Managing Money When You Have LD or AD/HD - Page 3

Avoid Credit Card Debt

Resist (and immediately shred) credit card offers you get in the mail. Offers "too good to be true" usually are. Research credit card terms on your own, check with your bank, or ask experienced friends or family members. Keep your available credit low until you learn how credit cards work. You might want to keep a credit card only for emergencies (and carefully define what you mean by "emergency"). It’s important to establish a good credit rating for later in life when, for example, you want to get a car or home loan.

Technology Can Help You Manage Money

Today’s handheld organizers, especially smartphones, can help you a great deal with managing your finances. Cell phone apps such as Mint.com and Pageonce — both free and available on Android, BlackBerry, and iPhone — allow you to keep track of bank and credit card transactions, assist you in creating and following a budget, and alert you when a bill is due. Mint.com is also a website, and you can use the site and the app interchangeably. My Bills, which is free for Android and BlackBerry, lets you see all your bills in one place and track where your money is going.

Calendar, iCal, Outlook, and Skoach are all computerized schedule programs that can help you keep track of when bills are due by sending you reminders. Note-taking apps offer portable ways to keep to-do lists and jot down information about prices and offers: Notes, Evernote, UberNote, Springnote, Stikkit, and many others.

Hint: Do you panic when you’re out to eat with friends and the bill comes? Many phones have a quick program to help you add in a percentage for a tip and divide the total by the number of people at the table.

Living with a Math LD

Weaknesses in math often produce anxiety and feelings of helplessness that interfere with your self-confidence. Being “bad at math” in school leads many people (even adults!) to fear everyday math challenges. When your anxiety level goes up, your ability to cope goes down.

As with all learning disabilities, look at your math LD as a challenge to be overcome, rather than as something that will always hold you back. Decide on the tools that work best for you — online helps, handheld organizers, or simply a paper planner and a calculator. Whatever system you develop, keep it simple, understand it thoroughly, and apply it consistently. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Call on knowledgeable people when you need help.

Recommended Resource

ADDitude, is a website especially for people with AD/HD and learning disabilities. It offers lots of valuable information about managing money (among many other topics).

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Bonnie Z. Goldsmith has worked in the field of education throughout her professional life. She has wide experience as a writer, editor, and teacher.