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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely useless heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping binge. 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. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to experiment with something new. Before acquiring anything, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me space to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore did not need to buy a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

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

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for instant gratification. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is simple.