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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up 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 shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

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

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it provided me space to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and found products sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this method, I ceased acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy three board games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a smartphone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus had no requirement to buy a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more selective about the things I do purchase, and I can finally review my bank statements without feeling shame or discomfort.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old habits – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the signs early, particularly when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the primary driver of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.