🔗 Share this article

One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I opened every single shopping app on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased 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 fact, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably culminated in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was constantly: “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. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious desire for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me time to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I ceased buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a phone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore did not need to buy a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can finally look at my financial records devoid of experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless spending.

Modern culture exploits this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to halt before buying has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.