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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did when payday arrived: I launched every shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items 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 reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try a novel idea. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me space to think – 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?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and found items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a phone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good camera, and therefore did not need to buy a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

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

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs early, particularly when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining command over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.