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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought 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 a new pattern. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely sure why I did this. Maybe 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 house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to experiment with something new. Prior to buying any item, 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 space to think – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I truly require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this system, I ceased buying goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I had a smartphone, like everybody else, 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 discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements without experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on non-essential products feels as radical as it is straightforward.