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One day at work two years ago, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I opened every retail application on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one 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 notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

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

I was never completely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my basket, 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 done before. For the first time since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After waiting I recalled I possessed a phone, like most people, that features a perfectly good camera, and thus had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more selective about the items I do buy, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of feeling guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a strong trigger. It’s probably the biggest driver of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have control over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.