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How much is forgetting costing you?

Most forgetful people lose $1,000 to $5,000 a year to small slips. Calculate yours in 60 seconds.

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1

Late fees

How often do you pay late fees?

2

Lost items

How often do you replace lost things?

3

Missed appointments

How many appointments have you missed this year?

4

Impulse purchases

Monthly impulse buys you regret?

5

Wasted food

Monthly food you throw away forgotten?

6

Missed opportunities

Missed discounts, deadlines, or returns?

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Based on peer-reviewed research
  1. Schein et al. (2022). Economic burden of ADHD among adults in the US. Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy. DOI: 10.18553/jmcp.2021.21290
  2. Beauchaine et al. (2017). ADHD, delay discounting, and risky financial behaviors. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176933
  3. Einarsson et al. (2024). Impulsive buying among adults with ADHD. Clinical Psychology in Europe. DOI: 10.32872/cpe.9339
  4. McQueenie et al. (2024). ADHD and missed appointments in general practice. PLOS Mental Health. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmen.0000045
  5. Pelham et al. (2019). Long-term financial outcome of children diagnosed with ADHD. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000461

What is the forgetting tax (also called the ADHD tax)?

You know that late fee you paid last month? The one on a bill you definitely had money for? That's the forgetting tax. It's not a real tax. It's all the money that quietly leaves your pocket because your brain dropped the ball somewhere between "I'll do it later" and "oh no."

Lost earbuds. Duplicate groceries because you forgot what's in the fridge. A gym membership you stopped using three weeks in. That $25 return you never mailed back. Individually, these feel small. Over a year, they add up to something that would make you wince.

Researchers studying ADHD have estimated this kind of forgetting costs adults an extra $14,576 per year on average when healthcare is included. The everyday slips alone, late fees, replacements, wasted food, are typically $1,000 to $5,000 annually. For most forgetful people, it's closer to the high end.

How to figure out yours

The calculator above walks you through six categories where forgetting hits hardest: late fees, lost stuff, missed appointments, impulse buys, wasted food, and opportunities that slipped through. Pick what sounds closest to your situation. The number at the end is usually higher than people expect.

Okay, so how do you actually fix this?

Willpower doesn't work. If it did, you'd have fixed this years ago. What works is external systems. Autopay for bills. A hook by the door for your keys. And reminders that actually bother you enough to act on them.

That last part is the hard one. Most reminder apps send a notification, you swipe it away without thinking, and it's gone. Bumbi doesn't work like that. It keeps coming back until you actually do the thing. That's the whole point.