🔗 Share this article

One day at work a couple of years back, 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 payday ritual: I opened every 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 weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain about the reason. Maybe it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me time to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered products lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped buying things that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the store, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally signifies I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements devoid of experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the primary motivator of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my urges and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is straightforward.