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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: 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 completely useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to try something new. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me space to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I began asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and discovered products lingering in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this method, I ceased acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore did not need to buy a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

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

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture exploits this idleness and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.