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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Ratgeber
- Sprache: Englisch
Eliminate the overwhelm and stay on track with your money goals
If you struggle with the time and energy needed to manage your money, you’re not alone. So much financial advice is geared toward neurotypical brains. From checking your bank account to impulse spending and budgets that just don’t work out … It’s time to find the strategies that will help you manage your money in a way that suits your brain.
ADHD Money is an empowering personal finance guide. In this book, you’ll learn how and why those with ADHD (and other neurodivergent conditions) often feel frustrated by finances. You’ll discover tips that work for your interest-based nervous system by using key motivation factors. And you’ll get practical, psychology-based tools and worksheets to help you keep going and achieve your money goals.
Full of engaging, step-by-step exercises, this book will help you:
- identify your money values and refresh your money mindset
- create an ADHD-friendly spending plan and approach budgeting in a way that works for you
- try new methods for paying off debts and saving money
- combine money tasks with strategies like body doubling, gamifying and habit stacking
- achieve your long-term plans
The reality is that money and budgeting isn’t always easy. But with ADHD Money, you’ll discover how to take control, keep the spark alive and follow through on your financial dreams. Author Tina Mathams of @theadhdaccountant shares the hacks that will help you keep going and create your own money success.
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Seitenzahl: 167
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
About the Author
INTRODUCTION: Welcome to ADHD Money
You are not bad with money
Who am I?
How to use this book
Been there, done that, got the ADHD postcard
Glossary
CHAPTER 1: Understanding ADHD and Money
How I became ‘the ADHD Accountant’
Attentive Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
The ADHD brain and the interest-based nervous system
The consequence-based nervous system
ADHD brain motivation factors
Strategies to help you stay motivated
Money management
ADHD and money
This is where
ADHD Money
comes in
CHAPTER 2: Navigating Emotions and Money
Big mood
Emotional spending
How to curb emotional and impulsive spending
CHAPTER 3: Reframing Your Money Mindset
Mindset matters
Uncovering your money story
Your money beliefs
The power of positive thinking
Personal story time
Redefining what financial success means
CHAPTER 4: Managing Your Expenses
Taking charge of your money
What to do with this information
Let's talk money values
What are your financial priorities?
CHAPTER 5: The ADHD Spending Plan
Introducing the ADHD spending plan
ADHD-friendly budgeting
Cash-flow tracking
If you
really
want to create a budget
CHAPTER 6: Tools and Strategies to Keep the Novelty Alive
Keeping things new and shiny
What to do when we get bored of it all
Strategies and tools that can help
CHAPTER 7: Saving Money and Paying Off Debt
Less guilt, more scaffolding
Saving money
Navigating debt
Ways to pay off debt
Some final tips for paying off your debt
CHAPTER 8: Setting Achievable Goals
Getting where you want to go
The BRAVE method
CHAPTER 9: Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for — well, some of them!
Money emotions
Budgeting
Spending
Saving
Expenses and debt
Money admin
CONCLUSION: The dessert menu
End User License Agreement
Guide
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
About the Author
Introduction: Welcome to ADHD Money
Glossary
Table of Contents
Begin Reading
Conclusion: The dessert menu
End User License Agreement
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First published 2025 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
© John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd 2025
All rights reserved, including rights for text and data mining and training of artificial intelligence technologies or similar technologies. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review) no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.
The right of Tina Mathams to be identified as the author of ADHD Money has been asserted in accordance with law.
ISBN: 978-1-394-28077-3
Registered OfficeJohn Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd. Level 4, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of WarrantyWhile the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials or promotional statements for this work. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. The fact that an organisation, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and author endorse the information or services the organisation, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Cover design by Alissa DinaloImages: Symbols/icons: © artnazu / Adobe Stock; Piggy bank: © Vector Vista / Adobe Stock; Mason jar: © Kateryna / Adobe Stock; Christmas tree/car: © salim138 / Adobe Stock; Suitcase: © Posccode / Adobe Stock
To my husband, who has fiercely encouraged me and kept me accountable.
To my kids, who completely changed my life. Without them, all of this wouldn't have been possible.
To the neurodivergent community, who are trusting me to help you with your finances: thank you. I hope this book gives you the dopamine you need to live your financial life on your own terms.
About the Author
Tina Mathams is a qualified accountant, a financial educator and the founder of Diverse Accountants, ADHD Money and the ADHD Money and Finance podcast. Tina is an in-demand speaker in the neurodivergent community, offering her insights and knowledge into how neurodivergent people can live a financially healthier life.
Tina has been featured on many podcasts and has worked with organisations such as Commonwealth Bank. She creates content and courses designed to be easily accessible to those who feel that typical financial advice has not worked for them in the past.
Tina lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband, two kids, two cats and one Dachshund. In her spare time, she enjoys re-watching her favourite comfort shows, going to the arcade with her kids, going out to eat with her family and indulging in her latest hyperfixation.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to ADHD Money
You are not bad with money
You just haven't learned yet how to work with your brain, rather than against it, when it comes to finances.
This book has been written for the ADHD brain. Being neurodivergent myself, I know we can get bored easily, need novelty, have brains that jump around and we might not be able to sit still for too long. So you can either go chapter by chapter or jump to certain chapters that interest you more.
I've ensured that you can write in this book, use sticky notes in it and even highlight words, activities or concepts that are important to you or that you might want to revisit later. It's a workbook rather than a novel.
I specifically designed it this way, so you don't get lost in too many words if you have trouble reading — or if you get bored easily. Along the way, I will also give you actionable steps. So you won't get to the end and think ‘What now?’
I know that we can often read something, get excited to implement change and then lose traction once we have gotten that dopamine hit (more on that later). I encourage you not to try to implement everything in this book all at once.
Rather, take one step, then another, then another … until you have built on your knowledge and skills. This is where you will see change in how you feel about money and your overall financial wellness.
Consistency is key.
Nah, just kidding! (And I hope your heart rate is OK.) You and I both know that ADHDers are anything but typically consistent. Let that be OK. We are neuroaffirming here.
Being persistent, not consistent, is where the party is at. If you are persistent in the pursuit of your financial wellness, you will achieve it. And the secret to being persistent is building some self-trust, knowing you aren't a failure if you aren't consistent, and believing that you are a financial badass. So let's get to it.
Who am I?
My name is Tina, and I am the founder of ADHD Money and Diverse Accountants. I have been diagnosed with AuDHD (autism and ADHD), I'm an accountant, financial educator, wife, mother and cat lover. I love Formula 1, the paranormal and history. Did I mention I love cats?
I have loved numbers for as long as I can remember. When I was seven, I would do maths equations on repeat. I'd happily sit there for what seemed like hours figuring out the sums.
I like to try and be funny (note: try) so I sprinkle a bit of humour throughout this book. If it's not your type of humour, or you have no idea what my brain is doing … then just move on, it's fine. A lot of the time, I have no idea what my brain is doing either.
A little note to send you off into your future of financial wellness: everyone is different. Even each ADHDer. We're neurodivergent, not robots.
How to use this book
This book has been developed through:
my knowledge from my professional life
my knowledge of ADHD
my knowledge from working with or talking to thousands of ADHD adults
my knowledge from working with a neuroaffirming counsellor for the last few years.
My goal has been to create a really handy, practical resource that will help others like me to sort out their money mess. The tips and strategies for managing your money will be handy and useful for a lot of people — but especially for those who are neurodivergent.
That said, this book is not a diagnostic tool. Just because you find ADHD Money useful, it doesn't mean you must have ADHD. Lots of people find that the ‘typical’ money advice doesn't work for them. Those people, neurodivergent or not, might want to try the tools and ideas shared in this book.
It's important to remember that neurodivergence is a spectrum. My hope is that you find everything in this book helpful, but it's much more likely that there might be some things that don't suit you — and that's OK. Take what suits you, and leave the rest.
This is also not a medical guide. I'm going to repeat this a few times throughout: if you need more help to implement these strategies, or just more help generally, then your GP, a specialist or a good therapist can help you explore the challenges you're facing.
So what will you find in ADHD Money? I hope you'll discover how to get comfortable with your finances and manage your money more effectively. Ultimately, I hope you'll find a new sense of financial empowerment.
We'll look at how your brain, your emotions, your mindset and your values all influence your relationship with money. We'll touch on common money topics like spending, expenses, cash flow, savings and debt.
We'll also get into some strategies to help your ADHD brain stay engaged, interested and motivated.
And throughout the book, you'll uncover information, resources and activities, including worksheets and trackers. These will help you take action.
If you don't want to write in the book but you have a journal or notepad you like, you can follow the exercises that way instead.
And as you go, if one chapter doesn't resonate with you, you can skip to another that feels more urgent. You never know, what you leave now, you might come back to later. That's the funny thing with humans. Our lives change and sometimes what we needed before is not what we need now or in the future.
I'm so excited to bring you this book, and I hope you reference it for years to come.
You are not bad with money. You just haven't learned yet how to work with your brain, rather than against it.
Been there, done that, got the ADHD postcard
You will read bits of my story throughout the book, but I'll share a bit more for you here.
Throughout school, my special interest remained maths and numbers, with a bit of writing thrown in for good measure. While I had lots of ideas of what I'd want to do when I grew up, a business degree seemed like a natural fit for me. I started majoring in economics but switched to an accounting major.
I always thought I was bad with money. Being an accountant, you can bet I kept that to myself. I remember when I got my first credit card while at university, I thought I'd be smart with it and just use it for things I needed. This was back in the olden days (circa 2004) when debit cards for online purchasing were hard to come by. You had to have savings (ha!) or earn a certain amount to be eligible for one. So, I settled on a credit card instead, so that I could buy a magazine subscription. Yes, that was actually my motivation for getting a credit card.
Side note: how funny that it was so much easier to get a credit card (debt) than a debit card (your own money)! The banking regulations have come a long way, my friend.
Anyway, I think you can imagine how that turned out. I was not responsible with my credit card. I bought all the things, and I only paid the minimum repayment each month. I shudder to think how much money I accumulated in interest. It was years before I got it all paid off, and I'm sure it was only a $2000 limit.
I like to tell stories of my previous less-than-desirable financial management so you know the person educating and guiding you about money is someone who has been there and done that. I get it. I know how challenging money management can be. I used to shame myself for being ‘terrible’ with money. I'd feel guilty for spending beyond my means.
When I found out I had ADHD, I put two and two together and it all started to make sense.
At this time, I was posting on my Instagram account @theadhdaccountant. I started posting about ADHD and money, and I was floored by how many people resonated with my content and story. From there, ADHD Money was born.
I wanted to make the neurodivergent community feel better about their finances and look at their money through a completely different lens. This book is for all of you who have made that possible and who have resonated with my story, and those of you who are wanting to manage your money on your own terms! You can do this.
Glossary
ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder):
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects executive functioning and can cause inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.
Avalanche Method:
A method that involves paying the debts with the highest interest rates first.
Body Doubling:
When you and another person (or people!) get together and work through something you need to do.
Cash Flow:
The movement of money in and out of your bank accounts.
Debt Challenge:
Similar to a savings challenge, a fun way to gamify paying down debt.
Emotional Dysregulation:
A difficulty in managing and controlling emotional responses. Emotional dysregulation can involve intense, prolonged and/or inappropriate emotional reactions in everyday situations.
Emotional Spending:
Occurs when we let our emotions drive our money decisions.
Executive Functioning:
The brain's command centre. Executive functioning can include: planning, prioritising, impulse control, self-monitoring, focus.
Financial Values:
Core values that align with your financial choices.
Gamifying:
The use of elements and principles of game design to make other activities more engaging. Also called gamification.
Habit Stacking:
The process of pairing a task that you need or want to do with a habit you already do and enjoy.
Impulse Spending:
To spend money without really thinking it through.
Interest-Based Nervous System:
A nervous system that only focusses on things of interest.
Savings Challenge:
A fun way to gamify your savings.
Self-Regulation:
Activities or actions you take to keep cool and calm when you're stressed or feeling dysregulated.
Snowball Method:
A method that involves paying off the smallest debt first, which then ‘snowballs’ into paying off the bigger debts.
CHAPTER 1Understanding ADHD and Money
In this chapter we get into …
