ADHD / ADD Support Group

What I did at first was to cancel credit cards. Then I looked at my earnings and decided I would withdraw $100 every week for my personnal spendings, the rule being, i can't withdraw more, and I'll have to cover food and clothes with that money. I calculated I could use no more than $100 if I wanted to cover my monthly fees (rent, bus pass, etc.)
So, first thing to do is look at your earnings and obligatory expanses, such as rent, electricity/gas bills, phone bill, meds, etc. If you need furnitures, calculate how much per month you could afford to put beside for it, and add the amount to your monthly expanses list.
If the monthly expanse list is higher or way too near to your incomes, see if you could cut on them (eg. moving to a smaller apartment, using less electricity, cut the cable, etc.)

Now, to catch up with the money you owe, banks usually have a service to put all the money you owe in only one bill, so you save on interests, and you don't have to deal with creditors anymore, just with the bank. I think it's called debt consolidation. If you follow the rules of the program, that is, pay what you defined you could pay every month or week, creditors can't get at you...

Anyway, when over spending is involved, the fisrt thing to do is establish a budjet, then to stick to it...

Hope it helps, Good luck!

My mom is ADHD, but also OCD which you also could be, which would be why you like to spend, is it a compulsion? But I know that some ADHD meds like Focalin are also used for OCD and my son says it does help with OCD too, so you may want to look at that as a possible reason why.

Also my mother just goes to a place like good will and pays stuff for a quarter or whatever and it makes her feel better and she isn't spending lots of money. But I told her that she needed to look into medication for her OCD and that that would help her more.

You will just have to make a budget for yourself and not allow yourself to spend more than that budget and put the extra money you need to save to pay bills somewhere where you can't get it.

Stay strong and hopefully you will be able to gain control of your spending habit.

Would canceling my credit cards, mess up my credit rating? Do any of you know. I haven't had any trouble with creditors, thank goodness, but this month I will be short substantually. I will have to go to Dad, but I know this can't happen again. My Dad is very sick, and if he passes, then I have no one to fall back on, and then I'll be in BIG trouble. So, you suggest that I cut up my credit cards?!
I was thinking of handing my credit cards over to Dad, or save my money and get a box at the bank.
Yes, I definately need to stick to some kind of budget!
Thanks.
Meghan.

I never thought of that. I am OCD and ADHD! Makes a lot of sense the complusiveness! I see my psych. med doctor in three weeks, maybe if I bring this to his attention...he will see it too. I'm still new with this doctor and he is still learning about me!
Wow! thanks for the prospective.
Meghan.

I did cancel credit cards after I finnaly catched up with what I owed them.
I only kept one active, with the minimal maximum amount on it, but I leave it at home, most of the time, and I only take it with me when I know I have something to buy with it (for example, if I buy my bus pass with it, the company I'm with for the card gives me an insurance if I'm in an accident while using common transportation. I also pay my meds with it. It all comes in my monthly fees, since I'm always having $47,25 on it).

How the credit is built:
No matter how much you have on your card, as long as you pay the minimum amount due, your credit is going to be good. Only paying the minimal amount means for the credit cards companies, that you pay interests, which they like.
You're still having a good credit if you pay the hole amount every month.
One card, two cards, ten cards... I don't think it makes a difference, as long as the minimal amount due is paid.
Of course, to keep your credit rating, one have to pay the whole amount due before cancelling anything...

Do you have access to a financial advisor at your bank? If so, the best would be to see with him or her to see what effect would have cards cancellation on your credit rating...


The reason I cancelled credit cards was that it is so easy to lose track of what I spend with those!
And when the bill comes in, "gosh, did I really spend that much?"



I'm not saying you have to cancel credit cards, I just stated what works for me.
If you are able to deal with cards in a responsible manner, there is no need to cancel them! I just wanted to save me some temptations...
And I'm not amongst the lucky ones who could trust their family members enough to leave my cards with them...

Good luck to you!

Meghan,I was glad to see you posted this topic your situation sounds a little bit similar to mine. I've had to move back in with my parents because, I did'nt get my SSI when I was 25 like my friend did he may of had a better SSI attorney. My Doctor keeps me on stratterra and that is good only because, I am able to stay on the reduced price program. My spending is often out of control too but, I have'nt gotten a business or credit loan high enough to make it worth declaring chapter 13 bankruptcy. I never fixed my problem because, partially my allies would'nt stay friends and back then I was'nt as skilled with applications and resume's. We must make a new path for ourselves sometimes one that could take us in a new direction.

Hi Turbo-
thanks sharing that with me. My therapist is trying to get me to go and see a counselor that deals with finanical....to see if declairing bankruptcy would be the best thing for me. I think it would ruin my credit rating...but give me some kind of peace. Knowing I can start over finanically would be a good thing, so I can focus on my other issues. I'm 38 and my credit would probably be ruined for 7 years, but I can't see myself going on like this anymore....where would I end up emotionally wondering every month how I'm going to pay my credit cards. It was nice to hear from you.
Meghan.

I dont have an overspending problem so much as I have a impulsive buying problem. I dont run up any credit cards, because I dont have any other than my bank & atm card. I get nervous enough using those., hehe. I do have problems keeping a check book...meaning I dont write down what I spend or when I spend it, and sometimes I accidentally overdraw my account, but thats at most 1 every 3-6 months.Every time I set out to keep tabs on what I'm spending, I either loose the book I'm writing it in, or I just forget about it all together.

I think when you have ADHD you are more compulsive and hense why you overspend. When I was getting married our pre-cana counselor told us to take a credit card and freeze it in a block of ice so if we really really needed to use it, we would have to thaw it. We have never had problems with our bills or spending thank goodness but that idea always stuck with me. If you have problems with your bills the best first thing to do is get rid of the credit cards because if you don't have cash in your pocket you can spend it. Good luck