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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did when payday arrived: I launched every shopping app on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a completely unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included 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, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely certain about the reason. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for new and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to try a novel idea. Before buying anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 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 reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d clear them out and start fresh. By employing this system, I stopped buying goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After pausing I remembered I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means 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 relapsed into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture preys on this boredom and our need for instant gratification. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to pause before buying has felt unexpectedly freeing. Gaining control 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.