This week’s guests are Ben Barlowe and Ernie Reppe, the dynamic duo behind YNAB's Budget Nerds. Ben, a seasoned YNAB teacher, helps people infuse purpose into their finances, while Ernie brings practical budgeting advice from his own journey with YNAB. They dive into the unique challenges ADHD presents in managing money, emphasizing that budgeting doesn't have to be restrictive. Discover the empowering concept of giving every dollar a job, practical tips for building financial routines, and ways to make money management feel less daunting.
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insights INSIGHT
Give Every Dollar A Purpose
Give every dollar a job: assign purpose to each dollar before you spend it.
Breaking your bank balance into category "envelopes" makes spending decisions concrete and calm.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Showing Kids Money Limits Worked
Ben showed his two-year-old there was no money in the entertainment category and the child accepted it.
That moment showed how categories teach values without shame.
insights INSIGHT
Swap Rules For Questions
YNAB reframed four rules into plain questions to reduce shame and increase clarity.
Asking questions helps people find their own answers instead of following rigid rules.
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Money and ADHD: two words that often stir up stress, shame, or avoidance. But what if we stopped thinking of planning as punishment and instead saw it as a path to clarity, confidence, and even peace of mind? This week, Pete and Nikki welcome Ben Barlowe and Ernie Reppe—the Budget Nerds of YNAB—to talk about why the word budgeting is going out of style and how we’re still all-in on the money mindset.
They share how to build a money mindset that’s about purpose, not restriction, and why giving every dollar a job is the simple shift that makes all the difference. From impulse spending and forgotten bills to shame spirals and the fear of facing financial reality, this conversation gets real about the unique challenges ADHD brings to money management—and how to take the sting out of them.
Whether you’re brand new to planning your finances or you’ve tried before and burned out, this is your invitation to make peace with your money and take back control.
(00:00) - Welcome to Taking Control: The ADHD Podcast
(03:08) - Become a Patron at patreon.com/theadhdpodcast
(03:29) - ADHD and Money with Ben Barlow and Ernie Reppe from the Budget Nerds
(13:48) - The Budgeting Mindset: Give Every Dollar a Job
(24:00) - What are the big questions to help you start your money plan?
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