Managing Money With A Neurodivergent Brain | For adults with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia | With Esther Bangura

About Managing Money With A Neurodivergent Brain | For adults with ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia | With Esther Bangura

Are you constantly spending to cope with stress, even after promising yourself you wouldn't? Does opening bills, letters, or financial reminders instantly trigger overwhelm or shame? Is sticking to a budget a struggle, even though you know you earn enough? Do money thoughts leave you feeling guilty, anxious, or like you're always “behind” in life? If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. Neurodivergent Money Management is the podcast that helps you finally feel calmer, clearer, and more in control of your finances. Here, you’ll learn how to: ✨ pay off debt without shame ✨ budget in a way your brain can actually follow ✨ reduce emotional and impulsive spending ✨ build savings you can rely on ✨ feel genuinely less anxious about money I’m Esther Bangura, your host — financial coach for neurodivergent adults. I spent years trapped in a vicious debt cycle, constantly overspending, constantly stressed, and constantly feeling like I was failing at something everyone else seemed to manage easily. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with ADHD as an adult that everything finally made sense. I tried all the same things you’ve probably tried too — strict budget spreadsheets, colour-coded tracking apps, discipline, willpower, “no-spend days.” None of it worked. Not because I wasn’t trying hard enough, but because I was using systems built for neurotypical brains. Everything changed when I realised I needed to: 💛 manage my anxiety around money 💛 interrupt stress-spending before it spirals 💛 build a money routine that works with my brain, not against it When I did that, I reduced my stress spending, became more organised with my finances, and eventually became completely debt-free. And now? I’m here to help you do the same. Neurodivergent Money Management features both solo teaching episodes and guest interviews, covering ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia through a shame-free, brain-friendly money lens. If you’re ready to get 1:1 support to understand your money stressors, reframe your anxiety around money, and finally become debt-free — (https://estherbangura.com/coaching)Apply for 1:1 Neurodivergent and Money Coaching. (https://estherbangura.com/coaching) Your brain works differently. Your money can too.

Publisher

Esther Bangura | ADHD & Neurodivergent Executive Function Finance Expert

Category

business · education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

24 Aug 2025

Latest episode

7 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

96 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Oct 2026

   95 | ADHD and Budgeting: How to Build a Spending Plan (The Preparation Nobody Talks About)

   ADHD and budgeting: how to build a budget or spending plan that actually holds, starting with the expense list and the preparation most budgeting advice skips, for ADHD adults and for dyslexic, dyspraxic and autistic adults who recognise the same pattern. You downloaded the spreadsheet. You signed up to the app. And then you sat there thinking, now what? This episode walks you through the 5 stages Esther uses to build a budget with her coaching clients, from the first expense list to following the plan. Esther Bangura, financial coach for neurodivergent adults, official PocketSmith coach and winner of the neurodivergent and money coaching Big Ideas award, explains why a budget and a spending plan are the same thing, and why ADHD budgeting so often falls apart: unrealistic numbers, expecting the tool to do the work, skipping the preparation, and building alone. She shares how she has used one simple budgeting system for years to build an emergency fund, save for her home and pay off debt, and why executive function makes the preparation stage the one most people skip. You will learn how to start an expense list, notice where your money really goes, build your plan around your real numbers, and make one decision at a time. Highlights Why a budget and a spending plan are the same thing, and the 4 real reasons ADHD budgets fall apart The 2 decision blockers that leave you stuck, and why you do not need more discipline The 5 stages of building a budget: Prepare, Notice, Build, Decide, Follow, starting with your expense list CTA — Take the Next Step Book a 90 minute one to one coaching session with Esther: estherbangura.com/coaching Get 50% off the PocketSmith Foundation Monthly plan for the first two months: https://my.pocketsmith.com/redeem?tap_a=77627-d2024d&ref=mzjlndb&code=50OFFPREMIUM-F4RG This is an affiliate link, which means Esther may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Esther is an official PocketSmith coach, listed in their coaching directory as a neurodivergent money coach. Read the ND Money Report: estherbangura.com/nd-money-report Questions, feedback and reviews: estherbangura.com/ask Related episodes 83 | Neurodivergent Budgeting: The 7 Budgeting Categories I Use With Every Client 35 | Why Budgeting Feels Impossible for ADHD Brains and How to Fix It 47 | Executive Dysfunction + Automation | Tools That Do the Work for Your Brain 53 | What Is A ADHD, Neurodivergent & Money Coaching Session Really like

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   94 | Autistic Burnout and Money: The Quiet Signs It Is Affecting Your Finances

   Autistic burnout and money: how to spot the signs autistic burnout is affecting your finances, your budgeting and your savings, and what to do when you are already in it. Maybe you used to love budgeting. You built the spreadsheet, saved every payday and knew your balance to the pound, and now you cannot remember the last time you opened any of it. This episode helps you recognise autistic burnout in your finances early, and gives you one small plan you can follow even when you feel you have nothing left. In this episode, Esther Bangura, financial coach for neurodivergent adults, explains what autistic burnout is and why research suggests it is different from work burnout and from depression, even though it is often misdiagnosed as depression. She shares why managing money becomes a job nobody hired you for when you are autistic and burning out, the money skills that often go first, and the quiet signs in your spending, savings and income that are easy to take for granted. You will also learn the Minimum Money Month, a simple way to protect your essential bills and let everything else wait while you recover. Highlights What autistic burnout is, what the research says, and why it is so often mistaken for depression. The money skills that slip first and the quiet signs in your finances that look like normal life. The Minimum Money Month: how to write your must list, automate it, and check in for 10 minutes a week. CTA — Take the Next Step 👉Book a 90 minute one to one coaching session with Esther: estherbangura.com/coaching 🎁PocketSmith, the budgeting app Esther uses: Get 50% off the PocketSmith Foundation Monthly plan for the first two months: https://my.pocketsmith.com/redeem?tap_a=77627-d2024d&ref=mzjlndb&code=50OFFPREMIUM-F4RG (This is an affiliate link. If you sign up, Esther may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.) 🔗Read the ND Money Report: estherbangura.com/nd-money-report ❓Send questions, feedback and reviews: estherbangura.com/ask Support at work Access to Work (UK): gov.uk/access-to-work Free debt help UK: StepChange 0800 138 1111, stepchange.org UK: National Debtline 0808 808 4000, nationaldebtline.org UK: Citizens Advice, citizensadvice.org.uk UK: MoneyHelper 0800 011 3797, moneyhelper.org.uk US: National Foundation for Credit Counseling 800 388 2227, nfcc.org If you are struggling right now UK and Ireland: Samaritans, call 116 123, free, any time US: call or text 988 Tommys Miscarriage Support: https://www.tommys.org/baby-loss-support/miscarriage-information-and-support Related episodes 81 | Burnout Proof Your Money: The Neurodivergent System That Keeps Your Bills Paid When Your Capacity Hits Zero 49 | Nervous System Regulation Before Budgeting: Executive Dysfunction Hack 65 |  Autism: Why Bills Feel Unbearable (Paperwork, and Nervous System Dysregulation) 92 | Access to Work for ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia: What It Pays For, Who Can Apply and How It Works

3. 

   30 Sept 2026

   93 | Access to Work for the Self Employed: My ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia Application, Question by Question

   How to apply for Access to Work when you are self employed with ADHD, dyslexia or dyspraxia: the questions the application asks, example answers, what you need before you start, and how long the wait really is. You have known about Access to Work for months. You have opened the form, looked at the first question, and closed the tab again. And then felt bad about closing it. In this episode, Esther Bangura, financial coach for neurodivergent adults, shares her own Access to Work application as a self employed business owner with ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia, and walks you through it question by question, so the form stops being a mystery. She explains what to gather before you start, including your UTR if you are self employed, and goes through the real questions on the form, from how your conditions affect you at work, to specialist equipment, to asking for a support worker or an ADHD coach. You will hear example answers written for 2 made up people, an employee and a self employed business owner, and the 3 rules that make any answer stronger. Esther also shares how long she waited, what happened when she chased, and the simple executive dysfunction fix that finally got her application sent: 1 hour with a body double. This is Part 2 of 2. Part 1, episode 92, explains what Access to Work is and what it pays for. Highlights The questions the Access to Work application actually asks, with example answers for an employee and a self employed business owner How to ask for a support worker or an ADHD coach, and the 3 rules that make any answer stronger What happened when Esther chased after 8 months, and the body double hour that got her application done in one sitting Links and resources Book a 90 minute one to one coaching session: estherbangura.com/coaching Get 50% off the PocketSmith Foundation Monthly plan for the first two months: https://my.pocketsmith.com/redeem?tap_a=77627-d2024d&ref=mzjlndb&code=50OFFPREMIUM-F4RG This is an affiliate link. If you sign up, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Free ND Money Report: estherbangura.com/nd-money-report Questions, feedback and reviews: estherbangura.com/ask Access to Work Apply and check the current rules: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work Access to Work helpline: 0800 121 7479, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 121 7479. BSL video relay service available through gov.uk. Northern Ireland has its own scheme, Access to Work (NI), run by the Department for Communities: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/access-work-ni-practical-help-work Outside the UK US: Job Accommodation Network, askjan.org. Your state Vocational Rehabilitation service. Australia: Employment Assistance Fund through JobAccess, jobaccess.gov.au Rules and schemes change and differ by country. Always check a reputable website or your local services. Related episodes 92 | Access to Work for ADHD, Autism and Dyslexia: What It Pays For, Who Can Apply and How It Works 9 | The Hidden Cost of Overwhelm: How Stress Spending Starts For Neurodivergents 91 | ADHD Income and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD): Why You Don't Ask for More Money 84 | Neurodivergent Business Owners: Why the Money Side Feels So Much Harder

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