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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a student, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned another couldn't hurt. 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, exhausted or bored, I would mindlessly scroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping spree. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was because I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to experiment with something new. Before buying anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. 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 asking myself: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the answer was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and found products sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. By employing this system, I stopped buying goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and thus did not need to buy a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It also means I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my financial records without feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into previous habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a strong trigger. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my reckless spending.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining command over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is simple.