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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: 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 launched every single 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 heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it always ended in an impulsive shopping binge. My excuse 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. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Before acquiring anything, I’d place it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it gave me time to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started questioning: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this system, I stopped acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After pausing I remembered I possessed a smartphone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can at last look at my bank statements without experiencing guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the primary driver of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining command over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.