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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every retail application on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably culminated in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “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 because I grew up in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for new and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to the lure of demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to try a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me space to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I began asking myself: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this system, I ceased acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can finally look at my financial records devoid of feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into previous patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can identify the signs early, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. To be able to have command over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on non-essential products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.