How to Avoid Impulse Spending When You Have ADHD

I'm pretty impulsive myself, especially around Christmas -- so I reached out to Rena-fi for tips on how to avoid emotional spending during the holidays.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

WE WROTE A SONG!!
Get the “The Fish Song” on...

LINKS:

"How to Spend Money You *Want* to Spend" Music:
"The Show Must Be Go”
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

[horriblemurky]

I saw a violin piece I liked and I own a violin now. There should be a plugin that forces you to answer the questions in the video before it allows you to buy something.

[djorgs]

Unfortunately, I have ADHD AND I'm an advertiser. I'm pro at convincing myself to buy stuff.

[hbanana]

Yes to all of the above. The Guilt of not being productive enough can push me to buy things to get the false sense of accomplishment.

[kaitlincarr]

“A *bit* time-blind” she says. As if I didn’t take a 25 minute shower because I got distracted having a conversation with myself. 😬😅

Great video, thank you! Very helpful!

[lseongl]

"We might think managing our finances is about managing our bank account, but really it's about managing our emotions."

[Atalinay]

I just finished buying something and I saw this in my feed...

[tjwithersauthor]

"Before you check out, check in." Literally love this! I use the "24 hours in the cart" rule on *almost* everything. I also try to avoid physical stores because if I have to plan to come back to the store later, I'll end up convincing myself "I need it now, and I don't have time to come back for it later." Honestly so glad there are things that work!

[danielaravenous]

This year I managed to save money for my kids presents and spent what I actually had instead of adding debt to my credit card and it feels really good :D

[StevynOfficial]

The impulsivity has wrecked my finances a few times... like a lot of few times.. lol

[ashtongothika]

Jessica, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD As an adult. And I'm struggling trying to understand it fully and how to control it.
Your video have made me cry because you have all the right words that finally explains how my brain is functioning and I was able to show my mum so she could understand too and we have a lot less fights now that we are slowly getting on the same page. Thank you so much for these videos. I rewatch them all the time (because, ya know, getting distracted easily 😹)

Also, you look so pretty and youthful, omg! when I found your videos I was thought you may of been from 15-18 years old until I watched your Ted talk and I was like "wait, what!?"

[fantsypants]

I feel so silly singing that song but I know it's going to help. Thank you for all of your hard work.

[jamesanthony]

Emotions that cause me to either eat or buy stuff (non-exhaustive): Stress, Anger, Fear, Sadness, Happiness, Boredom, Depressed, Overwhelmed, Underwhelmed, asleep.... Anyone else's list look similar?

[HumansOfVR]

Advertisements are so good nowadays. They show you something that you never knew you needed!!

[hoofshealz]

omg, this explains the brain in my life. cheers Jess.

[Kadotus]

Information I wish I had had 15-20 years ago. Then again, I wish I had known about having ADHD in my teens or 20's instead of my 30's. Thanks for the video Jessica, much appreciated! Much love from Finland!

[danielbarna]

"Before you check out, check in!"
Suuuper catchy, and I can see myself repeating that/remembering it.
Love the videos!!

[MushroomReaper]

That’s why when I go shopping, I use cash it limits me then I’m forced to pro and con my stuff. (My impulsive spending is normally in a store where I’m confronted with items I can have now.)

[treason]

I DIY sponge toffee/hokey pokey/honeycomb every year. So much yum, so quick, so cheap. $32 for all ingredients plus a thermometer, bags, and ribbon.

[addictedmako]

I’m getting better at planning my DIY presents in advance so I can pace myself, which means I can actually enjoy the holiday atmosphere. Almost done with my scarves!

[HCBYRD]

I really hope this'll help save my holiday budget - I always end up with too many small impulse purchases, that quickly add up (because I HAVE to go shopping multiple times to get the stuff I need for the holidays).
My impulsivity gets *notably* worse when stressed - which is hard thing to avoid when having to make a lot of decisions under time pressure, while bombarded with infinite stimuli and distractions everywhere!

On top of *the* *overwhelm* comes that dastardly perfectionism and overly-ambitious internal DIY-devil (as well as a general feeling the pressure from participating in family gatherings), leaving me with *that* feeling of failure, because I can't possibly live up to my own (unreasonably high) expectations.

This video makes me feel less alone, thank you - I really needed that more than I realized.
And to all of the brains out there, sharing the struggle: remember to care for yourself, so you don't feel like drowning in holiday preparations. You deserve to enjoy this time of year, even if it means lowering your expectations or receiving outside help!