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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 decent sum for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: 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 clothes, decorative items and a completely unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely certain why I did this. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to try something new. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to check out. The best part of this technique was that it provided me time to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this method, I ceased acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate camera, and thus did not need to buy a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more selective about the items I do purchase, and I can at last look at my bank statements without feeling shame or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs early, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the biggest driver of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, 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 hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is simple.