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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual payday ritual: I opened every shopping app on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but reasoned another couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely certain about the reason. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a poor family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to acquiring 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 gave me time to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first time since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered products sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. By employing this method, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a smartphone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly good camera, and therefore did not need to acquire a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more selective about the items I do buy, and I can at last look at my financial records without feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong trigger. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. To be able to have command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.