My suggestion is to break down your budget into daily or weekly amounts.  Shred your credit cards and freeze your debit cards.  Start operating on a cash basis.  As you are spending your money you will have a visual cue for how much money you have to spend.  If you are saving for specific purchases, print pictures of those and put them where you will look at them regularly.  Maybe also put them in your wallet as a trigger for passing up purchasing something you may want but don’t need.  Consider an accountability buddy whom you trust or an ADHD Coach who will help you keep everything real.  Good Luck!

I don’t know about that particular software, but it has helped me to track my spending (I have the habit built into my “routine” to enter my receipts weekly)  and I can easily look at where the money is going using the reports feature of hte software (I use Money, but I’m sure most others have the same funciton).  It keeps it sort of “front of mind” for me.

Also, break your goals into mini milestones and celebrate them as you get to them. Even if it’s as small as sticking to your “budget” for one week (or even one day), decide in advance how you will celebrate that and really give yourself the pat on the back you deserve!  We often need a baby-steps approach to reaching bigger goals to keep us motivated in the long run.

What also can be very helpful is to really get to the bottom of WHY you have set the financial goals you’ve set.  In coaching, we focus on what we call “the WHO of the client”—really digging at what the goals are (financial or otherwise) and how they tie into the client’s values and who they are. 

Another tool might be visualization—imagine what it will be like to reach your financial goals.  How will things change? What will be different?  Try to visualize yourself already having met those goals, and maybe find some sort of reminder of what that looks like (a “vision board” or collage of the things you imagine). Then try to re-imagine that image often (especially at bedtime) to make it more concrete.

Just a couple quick suggestions!  The bedtime visualizations also help me to quiet my ADD brain and fall asleep more quickly—a bonus!!

Hope that helps!

Lynne Edris, ACG
Life & ADD Coach
http://www.CoachingADDvantages.com

I just joined the group and read your concern.  I first want to say that your problem is not unique to you, most ADDers have this problem and so do non-ADDers.  Which is one of the reasons our country is suffering now. Realizing this, it would be helpful to look even deeper to have any lasting effect on your finances.  For instance, evaluating you life values and goals, then deciding to take control to make your money do what you want an not let it control you instead.
I am older and came from parents that stressed they ensured to provide what was needed and I had to contribute or earn extra outside regular income for my extras or wants.  They valued family and friendships.  Mom, made better burgers and fries that McDonalds anyday, even if I had to wait.  My parents (both with ADD & black Americans) built our home at 30 years old and paid it off at 50 years old and raised 6 children through college as a blue collar worker and a homemaker, married 64 years today.  I also go on yearly missions to Central America.  This experience really puts into perspective how much I really don’t need.  So here are some tools I use (some, are the same ones the others bloggers suggested).:

1. Make a budget divided into- reoccuring and non-recurring (credit cards & others) expenses .  Be honest and complete!!  Don’t forget to plan for unexpected cost, like car repair, medical costs, gifts and so forth.

2. Divide your budget into percents of your income, which prevents you from overspending, making unplanned purchases and to know where your budget needs adjustments to cut back.

3.  Pay yourself first.  This includes the top 10-20% at least, set aside for saving (put in 401K or something, so you don’t see it in your paycheck at cashing. 

4. Pay yourself second.  This is your reoccuring expensenes (mortgage, rent, utilities, insurance, taxes, etc) , food and travel to work.
Write the amount due and due date on the front of the billing statement envelopes, then arrange them in order for payment. 
Opt for budget plans on your utililities and request the same payment date so you won’t forget any and can plan budget for same amount monthly Pay these online if possible. 

Figure up how much is needed for groceries , eating out and gasoline, fares/or travel per month divided by the number of pay periods per month and put the amount on reloadable cards, like Walmart or Publix groceries and fare cards.  Keep auto in good condition and regular maintinence to avoid large unexpected cost.

5. Pay credit and other bills out of the remaining. leaving a small amount for misc. expenes and fun.
Seek to pay off these bills with highest interest charges and smallest balance first. 

6. Now the fun stuff. If we don’t enjoy the fruits of our labor, we get discouraged quickly.  So, enjoy an amount you set aside and no more.  Use cash to pay and only take what was budgeted out for the event or purchase. 
This may also require planning the event to enjoy and watching a movie at home a few weeks or having dinner at friends homes (bring a homemade dessert) and you’ll find that you didn’t really give up anything, you just learned to enjoy the better and more simplier things of life.

Note: Rememember to review your plan when needed changes, have patience, (nothing good comes quick). be proactive and try to only carry a small amount of cash (no credit cards or checks), because you find no need since everything is paid up.
Soon you’ll find you easily have extra cash to enjoy, no stress from being short of money and will gain a positive outlook for your future.