🔗 Share this article

One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual when payday arrived: I opened every single shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. 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 culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to brighten up the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to try something new. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me space to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I remembered I had a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more selective about the items I do buy, and I can finally review my bank statements devoid of feeling shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our need for immediate gratification. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.