06.18.09
What Works – Bills in Google Calendar
I’ve had some “failures” and some successes with my ADD lately. One thing that is definitely helping me is putting my bills in Google Calendar.
I scheduled 2 small bills to be paid monthly from my online banking interface. Because I’m bad at keeping track of my checking account level and don’t want to bounce checks, I didn’t automate my more expensive bills.
But, I do have a semi-automated system that helps. I am on my Gmail account daily for personal emails and for work emails which get forwarded there, so I look at Gmail constantly.
So, I sat down and set up all of my monthly bill dates in Google Calendar and have it email me 1 day ahead of when they need to be paid. If I do more than one day, I’ll put it off and forget. Less, and I might miss it. So, I get an automated notice from myself by email that says “Pay Credit Card Bill Online Tomorrow” and I leave it “unread” so it is bold until I pay it.
It has worked very well and the only problem now is remembering to enter in the one-time bills since I rarely look through my bill pile anymore! It has saved me late fees and raised interest rates since I pay on time now!
Quick Posts
So I haven’t posted lately because I don’t have much time these days and I can’t fully research or think through longer posts. However, I am able to write quick blurbs, and I think these might help some people, so I will try to share articles I find or write up things that have been working for me! I hope to keep this blog going!
01.25.09
How to Declutter
Here’s an article from CNN & Real Simple Magazine with tips on how to declutter all that stuff you’ve been keeping around!
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/homestyle/01/20/rs.top.causes.of.clutter/index.html
01.12.09
Curse or Gift?
There’s an interesting discussion going on over at Jeff’s ADD Mind blog about whether ADHD is a curse or a gift (be sure to read the comments):
Post 1: The Curse that Keeps on Giving
Post 2: The Gift vs. The Curse
I have a slightly different take on it – the curse IS the gift. Of course, it’s really hard to see it that way sometimes (trust me, I know), but if you take a step back and look at the bigger picture, you can get a feel for what the apostle Paul was saying:
“…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” -Romans 5: 3-4
Of course, it’s really difficult to have hope when you’ve gotten in a needless argument with a loved one for the 1,475th time, but as we learn to at first cope with, then overcome, the things we struggle most with in life, we will see that the things that “cursed” us the most also taught us the most. When I get really down about my ADHD problems, I can sometimes take solace in the idea that in a way, struggle and suffering in life is good for us.
What do you think? What gives you hope in the midst of dealing with the “curse” of ADHD?
12.13.08
Bill-Paying Calendar on GCal/GMail
I’m notorious for missing bills. I’m sure I have paid several hundred dollars of late fees in my lifetime, which I can’t really afford to be doing.
I don’t have so much money that I’m willing to set up auto-payment for all of the bills online (for fear of risking overdraft), but I did set up auto-payment for 2 of my smaller bills through my bank website.
For the rest, I set up a Google Calendar with alerts. So, I get notified the day I need to put bills in the mail (I thought about notifying myself further in advance, but then I’d put it off and probably forget.) Now I just have to remember to take it to the post office once I fill it out! If I still have trouble, I’ll set up 2nd alerts for the day after the payment should be mailed, saying “Have you mailed the Credit Card bill yet?” I also enabled the calendar widget in Google Labs so it shows up in my GMail sidebar.
Now if I could only get better about balancing my checkbook. (Thank goodness for online bank statements!)
11.24.08
Free “Productive Magazine” Download
I found this link on Lifehacker. I haven’t read it all, but it looks good so far, so I thought I’d pass it on:
11.08.08
Trick I’ve been using
I noticed that I’ve been doing something lately to help me keep track of vital stuff I need to carry with me, and it has been helping. I did this in a way before, but now it’s more “formalized” – I run down a list of things I’m supposed to have on me, and say where each thing is out loud. It took me a while to make it a habit, but it has helped keep me from 1) locking my keys in the car, 2) forgetting to take things with me as I’m leaving the house, 3) leaving things in random places and forgetting where they are.
So, this is basically how it works: I mentally list what I need to take with me before I leave the house, leave the car, leave the store, etc. and touch/say where each thing is. It sounds goofy, but trust me, it helps. So, before getting out of the car at the grocery store, I’ll say:
“I need cell phone, money, grocery list, keys.”
“Cell phone in purse” (feel for cell phone lump in purse pocket)
“Money in purse” (glance to make sure it’s there)
“List in pocket” (feel pocket)
“Keys in hand” (jingle keys)
“OK, locking door. Keys in hand.”
I have an old manual-locking vehicle, and I used to put my keys in the cupholder while I was gathering things to get out of the car, then get out and lock and close the door, only to glance in and see the keys in the cupholder at that moment. Once my boyfriend came with the spare key for the 3rd time, I devised a method, and it has really helped so I thought I’d share. I know it’s hard to incorporate someone else’s tactics into your day, so you’ll have to make it your own. Let me know what works for you!
Impulse that Cost Me
I do have ADHD, but I don’t think I have the ‘impulsive’ type of it. I usually thoroughly research things before buying them to make sure I’m not purchasing something that will break or I won’t use.
So, yesterday I made the first ‘impulse gamble’ that cost me money, $20 to be exact. I won’t go into details, but basically, I tried out a website that could have gotten me something nice for cheap, but there was a gamble that I might not get anything at all. The website is not a scam, I checked it out thoroughly, and you can legitimately get an expensive item for a few dollars if you’re lucky/patient, but it is a money-making machine that could definitely make someone impulsive lose a lot of cash, that’s why I capped my potential losses at $20 – and it’s a good thing I did, because I did spend it all and got nothing in return.
Anyway, just wanted to share. It did make me feel really guilty because I’m not one to gamble, and I’m not one to waste money – I like to give extra cash to charity. I rationalized this expenditure by saying anything I got would be a gift to someone else, and I wouldn’t keep anything, but I ended up with no gifts to give, and my Christmas shopping fund is now down 20 bucks. So, I’ll write it off as a $20 game (it was fun) or a $20 lesson learned, and remember not to give into my impulses like that again!
10.24.08
“Adult ADHD is Real”
Howie Mandel’s ADHD story:
http://www.adultadhdisreal.com/howiesstory.html
via Jeff’s ADD mind:
http://jeffsaddmind.com
10.07.08
ADD as an Addiction
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what ADD is at the core. Is it a medical disorder? Well, there are brain scans showing differences in brains between ADDers and non-ADDers, and there are a lot of studies on treating ADD with medication. Is it a behavioral psychological issue and/or a personality problem? There certainly are a lot of studies showing the effects of treatment from a behavioral point of view. At some level, ADD affects people on a personal-relationship basis, and I think it’s possible for people to develop ADD-like symptoms as a coping mechanism in a relationship.
Anyway, there’s something silly and something serious that led me to this train of thought: The silly thing is that the other day, I’d had 2 tiny glasses of cognac (I rarely drink), and decided to try out my Wii Fit game to see how a little alcohol affected my balance. Read the rest of this entry »
