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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every single retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included LED strip lights and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

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

I was never completely sure why I did this. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed readily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to buying anything, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me space to think – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped buying goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After pausing I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly good camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can at last look at my financial records without feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a strong trigger. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for immediate gratification. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have command over my urges and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on non-essential products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.