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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or bored, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a hidden yearning for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to try a novel idea. Before acquiring anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me time to think – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this system, I ceased acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing three board games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After waiting I recalled I had a smartphone, like most people, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to buy a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can finally review my financial records without feeling guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised ennui is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the primary motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before buying has felt strangely liberating. Gaining control over my urges and remind myself that I don't have to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is simple.