🔗 Share this article

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 did my what I always did payday ritual: I launched 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, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it always ended in an impulsive shopping spree. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely certain why I did this. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without buying new clothes or anything to brighten up the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in easily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to try a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me space to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started questioning: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this method, I ceased buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly good lens, and therefore did not need to buy a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can at last look at my bank statements without feeling shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong trigger. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining command 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 straightforward.