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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I proceeded with my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on apparel, home decor and a completely unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

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

I was never completely certain why I did this. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to try a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d put it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me space to think – something I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this system, I ceased acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered buy three board games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I realised I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first trip to the coast. After pausing I recalled I possessed a phone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the signs sooner, particularly when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my urges and remind myself that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.