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One day at work two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I opened every single shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably ended in an impulsive shopping spree. My justification was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Maybe it was because I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying 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 thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on 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 truly need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this method, I ceased buying goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I had a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good camera, and therefore did not need to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally signifies 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 relapsed into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs early, particularly when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining command over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.