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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: 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 payday ritual: I launched every single shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

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

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was because I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in easily to capitalism’s demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I began 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 discovered products lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this method, I stopped buying things that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use 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 therefore did not need to buy a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally signifies I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can finally look at my bank statements devoid of feeling guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is straightforward.