From Spontaneous to Strategic: How One Client Transformed Her Financial Habits in 3 Months
Spoiler alert: ADHD brains can build sustainable money habits, without giving up their spontaneous spirit.
If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I know I should budget, but I just can’t stick with it,” then you’re in good company. Many of my clients feel frustrated, ashamed, or like they’re somehow “bad with money.” But here’s the truth:
You’re not bad with money.
You’ve just never had a money system that works with your brain.
Let’s talk about how one woman, whom we’ll call “C,” went from chaotic spending to confident decision-making in just three months. Spoiler: It didn’t involve shame, spreadsheets, or financial detoxes. It started with a simple assessment—and a whole lot of self-compassion.
What Are Money Habitudes, and Why Do I Use Them?
Before we dive into C’s story, let me give you a quick peek behind the curtain.
In my financial coaching practice, one of the first tools I use is something called the Money Habitudes assessment. It helps us figure out your underlying emotional and behavioral patterns with money. In other words, it shows why you do what you do, before we even look at the budget.
There are six types of Money Habitudes:
Spontaneous – You spend in the moment. Often impulsively. Excitement drives your money decisions.
Carefree – You avoid thinking too much about money. Details? Meh. You’ve got other things on your mind.
Planner – You love structure, organization, and control. Budgets make you feel safe.
Giver – You prioritize others. Generosity is your default, even when it hurts your own wallet.
Status – You use money to elevate your image, treat yourself, and feel successful.
Security – You save, plan, and worry about the future. You’d rather hoard than spend.
Most people are a blend. But understanding your dominant tendencies gives us a map for how to build financial habits that stick.
C’s Story: A Spontaneous & Carefree Combo with Big Dreams
When C came to me, she was burnt out and overwhelmed.
She wasn’t living paycheck to paycheck—she made enough money to technically be okay—but she couldn’t figure out where it all went. Every month ended in confusion, guilt, and the phrase we’ve all muttered once or twice:
“I swear I’ll do better next month.”
She was high in Spontaneous and Carefree. This meant she loved spending in the moment, avoided financial details, and felt completely disinterested in budgeting—even though she wanted to be better with money.
C’s spending wasn’t reckless—it was emotional. It was how she coped with stress, celebrated wins, and stayed motivated.
So no, we didn’t jump straight into spreadsheets.
We started with her habits.
Step 1: Understanding Her ADHD Patterns
C lives with ADHD, and like many of my clients, she struggled with time blindness, impulsivity, and executive dysfunction. She wasn’t “lazy” or “irresponsible.” She hadn’t been taught how to manage money in a way that matched how her brain worked.
We talked about her triggers. The pressure she felt to “keep up” with others. The emotional highs and lows that led to spontaneous online shopping. The way she used retail therapy to temporarily boost dopamine.
Step 2: Building Planned Spontaneity
Instead of fighting her impulses, we made space for them.
She created a “fun money” category in her budget that let her spend freely within boundaries.
She checked in weekly, not to restrict her, but to keep her grounded in her goals.
We used reminders, visual cues, and automation to reduce decision fatigue.
And slowly, something shifted.
C began to trust herself.
She stopped feeling like budgeting was a punishment. Instead, it became a way to protect the life she actually wanted. And it didn’t mean giving up her spontaneity, it meant choosing when and how to indulge, without blowing everything up.
Step 3: Rewriting Her Money Identity
After three months, we retook the Money Habitudes assessment.
This time? She came back as Planner/Spontaneous.
She still had that spark. That joyful, in-the-moment personality.
But now it was anchored in planning.
She’d become the kind of person who…
Checked her budget weekly (without dread)
Saved money for spontaneous trips or purchases
Felt proud instead of panicked when she opened her banking app
And here’s what she told me:
“For the first time ever, I feel like I’m not faking it. I’m actually doing it.”
This Can Be You, Too
C’s transformation wasn’t magic. It was mindset + support + a process that fit her.
And it’s available to you, too.
If you’re tired of feeling ashamed about your finances—or you know there’s more under the surface than just “bad spending habits”—I want to invite you to explore your own Money Habitudes.
It’s not about fixing you.
It’s about understanding you—and building a system that supports you.
Let’s start with a 30-minute Discovery Call.
We’ll chat about where you are, what’s been getting in your way, and what clarity could look like for your ADHD brain.
📅 Click here to book your free call
You’re only one habit shift away from real momentum.
Let’s find it together.