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Idaho, Iowa, Des Moines
It’s no secret that people with ADHD have challenges with things like forgetfulness, procrastination, impulsive behavior, and time blindness. When you have neurodivergence, everyday life often comes with hidden costs, both financially and in terms of time. These costs, sometimes called the "ADHD tax," refer to the accumulation of extra expenses and delays that stem from common ADHD challenges.
As an ADHD therapist and coach, I often work with clients who struggle to keep a budget for their money and activities. Understanding what the ADHD tax is and how it impacts your life can help you learn how to minimize its impacts.
One of the more obvious ways the ADHD tax can affect you is through your wallet. People with ADHD have lower levels of dopamine in their brains, which impacts impulsivity and reward-seeking behaviors. Here are some common reasons you might be prone to increased spending.
People with ADHD crave novelty and new experiences. Shopping can feel novel because it involves purchasing something new and exciting.
Another financial burden ADHD individuals often face is impulsive spending. People with ADHD may act on impulse, buying things they don’t need or making in-the-moment purchases without fully considering the benefits or consequences. This impulsivity can lead to overspending, and in some cases, significant credit card debt.
If you struggle with anxiety, depression, or overwhelm, all typical experiences among ADHDers, you might buy more stuff to help regulate your emotions. Retail therapy is stigmatized, but it’s common for a reason. Purchasing something can help ward off anxiety, instill a sense of control, and distract you from tough emotions like sadness. These emotion regulation effects are all temporary, of course, but can still feel like a powerful respite from everyday overwhelm.
People with ADHD struggle to create and maintain habits, and to do things that require a lot of steps. For example: cooking. Cooking takes time, routine, and multiple steps, and you might not have the capacity or interest to cook at the end (or beginning) of the day. Just thinking about scouring the internet for an interesting recipe, going to the grocery store, buying all the ingredients, coming home, prepping all the ingredients, and then putting everything together can send any ADHDer into an overwhelm-induced coma. Even if you do go to the store, we’re all guilty of stockpiling our fridge… in the drawer where veggies go to die. It’s way easier to just order takeout meal after meal. But delivery costs get steep quickly, and can add to financial strain.
People with ADHD often struggle with visual memory issues, meaning that if something is not immediately visible, it may as well not exist. You may find yourself frequently purchasing items you already own simply because you forget you have them. For example, you might think you're out of salt and buy another container, only to later discover you already had multiple containers at home. The cumulative cost of these seemingly small, repetitive purchases can quickly add up, leaving you with clutter and financial waste.
Procrastination, a well-known hallmark of ADHD, can result in steep financial penalties. Many people with ADHD struggle with starting or completing tasks. This can lead to late fees, missed payments, and overdue bills. Plus, neglecting to address necessary and costly issues (like car maintenance, doctor appointments, etc) until the last minute can result in more costly emergencies down the road. Something that could have been fixed or dealt with somewhat cheaply may end up requiring a much more expensive solution simply because it was delayed.
If you tend to spend more money than you’re comfortable spending, it can cause a lot of problems. It can lead to money guilt, financial strain, anxiety, and an overall feeling that there’s something wrong with you.
The ADHD tax also affects how and what you spend time on. You might find yourself spending more time on tasks than you otherwise would because of a combination of factors like difficulty focusing, procrastination, and time blindness.
People with ADHD struggle to track the passage of time. Maybe you tend to underestimate how long a task will take or don’t realize how much time has already passed while you’re working on something. As a result, what should be a quick 10-minute task can easily stretch into multiple hours. Time blindness also leads to frequent lateness, missed appointments, feeling rushed and frenzied, and a sense of always running behind schedule.
Procrastination doesn’t just affect finances—it also eats away at our time. When we delay tasks, we often create situations where things need to be rushed or require extra effort. For example, putting off a task like cleaning your house may lead to far more hours of sifting through a cluttered mess later when you finally get to it. Plus, when you’re putting things off, they’re usually still burning a hole in your mind. Procrastination is inherently stressful, which can increase levels of anxiety and feeling like there’s something wrong with you.
Maintaining focus is a huge challenge for ADHDers, and frequent task-switching only compounds the problem. People with ADHD usually juggle multiple thoughts in their heads at once, which leads to getting distracted mid-task. Internal (like bouncing thoughts) and external (such as phone notifications or loud noises) distractions can both mess up your ability to accomplish what you set out to. Once interrupted, it can take a significant amount of time to refocus and get back in the flow of where you left off. This constant shifting between tasks can make even simple activities feel never-ending.
While the ADHD tax is a reality for many, it’s possible to reduce the burden of spending so much time and money in daily life. Here are a few strategies to try.
If you’d like support, I’m here to help you figure out how to find a better relationship with time and money. Together, we’ll figure out how the ADHD tax affects you and how to work around it. I’ll help you learn how to establish better habits, build healthy structure in your life, and feel more empowered about resource decisions.
Learn more about my therapy services (including EMDR and talk therapy) if you’re located in Idaho, Iowa, or South Carolina. For all other locations, check out my coaching services. My coaching program offers all the same expertise, tools, and guidance as therapy in a more direct and goal-oriented approach that you can benefit from anywhere.
Reach out today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation. Let’s start building a better future together.
Danielle is an anxiety therapist and perfectionism coach. She specializes in helping busy millennials dial down their anxiety and ADHD, so they can perform at their best. Danielle has been featured on Apartment Therapy, SparkPeople, Lifewire, and Now Art World. When Danielle isn't helping her clients, she's playing video games or spending time with her partner and step children.
Helping millennial professionals dial down anxiety and stress, so they can perform at their best.
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