Annual Budget
Overview

ADHD Executive Function Tools

A month-by-month snapshot of income, expenses, and totals
to surface patterns across the year.

Where This Tool Helps

Looking at finances one month at a time is necessary but not sufficient. The patterns that affect executive function most - months where spending spikes, seasons where income dips, the quarters where you always end up stretched - are only visible when you can see the whole year at once.

Most people with ADHD do not look back at past months because that review feels like a reckoning. This tool removes that framing. It is not a grade on past performance. It is data that helps you plan forward. Knowing which months historically run tight lets you make decisions in advance rather than under pressure.

The structure below works best when filled in incrementally - one row at a time as each month closes - rather than all at once. A five-minute month-end entry creates the full picture by December.

How to Use This Overview

Fill in one row per month as the month closes. Actuals, not estimates. The goal is an accurate record, not a plan you retroactively rationalize.
Total column: Income minus Expenses equals your net for that month. A negative total is not a failure - it is information about which months need different planning next year.
Use the Notes field for context. A high-expense month with no note is just a number. A note like "car repair" or "annual insurance" turns it into something you can plan around next cycle.
Review at mid-year. Six months of data shows whether the first half tracked to expectations and what the second half might need.
Use it as the input for next year's planning. The best time to set next year's monthly budgets is when you have this year's actuals in front of you.