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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a completely useless weighted blanket that never touched.

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

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

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was because I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to experiment with something new. Before acquiring anything, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me time to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and found items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this system, I stopped buying goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I had a smartphone, like most people, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore had no requirement to buy a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can at last look at my financial records without feeling guilt 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 signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is simple.