Budgeting with ADHD can feel impossible, but it doesnât have to. Jewlz the Budget Nerd joins HatchMan to talk about paying off $107,000 in consumer debt, building money habits that actually work with your brain, and creating a healthier relationship with money without the shame or guilt.
Budgeting with ADHD doesnât have to suck.
In this episode of Happy Hour with HatchMan, Braden sits down with Julian âJewlz the Budget Nerdâ Kohlbrand, a certified financial coach who knows firsthand that knowing what youâre supposed to do with money and actually doing it are two very different things.
Despite having a degree in Economics and studying personal finance for years, Jewlz and her husband found themselves more than $107,000 in consumer debt. After being diagnosed with ADHD, a lot of her struggles with money started to make sense.
We get into why traditional budgeting advice doesnât work for everyone, the connection between ADHD, dopamine and impulse spending, how to manage money when your income changes every month, getting out of debt without becoming completely overwhelmed, and why shame might be one of the biggest things keeping people stuck financially.
Jewlz also shares the system she and her husband used to eliminate $107,000 in debt and why she now helps other families build financial systems around the way their brains and lives actually work.
We also talk about something bigger than budgeting: what does being financially successful actually mean? Because eventually, making more money isn't necessarily the goal. Having more control over your time and the freedom to make choices that align with the life you actually want might be worth a whole lot more.
TOPICS WE GET INTO:
⢠Why an Economics degree didn't prevent $107,000 in consumer debt
⢠ADHD, dopamine and impulse spending
⢠Removing shame and guilt from money conversations
⢠Why buying coffee isn't necessarily ruining your financial future
⢠The 15-minute weekly money check-in
⢠Budgeting when you're self-employed or work on commission
⢠Why you shouldn't build your lifestyle around your best income month
⢠The 24-48 hour rule before spending a big commission check
⢠Spending money on convenience without feeling guilty
⢠ADHD hyperfocus and buying everything for a new hobby
⢠How to start when you're overwhelmed by debt
⢠The debt snowball and why small wins matter
⢠Why asking for help can completely change your financial trajectory
⢠Progress over perfection
⢠Emergency funds and dealing with life's inevitable curveballs
⢠Why financial success is ultimately about having choices and control over your time
USEFUL TIMESTAMPS:
04:42 - Meet Jewlz the Budget Nerd
05:00 - Economics degree + $107,000 in consumer debt
08:27 - Recognizing your spending triggers
11:57 - ADHD, dopamine and overspending
12:17 - The first step to getting control of your money
14:12 - How often should you actually check your finances?
17:26 - How to budget with irregular or commission income
20:27 - The 24-48 hour rule for commission checks
23:44 - Stop feeling guilty about spending money on food
27:41 - Take one step away from convenience
31:23 - Why there isn't a one-size-fits-all budget
36:06 - ADHD hyperfocus and spending money on new hobbies
40:56 - How to start tackling a mountain of debt
42:00 - The debt snowball and why it works
43:45 - A client who became debt-free five years early
44:00 - Why asking for help is an underrated life hack
LATER IN THE CONVERSATION:
⢠Why emergency savings are meant to be used
⢠Taking the next step when you can't see the whole path
⢠Celebrating small financial wins
⢠Why progress matters more than perfection
⢠Redefining financial success around family, freedom and time
⢠Why money is a tool, not the goal
CONNECT WITH JEWLZ THE BUDGET NERD:
Website:
https://www.jewlzthebudgetnerd.com/
Threads:
https://www.threads.com/@jewlzthebudgetnerd
If budgeting has never worked for you, especially if you have ADHD, this conversation might help you realize that you don't necessarily need more discipline. You may just need a system that actually works with the way your brain works.