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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did when payday arrived: I launched every single shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added light strips and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or bored, I would mindlessly scroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure why I did this. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I decided to experiment with something new. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me space to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this system, I stopped buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first trip to the coast. After pausing I recalled I had a phone, similar to most people, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can finally look at my financial records without experiencing shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a strong trigger. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our desire for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining control over my urges and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is straightforward.