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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely unused heavy blanket that never touched.

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

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was constantly: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time 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 capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me space to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items lingering in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this method, I ceased buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after waiting before going to the store, I realised I never actually engage with board games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I recalled I had a phone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of feeling shame or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the primary motivator of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before buying has felt unexpectedly freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is straightforward.