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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every single retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I added LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an impulsive shopping binge. My excuse was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely certain about the reason. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me time to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. By employing this method, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered buy three board games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the signs early, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, forcing myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.