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Many of us with ADD have trouble with our budget because of impulse spending. Here are several ways to help keep this under control.

Leave the credit cards and check book at home. Take just enough cash to pay for what you need on each trip to the store. If you run across a bargain that isn't on your list the time it takes to return to make the purchase lets you think about whether you really need it.

Go with a list. The combination of a list and limited funds can really help you stay on budget. You can't buy those impulse items and still get the things that were important enough to put on your list.

Go with a trusted friend. Ask them to help you stay on track. It can be more fun to window shop when you can share your thoughts and reactions with someone else. The shopping experience can still be as satisfying and, if you have enough in your budget, splurge on lunch as a reward for remaining on track.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

Mine was a very nice quiet day. My brother and I went to Baltimore to spend the day with my parents. My sister joined us there. We decided that it would be nicer to spend time with each other instead of cooking and cleaning all day so we went to a restaurant for dinner.

It was great! No shopping, no trying to get everything to finish cooking at the same time, no clean up. Also no leftovers. That is the main thing I miss about celebrating a holiday by eating out.

I have taken care of that though. I bought a turkey and told my brother and sister that I will cook it one day next week. This way there is no performance pressure. I can fix the part of the food on another day and pack it up for them to pick up when they want. (I have a large freezer and my family love my home made TV dinners)

The one dish I did prepare for the day was homemade baked beans. This may seem like a strange dish to build a tradition around. My grandmother always made baked beans from scratch. We always looked forward to family gatherings and her baked beans were always a part of them. We might have turkey or ham, sweet potatoes or white, water or wine but we always had her baked beans to go with what ever else was prepared.

No one else has the time or inclination to do the beans anymore so I always make it a priority to be sure there are enough homemade baked beans for everyone to take home after a holday meal. Who ever is traveling the furthest either brings a cooler to pack their share of the frozen packed beans or plan on using them shortly after getting home. We often have them on toast for breakfast like grandma used to serve them when we were kids.

Traditions differ from family to family. The main thing they do is give us a way to celebrate the memory of good times spent with people we love.

Holidays can be stressful for anyone and even more so for people like us who have attentional problems. Just keep in mind that each generation carries on the traditions that have the most meaning for them or can begin their own traditions. It isn't necessary to do things a certain way simply because that's the way they have always been done. Keep things simple so you don't get overwhelmed and need to hide before the end of the holidays. Prepare what you can in advance and enlist help where you need it. Make this season less stressful and more enjoyable by cutting down on what you demand of yourself and spend more time with the people who are important in your life instead of doing so much cooking and cleaning.

The next ADDA conference <http://www.add.org/> is scheduled for May 3-7 2006
Start planning now to be able to include the conference in your schedule next year. They always have great speakers and workshops. The workshops and breakout sessions are designed to offer information that is helpful to several different parts of the ADD community from professionals to people who are new to ADD.

Although these sessions are really helpful I have always found the people who attend to be the best part of the entire experience. You will not find a more supportive, understanding and friendly group of people anywhere on earth. Each of us there have had so many similar experiences that talking with almost anyone can feel like you have found a long lost family member.

No one will think you are unusual if you lose your room key or have to run back to your room to retrieve your sunglasses, note book, conference pass or if you need to stand up at the back of the room to be able to pay attention.

It is an experience that I highly recommend. This will be my third conference and I have learned to volunteer to help keep busy and able to attend better to the speakers.

I hope to see many of you there but remember, I have ADD and you may have to introduce yourself to me more than once because I have no memory for names or faces but I love meeting people. :-)