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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every single retail application 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 purchased a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an impulsive shopping spree. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never entirely certain about the reason. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to experiment with something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d put it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me space to think – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I ceased buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play 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 has a perfectly adequate lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last look at my financial records without feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is straightforward.