I have ADHD, and for me that means managing money is challenging. When you struggle with organization, anxiety, impulsivity, and being easily overwhelmed, financial skills can feel just out of reach.
For example, I used to open my banking apps and immediately feel overwhelmed and anxious. I couldn’t look at my budget strategically or plan out thoughtful decisions. Sometimes, I would get hung up on small details and lose the big picture or I’d see what I needed to accomplish and have no idea what my next steps should be.
As a result, I would spend impulsively and deal with financial consequences as they came, but never felt in control of the big picture.
Naturally, people around me who don’t have ADHD would often advise me to “follow a budget.” Or they’d tell me about some app they loved. I’d try but could never make it stick.
It took me a long time to realize it wasn’t about willpower. It was about visibility.
My Money Dashboard
I realized what I really needed was to see and interact with my money goals differently. For me that meant visual reminders that I would see on a daily basis, but in a low-pressure way that didn’t overwhelm me, and were just, well, there.
For some that might mean a page in your notes app, a widget on your phone or computer or in my case, a physical white board on my fridge. Something I’m guaranteed to see every day, multiple times a day. I call it my Money Dashboard.
It’s not a big spreadsheet, just a few visual callouts that anchor me to my goals and responsibilities.
Why Visuals Work
If you have ADHD, you already know this: out of sight really does mean out of mind. Bills in email? I’ll never see it. Money goal in some budgeting app? I’ll lose track of it.
For me, visual reminders that I have handwritten cut through the fog. They don’t fix all my problems, but they help me change my habits in small ways that move me closer to my goals.
What to Put On Your Dashboard
This is a place for only the most important information. It’s not a spreadsheet or a complex plan. It’s a few touch points.
Here’s what’s on mine:
- Upcoming due dates: anything big that comes up soon, especially bills that can’t be automated.
- Goal progress: I pick one or two at a time, like a savings target or a behavioral goal (for example, “no DoorDash this week”).
- Weekly spending amount: how much discretionary money I have. Sometimes I update it daily, sometimes I don’t, but seeing the number keeps me grounded.
- Important financial to-dos: usually just one or two things, like renewing tags, setting up autopay or scheduling my monthly check-in.
I had more at first. I cut most of it. I stopped pretending I could look at more than a few things each week. I can’t.
Customize Your Dashboard
If paper works better, do that. If you prefer digital, great. You can add widgets to your phone or keep a pinned note on your desktop. The important thing is to choose a format you’ll actually use and to include only what’s most relevant.
Other useful additions could be:
- Payday or deposit reminders
- A running total of automated payments coming out that month
- A quick tracker for debt payoff or savings milestones
Things to Leave Off
The temptation is to track everything. Don’t. Leave off:
- Detailed budgets that need constant updating
- Long lists of goals you know you’ll ignore
- Apps or charts you don’t actually open
This dashboard should be the financial equivalent of a Post-it on your fridge — clear, obvious and useful. Nothing more.
Doing Deeper Dives
My money dashboard is great for daily anchoring, but it is important to do occasional deeper dives. I like to do mine monthly. The good news is, daily reminders tend to make this deep dive time less overwhelming and less surprising.
Once a month, I do a 30-minute money check. I check every account, I look at my spending by category and I make sure my budget or savings goals for the next month still make sense.
And then I stop. I set a timer so I don’t keep going. ADHD can turn one task into five. Hyperfixating can be just as overwhelming as avoidance and both can lead to burnout. The timer keeps me honest.
It’s not perfect. But I’m able to be consistent and that has made me more confident.
Build in Accountability, if You Can
I don’t talk about money with many people. But body doubling with a trusted partner, friend or family member can help you stay consistent.
Body doubling just means having someone present — even virtually — while you do a task. I sit on a call with a friend, and we both do our own stuff. Sometimes I say “I’m gonna move money now” and they say “cool.” That’s enough.
I don’t need help. I just need someone else to be there while I face the stuff I avoid.
Sometimes I send a screenshot after I do something small. Like moving $10 to a goal. No one’s judging. That’s the point.
Final Thoughts
ADHD makes money management harder but not impossible. The dashboard helps me see what matters most without drowning in details. The monthly check-in gives me structure without rigidity. And accountability keeps me from going it alone.
I don’t have a perfect system — but I finally have one I can stick with. And that’s a bigger win than it sounds.
If you’re living with ADHD and money feels overwhelming, start small. Pick one visible reminder, set a timer for five minutes, or ask a friend to sit with you while you pay a bill. Progress is progress, and with ADHD, visibility is often the first step toward control.