Adult ADD and Money

Four things I like about "ADD and your Money"

ADD and your Money by Stephanie Moulton Sarkis, Ph.D., is the only book that I know that is solely about ADD and money management. I highly recommend this book for any adult with ADD who wants to take action when it comes to dealing with their finances. Here are four things that I like about the book.

1. The book deals with emotional and relationship issues before dealing with ways to organize and manage your finances.

2. Lots of suggested activities that engages the reader into action.

3. It got me to think about thermal receipts. In the book there is a section about managing receipts. One tips was to make photocopies of thermal receipts because they can fade quickly. Its a great tip, but I have a something to add to it. On more than one occasion, I have put my work clothes in the dryer to remove wrinkles so that I can wear the clothes later that day. A few times I have left thermal receipts in my pants, and after removing my pants from the dryer, the receipts were completely black and unreadable. So make sure to keep thermal receipts away from the heat.

4. I really liked the activity "Can someone guess your PIN number?". Often people don't make the connection that the information in your wallet or phone can give a thief easy clues in guessing you ATM PIN#.

'Copy This! How I Turned Dyslexia, ADHD, and 100 Square Feet Into a Company Called Kinko's'

Many adults with ADD can get discouraged trying to accomplish their goals. It is important to learn from other adults with ADD who have used their strengths to succeed in life. Here is a short exerpt from Paul Orfalea's book Copy This! How I Turned Dyslexia, ADHD, and 100 Square Feet Into a Company Called Kinko's' that was posted in the Wall Street Journal

As opposed to "Open three new stores by the end of the year," my goal became simply "Expand the business." Keep your goals as anchors and then wander around among them, giving yourself plenty of room for error and experimentation. I used to sketch the following illustration for my partners back in my twenties. You start with some clear goals. Here they are represented by two straight lines:

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Book Review - Getting Started The Financial Guide for A Younger Generation

Getting Started: The Financial Guide for a Younger Generation by Brian T. Jones is a very good read for the ADD adult who is just starting to get a handle on their finances. Getting Started includes many real life examples and personal stories, it is also set up in a visually appealing manner that makes it easier to read. This book is not like traditional financial books, it does an excellent job of explaining basic financial concepts into terms that are easy to understand. My two favorite chapters of this book is "Cash is King" and "Risk Management". My only issue with the book is that I wished some of the chapters were longer and gave more detailed information, but overall this is an excellent book for anyone who needs to understand and implement basic financial concepts.

If you wish to learn more information about Brian Jones and his book go to www.GettingStartedFinance.com.

Finding your Focus

Finding Your Focus: Practical Strategies for the Everyday Challenges Facing Adults with ADD (Paperback)
by Judith Greenbaum, Geraldine Markel

This is a great book with lots of practical tips and strategies. It also includes charts and worksheets to help readers. The book has a very ADD-Friendly set up too. It offers suggestion to overcome many ADD related challenges.

Purchase through Amazon

Finding a Career That works for You

Finding a Career That Works for You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career and Finding a Job by Wilma Fellman.

An informative guide for anyone who is not sure that they are on the right career path. The first part of the book deals with understanding your skills, dreams, and personalty so that you can find a job that works for you. The second part deals with the skills needed to get the job that you want. The book also offers a lot of examples of people who love their work. The book is very ADHD friendly, there are even sections specifically dealing with  issues that people with ADHD and learning disabilities face.

Purchase through Amazon

Budgets are not ADD Friendly

I was reading a section of Suze Orman "The Money Book for the Young Fabulous and Broke" titled "Screw Budgets" and the light bulb went on in my head.  I have stressed the use of budgets on this website as a way to control you finances.  I still think that using a budget can be helpful when managing a short term financial crisis, especially if you are unsure whether you will have the money to pay the minimum amount on your loans and credit cards, but most of the time adults with ADD should not worry about preparing a long term budget. What is more important is to understand how you are spending your money. 

While overspending on big ticket items like cars and vacations will sabotage anybody finances, what seems to cause the most problems is that many adults with ADD do not realize how much they are spending on smaller things.  With ATM and debit cards it is easy to spend small amounts of money that add up quickly. Information is the key to reduce the smaller spending. Reviewing you bank accounts and credit card statements will make you more aware of the total costs of the little things, and make you apt to reduce your spending.

ADHD Secrets of Success

The book has some great ideas to help adults with ADD become successful with employment. This book also gives some idea about why many adults with ADD are not happy in thier current working enviroments. The book is "ADD Friendly". The ideas can also be used in other areas than just employment

ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life

It's about time a book specifically about ADD and organizing was written. The set up of the book is VERY "ADD Friendly". Main ideas are bulleted and highlighted. There are also review sections at end of each chapter. The ideas and suggestions given in this book may be very helpful to adults with ADD.

On-the-Job Strategies for Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder

Making ADD Work : On-the-Job Strategies for Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder

As an ADD Coach and somebody is very active in the online ADD/ADHD community I get a lot people asking me to recommend good books about Adult ADD and the Workplace. I do usually recommend the ones listed in the Living with ADD Bookstore but sometimes I am a bit hesitant because some of the books there are not very current. I was very happy when I found out that the book Making ADD Work : On-the-Job Strategies for Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder by Blythe Grossberg was soon coming out.

I got a copy of the book and read through it. I think it's the best book that I have read about ADD and the Workplace. The book has a very "ADD Friendly" set up which makes it easy for people with Attention Deficit Disorder to read. It has some great tips and strategies too. As an ADD Coach I was very impressed with the section in the book about ADD Coaching.

Tara McGillicuddy

ADD Coach

As an ADD Coach and somebody is very active in the online ADD/ADHD community I get a lot people asking me to recommend good books about Adult ADD and the Workplace. I do usually recommend the ones listed in the Living with ADD Bookstore but sometimes I am a bit hesitant because some of the books there are not very current. I was very happy when I found out that the book Making ADD Work : On-the-Job Strategies for Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder by Blythe Grossberg was soon coming out.

I got a copy of the book and read through it. I think it's the best book that I have read about ADD and the Workplace. The book has a very "ADD Friendly" set up which makes it easy for people with Attention Deficit Disorder to read. It has some great tips and strategies too. As an ADD Coach I was very impressed with the section in the book about ADD Coaching.

Tara McGillicuddy

ADD Coach

Adult ADD and Addiction

Adults with ADD are more prone to addictive behaviors. Addictive behaviors can cause severe financial problems. But before anyone can tackle their financial issues they must be able to deal with the underlying causes that are destroying their lives.

Wendy Richardson once again writes an informative and helpful book about AD/HD and addiction. This book delves deep into addictive behaviors that many adults with ADD face. This book isn't just about well known addictions like drugs and gambling. It discusses every day things like shopping, food, and the Internet. Wendy also provides helpful ways to deal with AD/HD and addictive behaviors.

Purchase When Too Much Isn't Enough: Ending the Destructive Cycle of AD/HD and Addictive Behavior

Tara McGillicuddy

ADD Coach

   

                               

Wendy Richardson once again writes an informative and helpful book about AD/HD and addiction. This book delves deep into addictive behaviors that many adults with ADD face. This book isn't just about well known addictions like drugs and gambling. It discusses every day things like shopping, food, and the Internet. Wendy also provides helpful ways to deal with AD/HD and addictive behaviors.

Purchase When Too Much Isn't Enough: Ending the Destructive Cycle of AD/HD and Addictive Behavior

Tara McGillicuddy

ADD Coach