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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I opened every single retail application on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already owned one, but reasoned an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added 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 anxious, exhausted or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it gave me time to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this method, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I possessed a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more selective about the items I do purchase, and I can finally look at my financial records devoid of feeling shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Modern culture exploits this idleness and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.