ADHDers like organization and structure, so they get excited about setting up a budget. However, following the method over the long term rarely works if we don't spend the extra time setting up an automated system to keep us going when we don't feel like following the process.

I've created and shared a spreadsheet on the reversed budget methodology under the resource links at the bottom of the page for you to download and follow along.

By the end of this series, you will be budgeting as you go throughout your day, with minimal maintenance and only spending the money you have available.

Identifying Variable Wants and Needs

Variable wants are the expenses that vary month to month and get us in the most trouble because this money is often tied to credit card charges such as:

• Retail clothing purchases
• DoorDash
• Amazon.com
• Entertainment (concerts and theater tickets)
• Gifts
• Toys for your kids

 
Even though variable needs are generally necessity driven, they must be tracked as they can heavily impact your budget. Examples would include:

• Groceries
• Dining out  
• Home repairs
• Health expenses
• Car repairs
• Gasoline

 
As you progress through the worksheet, try not to get bogged down in the minutia in attempting to get everything perfect. The worksheet is a learning exercise to help you get an overall sense of your spending habits in a format that feels comfortable to you so you can ask yourself questions such as:

• Are you spending too much?
• Where are your problem areas?
• Where can you cut back?

Resources:

Link to my Google Docs Budgeting Spreadsheet (click here)
Honeydue.com (click here)

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