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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, 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. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this method, I stopped acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing three board games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I possessed a smartphone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and thus did not need to buy a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It also means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can finally review my financial records without feeling shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve relapsed into previous patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs early, particularly when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the primary motivator of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to halt before buying has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as radical as it is simple.