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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every single retail application on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two pairs of 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 anxious, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll 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 entirely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new clothes or anything to brighten up the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this method, I stopped buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy three board games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I possessed a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore did not need to acquire a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can finally look at my financial records without experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old habits – it's human nature. The key change is that I can identify the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my urges and remind myself that I don't have to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential products feels as radical as it is simple.