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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 fair amount for a student, so I proceeded with my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, home decor and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

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

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Before buying anything, I’d place it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me time to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. By employing this system, I ceased buying goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I possessed a smartphone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore did not need to buy a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It also means I am more selective about the items I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements without experiencing shame or discomfort.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a strong trigger. It’s probably the biggest driver of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before buying has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.