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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I proceeded with my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added light strips and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an impulsive shopping binge. My excuse was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden yearning for new and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to try a novel idea. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it gave me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this method, I ceased buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can at last review my financial records without feeling guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. To be able to have command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.