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One day at work two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single retail application on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. 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 unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain about the reason. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden yearning for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to experiment with something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me time to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this method, I stopped acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I possessed a phone, similar to most people, that features a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to acquire a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It also means I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can finally look at my bank statements devoid of experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised ennui is a strong trigger. It’s probably the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is simple.