Method

Two accounts + a friend for the buying impulse

Keep two accounts — one purely for bills/rent (never touched), one for your own money, with all payments on the same day. And when a buying urge builds, text a trusted friend to distract you until it passes.

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Two layers of defense against impulse spending. Structural: keep two accounts — one that all bills and rent come out of and that you never touch, and one for your own money. Set all payments to the same day so you know essentials are covered before you spend anything (the autistic need for rigid routine works here as a financial guardrail). Pay everything non-essential (Spotify etc.) from the spending account, not the bills account. In the moment of temptation: the impulse is time-limited, so text a trusted friend ‘I’m struggling not to spend everything — talk to me / distract me with something’. External distraction lets you ride out the urge until it subsides. Arrange these friends in advance.

Helps with

Resources & links

4 sources

What the research says

Scientific grade verified against the literature. No entries = no direct studies (graded from mechanism/experience).

What the grade means

A A — strongest evidence: meta-analyses or RCTs directly confirm it works (or, for diagnostic tools, strong validation of accuracy).

B B — good evidence: a single RCT, or a strong mechanism with supporting studies.

C C — weak / preliminary: a plausible mechanism, but few direct, controlled tests.

D D — no evidence: theory or isolated anecdotes, no studies.

Applies to: ADHD Autism AuDHD