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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual when payday arrived: I opened every single shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added LED strip lights and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it gave me time to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped buying goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can at last review my financial records devoid of feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into previous habits – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the primary motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our need for instant gratification. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my urges and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential products feels as radical as it is simple.