Recently I’ve read several articles, including one at Life Skills Advocate , on the ADHD or Neurodiversity tax. While this is most prevalent in people with ADHD, this is an issue for many neurodivergent thinkers to one extent or another. It all goes back to those elusive executive functioning skills, and many neurodivergent thinkers are paying the price, or neurodiversity tax, for those skill gaps.
What is the Neurodiversity (or ADHD) Tax?
The Neurodiversity tax is a term used to describe a variety of poor spending habits or planning issues related to money.
Impulse control is an issue in many areas, but when that turns into impulse buys it can really hurt. Sometimes it’s simply that candy bar you grabbed while you were standing in the checkout line. For many neurodivergent thinkers, impulse buys go way beyond candy. I knew a guy who went to the dealership for a car repair and came home with a new car (that was not in the budget). There are many similar stories about neurodivergent thinkers going to buy a small item but walking away with a much bigger purchase.
Memory is another executive functioning skill. Neurodivergent thinkers tend to be forgetful. They forget to pay their bills. They subscribe for services only to forget about them. You may have seen commercials about apps that will find all your subscriptions and cancel the ones you no longer use. Their bank accounts are bleeding money every month, and they don’t even realize it until someone points it out.
Going along with memory is the problem of object permanence. This is where I struggle. I cannot count the number of times I’ve forgotten where I put something and had to buy a replacement, only to find what I was looking for a week or month later. I’m really good at hiding things from myself, which makes me a terrible Santa or Tooth Fairy.
It also means I don’t always remember when we’re out of something. This leads to multiple trips to the store during the week, wasted gas, and it usually ends up being things I didn’t put in the budget for that week to begin with. This week, I didn’t know we were out of cold medicine until bedtime when I needed it. Somebody (possibly me) put the empty bottle back in the cabinet so it looked like we had some. That was a late-night trip to Wally World that I hadn’t planned on.
And, of course, the big executive functioning culprit is always planning. Just say the word budget, and their eyes glaze over. They may look off wistfully and say, “Oh yeah, I had one of those once”. Others may make a budget, but they fail to plan everything into that budget. That’s often where those forgotten bills come in.
Strategies I Use
While many neurodivergent thinkers can never totally escape this Neurodiversity Tax, there are ways to minimize the damage.
- Take a money management course. There are plenty out there. Neurodivergent thinkers keep Dave Ramsey and others like him in business. Budgeting is a learned skill.
- Visual Reminders. I have a dry erase board on my refrigerator with all the due dates included, so I can check off each bill when I pay it. It also lets me know at a glance what’s coming due. I also use my planner as if my life depends on it. I like the Happy Planners because they’re customizable, but there are many brands out there.
- Balance your checkbook every time you get paid. Make sure you see where your money is going and that you and the bank agree on how much you have.
- Curb big impulse buying with accountability. This is easier for married couples. My husband and I have a rule that if it’s not in the budget and it costs more than $15, we have to get permission to buy it from the other person.
- Wrap it, label it, or hide it in plain sight immediately. My kids know where I hide gifts, but it doesn’t matter because they are already wrapped and labeled. That helps me avoid finding a Christmas present I hid last year the following June. So what if Santa drops off presents under the tree starting in November. Or if the Tooth Fairy won’t come by unless the tooth is on the table. We fired 5 Tooth Fairies for sheer incompetence before I figured that one out.
- Make a list and stick to it. I keep my grocery and buying lists on my phone because my memory is terrible. If I trust my memory, I’m going to walk out with things I don’t need, get home and realize I forgot half of what I went for, and waste money making another trip to the store.
For teens and young adults, when you first start managing your own finances, have some accountability. Many parents will be glad to double-check your math and help you remember things you need in your budget. If not a parent, find a responsible friend or someone you trust who does not struggle with these executive functioning skills. Don’t be afraid to ask for help before you get in financial trouble.
What about you? Do you have any strategies that you’ve found helpful in avoiding the Neurodiversity Tax? Leave them below in the comments.
