How do you cope with the cost of living crisis?

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Money management can be tough for anyone. And one-size-fits-all financial advice can leave neurodiverse (also called neurodivergent) people who are struggling with their finances feeling stigmatized, or at a loss for how to control their finances.

But financial wellness is possible, by leaning on resources that target the neurodiverse community and making strategic use of financial tools.

How neurodiversity affects your finances
The neurodiverse community has a wide variety of needs and strengths, and that’s also true when it comes to money management. And even neurotypical people struggle with their finances. Getting support may help you better navigate finances in ways tailored to your specific needs.

“Most people tend to have a lack of understanding when it comes to their finances,” certified financial planner Elizabeth Yoder said. She is director of financial planning at Planning Across the Spectrum, which provides financial services to neurodiverse folks and people with disabilities.

“I find that neurodiverse people tend to have similar difficulties to everybody else, but in different ways," she said. “For example, some neurodiverse people may have trouble with ‘future thinking,’ trouble thinking about why they should be putting money in savings and how.”

Some additional financial challenges might include:

Having trouble remembering to pay your bills on time.

Spending impulsively.

Procrastinating when it comes to non-preferred financial tasks, like budgeting.
Having trouble understanding complex financial planning.

Job security can also be at stake.

She notes that some neurodiverse people may need to take a lot of time off from work, especially if they have other disabilities, which affects their ability to earn a steady income.

And the high cost of health care can also limit financial well-being

How can you improve your relationship with money?
When you’re neurodiverse, community can be a big resource for getting your finances in order. You don’t have to tackle financial wellness alone, and opening up a discussion may provide reassurance about where you stand.

“People who are neurodiverse sometimes think that they are worse off than they actually are,” Yoder said. She notes that often her neurodiverse clients are more on top of things than they give themselves credit for and that improvements are often made once they feel empowered to ask for help.

Here are some additional strategies to help you improve your finances.

Use technology to make things easier
If you struggle with forgetfulness, procrastination or are generally overwhelmed by staying on top of your bills, automating bill payments can help, provided uneven cash flow doesn’t put you in danger of overdrafts.

If it’s hard for you to have a clear picture of all of your savings goals within one account, consider categorizing them. “Some banks allow you to create savings buckets without opening new accounts,” Yoder said. That way you don’t have to try and wrangle multiple accounts and can instead create categories like “travel” or “emergency fund” within one account.

“Make sure that things are easier for you, consolidate accounts where possible, consolidate multiple 401(k)s and get everything in one place,“ she said.

Don’t force yourself to use tools that don’t resonate with you
Not every financial tool or piece of advice will work for everyone. “If a certain financial tool doesn’t work for you, move on from it,” Yoder said.

Acknowledging that something doesn’t work for you can be an important step in taking charge of your finances.

Ask for accommodations
“We are set up in a world where adults get shamed for needing accommodations, so be honest with yourself and understand the accommodations that you need to succeed,” Davis-Pierre said.

In everyday life, asking for accommodations might look like getting someone to write out instructions for something like filing taxes in a way that makes the process easier for you.

Find support
Lean on resources that support the neurodiverse community. Try searching for community-support groups for neurodiverse individuals in your area.

Support can also come from working with financial organizations that center neurodiverse people, like Planning Across the Spectrum, or with a financial therapist.

Additional resources ranging from job help to government assistance and general information on neurodiverity.

Neurodiversity Employment Network.
Neurodiversity Career Connector.
Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion.
Government Benefits.
The Americans with Disabilities Act.
Different Brains.
The Color of Autism Foundation.

ok, is SSD better than SSI? which one is better to have?

Disability is definitely better for me & probably most others. SSI gets reduced by one dollar for every two you earn before taxes. It also gets reduced by how much unearned income you have & there's restrictions on resources. SSI is a poverty program so they want you to be dirt poor to receive anything. You couldn't have more than two thousand in assets when the program started & that amount has never went up to compensate for inflation.

Disability mostly cares about earned income. Hypothetically I could win the powerball jackpot lottery & still keep disability as long as I still have my disabilities & no earned income like from employment. If I actually did get that lucky, I would donate my disability to a group fighting to protect the program like maybe Social Security Works(seems kinda ironic & fitting ) & then I'd wake up from my dream Disability payments are based on how much you & your employers have paid into the program from your Social Security taxes. I could earn a little from work(not sure how much, I should try looking that up) & my disability would actually go up if my Social Security taxes are being paid. With disability I also have Medicare after being disabled a year & since my income isn't much higher than SSI, I qualify for the state Medicare Extra Help program where Medicaid pays my Medicare costs & I have Medicaid as my secondary health insurance. With SSI I just had Medicaid & no docs in my area would accept it but that may have been cuz I was living in Louisiana at the time.

Years back, I had a coworker who opted to be homeless. He had a full time job that paid more than minimum wage, but as it was explained to me, he had a thing for homeless women. It's definitely not a great way of coping, but I bet it is effective. He had a job, so he did have the ability to rent a room when weather was rough or to wash up.