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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 fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single retail application on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, home decor and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely certain why I did this. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to experiment with something new. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me time to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this method, I stopped acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I possessed a smartphone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly good camera, and therefore had no requirement to buy a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can at last review my financial records devoid of experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into previous habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on non-essential products feels as radical as it is straightforward.