How often do you run out of money for kai?  How often do you seem to owe money to people, and not be able to pay them back. Are you unable to pay your bills? If you find managing your money difficult, you are not alone.

It is a relatively common problem for people with FASD, and it is all to do with the way your brain works. However, there are things you can do to manage your money better.

Why it's hard to get your head around money

• Children and teens with FASD often have trouble with abstract concepts such as money. Although you can touch money and hold it in your hand, the value of it and the worth of items are ideas that can be hard to get a grip on!
  
  
• As an FASD individual it's pretty common to ‘live in the moment’ – you may not always think about past mistakes or future consequences of your actions as these concepts are hard to think about, too.
  
  
• It's also tricky to remember that a certain amount of money must last a certain amount of time. Making an impulsive purchase without thinking about what other, more important things you might need to buy is common – but try to avoid it! 

Strategies to use to use your money wisely

• Learn about handling money in real places: go shopping with a parent or friend and practice choosing items at the grocery store, calculating the total, and buying the items.
  
  
• Remember to ask a parent or caregiver before selling or buying things to people who might not have your best interests to avoid losing money and/or possessions.
  
  
• Have an allowance each day/week/month that is broken up into smaller payments for certain things.
  
  
• Plan out exactly where the money should go, write it down, and check in with a parent or caregiver.
  
  
• Practise using money at home to match sums of money with the value of clothing, groceries, etc.
  
  
• If you're a bit older, get help on learning to budget and practice planning for monthly bills to help remember about time and money concepts.
  
  
• Get a person you trust to help keep track of your expenses, when you owe money, and when and what you spend your money on.
  
  
• It can be great to get help setting up automatic payments for any payments that need to happen every month such as rent if you are living independently.