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One day at work two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, home decor and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

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

I was never entirely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden yearning for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to try something new. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me space to think – something I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and discovered products lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this system, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I remembered I had a smartphone, similar to most people, that features a perfectly good lens, and therefore did not need to buy a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

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 experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised ennui is a strong trigger. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on non-essential products feels as radical as it is simple.