Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can present unique challenges in many aspects of life, including (and oftentimes especially) personal finances. There seems to be a preconceived idea that ADHD = just some hyper kids, but adults with ADHD often struggle with organizing, planning, and maintaining consistent money habits.
Struggling with these things that seem to come so easily for everyone else can make it difficult to not just chalk it up to laziness, messiness, or just plain ol’ bad at money… and that’s just that. Whether those negative messages come from others – or worse: ourselves – they don’t do us any favors at all.
At Envie, we recognize the impact ADHD can have on money management, and we’re here to help. We’ll start with how ADHD affects our bank accounts and financial habits, and follow it up with some of the ways Envie specifically empowers individuals with ADHD to take control of their finances and thrive.
Understanding the Impact of ADHD on Finances
Impulsivity: Maybe you went into Target with a very clear goal of picking up the one thing you needed, but between just generally blacking out until the cashier tells you the total – or convincing yourself that one more thing that’s only $14.99 can’t hurt – you know in your heart of hearts that your bank account just shed another tear.
Or perhaps you saw a Tiktok of someone completely renovating their coat closet into a mini-apartment for their cat, and after a few hours hyper-focusing on Amazon, your cart is now full of a bunch of tiny furniture. The ‘Proceed to Checkout’ button is staring you in the face, and before you know it: *click*!
Adults with ADHD often struggle with impulsive spending: making quick and unplanned purchases without considering the long-term consequences. Of course, this can lead to financial stress and hinder progress toward important financial goals.
Organization (Or Lack Thereof): Disorganization in this context is so much more than not being able to find something in a junk drawer, or the kitchen table being used as a pit stop for the laundry’s dryer-to-closet journey. An alternate title for this section could be Out of Sight, Out of Mind. Because if something isn’t immediately winning our attention, it might as well be considered nonexistent. And when that ‘something’ is, say, bills or other financial obligations? Well, it’s easy to see how a very expensive, disheartening snowball can form.
Because for folks with ADHD, it can already be hard enough to even remember what needs to be paid and when. (And we’re also supposed to be aware at any given time what long lost corner our birth certificate is in?!)
Difficulty with organization and maintaining financial habits/records can make it challenging to keep track of bills, expenses, and due dates. Late payments, all of the extra fees that come with them, and missed opportunities for saving can be common occurrences, leading to financial instability. After all, every little bit adds up, for better or for worse!
Time Management: Have you ever thought to yourself, “Ah, I’ll take care of that later! This is important, so no way will I forget.” But then you blink and a week, a month, or a year has gone by… Even if your impulsive spending is 100% in check, and even if your organization is on point and you know $X amount is due on X day, people with ADHD can still struggle with time management, throwing a wrench in the spokes of financial comfort.
Maybe you bought and filled out (another) fancy planner, or set (another) alert on your phone; yet despite all your best intentions and effort, time blindness still takes over. Money-wise, this type of disconnection can result in procrastination or straight-up forgetfulness, causing bills to go unpaid or important financial tasks to be delayed. Aside from the “oh crap, I still need to do that!” realizations that spring out like pop-up ads on the family computer in 2003 (and the guilt and shame that likes to tag along), this can also lead to tangible, financial penalties, late fees, and unnecessary stress.
Lack of Focus vs Hyper-Focus: As we mentioned earlier, a common misconception about ADHD is that folks who have must be bouncing off the walls. This is absolutely not the case. In reality, ADHD has multiple types and can affect anyone, at any age, in different ways, at different times.
When it comes to finances, an individual can struggle with distractions and sustaining attention, which can make it hard to keep up with (or even begin) some of the more detailed money management tasks such as budgeting, tracking expenses and savings, or going over bank statements. In general, the easier and more enjoyable something is, the more likely we are to do it; this concept is just amplified with those with ADHD. Bank statements, bills, credit reports – these aren’t exactly the most exciting things in the world. It’s no wonder inattentiveness can hinder the ability to make informed monetary decisions, understand one’s overall money situation, and ultimately be – and feel – comfortable financially.
However! That same person can also experience bouts of intense focus for a specific task or goal. Keeping with our money management example, they can spend hours, days, or weeks on end finally getting around to analyzing their credit report, meticulously organizing their budget, or cancelling every last random subscription they haven’t used in months.
ADHD is dynamic. The ability to focus can swing like a pendulum, but a huge constant is its affect on financial health.
How Envie Helps Individuals with ADHD
Simple & Quick: Envie’s mission is simple: help everyone save money. The way we do that is to make saving money easy, fun, and fast. ADHD-wise, we know that ugh feeling that comes from downloading yet another app that promised to change our life forever, only to open it up and see that thing is gonna take a lot of time, effort, and attention (that we don’t have) to set up and maintain.
With Envie, you just pick your Challenge (aka your savings goal) to get started; there are 5 to choose from, ranging between $350 and $5050. Each day, you tap “GO!” and an envelope with random dollar amounts bounces around. When you tap “Stop,” it’ll land on one of them, and you can transfer that amount for safe keeping. All of the Challenges are 100-days long, so all of the guesswork on how much to save and when is taken out of the equation. After 100 days of playing and saving, you’ve reached your goal and your savings are transferred back to your bank!
💡 Fun Fact: It takes longer to read that last paragraph than it does to play Envie!
Goal-Oriented Challenges: Envie’s savings challenges provide a structured approach to saving money, which can be particularly beneficial for individuals with ADHD. For many, it’s easier and more realistic to save $1 today, $7 tomorrow, $4 the next day, and so on as it continues to add up bit by bit, rather than trying to set aside a bigger lump sum less often (if ever).
Pair Envie with your daily routine, whether you play in the morning before opening social media, play on your lunch break each day, or play after brushing your teeth before bed. Whatever works for you, Envie’s got your bite-sized savings goals covered. On top of reaching your savings goal and getting a big ol’ deposit sent to your bank in 100 days, the consistency, motivation, and accomplishment you’ll build are pretty sweet too.
No Fees or Penalties, Ever: There’s an infinite amount of ways to navigate living with ADHD, and one of them is embracing the fact it’s just a part of you, and that’s a-okay! Team Envie believes that your money (and your money apps) should work with you, not against you. So, if you ever miss a day playing, break your streak, or even need to end your Challenge early and cash out, that’s not the end of the world. We’re certainly not going to charge you any fees or penalties for it either. I mean, that would kind of defeat the whole purpose of helping people save their money, after all.
Visual Progress, At-A-Glance: Envie has multiple ways to quickly, visually track your progress after you play. (You can also check it any time you want in the menu.) Not only is it just convenient to see how much you’ve saved so far, or how much time is left in your Challenge, or what day of your streak you’re at – watching those get closer and closer, day-by-day, to your end goal just makes that sense of motivation and accomplishment grow.
Entertaining & Rewarding: Envie turned saving money into an actual game. Specifically, we turned the #envelopechallenge into a more accessible, sustainable, and entertaining way of saving. Some apps let you save, some apps let you play – and Envie lets you do both!
We also believe you deserve a high five for building all those sweet, sweet savings habits. So, when you reach your 30-day savings streak, you’ll unlock a Goldie: a golden envelope that, when landed on, means Envie will pay for your savings amount for that day. (Also, don’t worry if you didn’t catch it on the first day; it’ll show up every day until you do!)
Managing finances with ADHD can be a complex task – to say the least! But Envie’s goal is to empower everyone to build their wealth in a simple, fair, and fun way!
Keep in mind: ADHD doesn’t have to hinder financial success. Finding something that works with and for you is key, whether that’s a routine, a new planner, an app like Envie, or anything beyond & in between.
Keep crushing it,
Team Envie
