From Spontaneous Chaos to Secure Control: Cher’s ADHD Money Shift
When I first met Cher, money felt like a constant roller coaster. Bills slipped through the cracks, spending occurred in the moment, and savings never took hold. She wasn’t careless; her ADHD brain was running the show.
Woman standing, carefree in with the autumn colors surrounding her.
Starting Point: Carefree and Spontaneous
In our second session together, Cher completed the Money Habitudes® assessment. Two clear patterns showed up:
Carefree → Money “works itself out.” Bills often go unpaid, savings skipped, and ADHD makes follow-through harder.
Spontaneous → Purchases feel exciting in the moment. Fun now, stress later.
Individually, these traits can bring joy. Together, they created a cycle of missed bills, impulse spending, and the dreaded “oh no” moments.
Cher’s words to me: “I don’t know where my money goes. I just know it’s gone.”
The Shift: Building an ADHD-Friendly Plan
Over the next 10 weeks, Cher and I worked together to replace chaos with structure, not by removing spontaneity, but by making it sustainable. Here’s what we focused on:
Built a budget tailored to her ADHD brain → simple categories, no clutter
Met weekly → short check-ins that created consistency and accountability
Practiced slowing down impulsive choices → creating space between the urge to spend and the action
The Results: Planning + Security
By the end of 12 weeks, Cher retook the Money Habitudes assessment. Her new results? Planning and Security. That’s a complete flip from where she started.
Why That Matters
For ADHDers, this shift doesn’t erase spontaneity. It makes it sustainable.
Short-Term Benefits:
No more “surprise” bills
Clear decisions in the moment
Room for guilt-free fun
Less mental clutter
Long-Term Benefits:
Breaks the feast/famine cycle
Builds self-trust and follow-through
Creates consistent savings and stability
Supports ADHD-friendly flexibility
Final Word
Today, money is no longer a source of anxiety for Cher. It’s a tool that gives her freedom and control.
And that’s the real win: not just paying bills on time, but building a financial system that works with your ADHD brain instead of against it.
Want to go from chaos to control? Book a free discovery call, and find out how!