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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £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 buying new outfits or anything to brighten up the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to try a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and found products sitting in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this system, I stopped acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also contemplated buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can at last look at my bank statements without experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the primary driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.