoughts

These are all common problems for those living with ADHD. These are just some ways that ADHD affects our finances.

That being said, as hard as it may be, there are things that we can do to turn our finances around.