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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 student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I launched every retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, home decor and a totally useless heavy blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips 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 anxious, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was because I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me time to think – something I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I ceased acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more selective about the things I do purchase, and I can finally look at my bank statements devoid of feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a strong trigger. It’s probably the biggest driver of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. 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 revolutionary as it is straightforward.