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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every single retail application on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it always ended in an impulsive shopping spree. My justification was constantly: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden yearning for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to experiment with something new. Before buying any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to think – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and discovered products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this system, I ceased acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus had no requirement to acquire 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 experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before buying has felt unexpectedly freeing. Gaining control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.