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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never entirely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was because 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 thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me time to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this method, I ceased buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered buy three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a phone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly adequate camera, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more selective about the items I do buy, and I can at last review my financial records without feeling shame or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.