The ADHD Budget Template
You can run a team, a budget, a whole company. So why does your own banking app fill you with dread?
A complete budget built for the ADHD brain — one 10-minute sitting a month, no daily tracking, no shame column. Made by a late-diagnosed executive who avoided her own finances for years.
Instant download · Excel + Google Sheets · VAT included
It was never about discipline.
You've probably tried budgeting before. The app with 14 categories. The spreadsheet that needed daily updates. The envelope method someone swore by.
They all assumed a brain you don't have.
So instead, you pay the ADHD tax. The subscription you forgot for eight months. The late fee on a bill you had the money for. The duplicate charger. The "I'll deal with it Sunday" pile that quietly became a €400 problem.
And because you're capable everywhere else, the dread comes with a bonus layer of shame: I should be better at this.
You're not bad with money. You've been using tools built for neurotypical brains — and blaming yourself when they didn't stick.
A budget that forgives missed weeks.
This template is built on three principles:
Find the leaks first.
Before any "budgeting," you audit your subscriptions. Most people reclaim €20–80/month in the first 15 minutes — a real win before you've tracked a single expense.
One sitting a month, ten minutes.
No daily check-ins. No streaks. If you skip a month, the file simply waits for you. Nothing breaks.
Budget for the ADHD tax — don't punish it.
Late fees and impulse buys get a planned buffer line, like rent. Then a tracker turns each one into a system fix, not a character flaw.
Six tabs. Zero shame.
- 1. Start Here — A gentle 5-minute setup, in order, so you never wonder what to do next.
- 2. Money Leaks — The 15-minute subscription audit, with a live "reclaimed per year" counter. Your first dopamine hit.
- 3. Budget Plan — Your complete life: income, home, essentials, fun, savings, debt. Rename anything — the whole file updates itself.
- 4. Monthly Tracker — Your full year on one screen. Rough numbers welcome. Blank months ignored, not punished.
- 5. ADHD Tax — Log the late fees and duplicates, and answer one question: what system would catch this next time?
- 6. Dashboard — Nothing to fill in. Just look: what came in, what went out, what you kept, what you reclaimed.
Works in Excel and Google Sheets. Every editable cell is marked in blue. Examples included — overwrite them with your real life.
Built by someone who needed it.
I led teams and built businesses for two decades — while avoiding my own banking app for weeks at a time. After my late diagnosis, I finally understood why every budget had failed me: they were designed for a brain I don't have.
So I built the one that fits. This is the system I actually use.
— Sofia
FAQ
- Do I need Excel?
- No. It works in Google Sheets (free) and Excel. Open, fill in the blue cells, done.
- I've abandoned every budget I've ever started.
- Same. That's the design brief. This one needs ten minutes a month, ignores blank months, and gives you a win in the first session.
- Is this financial advice?
- No — it's an organisational tool. For debt or investment decisions, talk to a qualified professional.
- What if it's not for me?
- Email me within 14 days and I'll refund you. No forms, no friction.
Ten minutes a month. A year of knowing where you stand.
Instant download · Excel + Google Sheets · 14-day refund, no questions asked
© 2026 ADHD with Sofia. All rights reserved.
Not medical advice. Not financial advice. ADHD with Sofia is a peer-support resource.