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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added 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 ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure why I did this. Perhaps it was because 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 hidden yearning for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to try a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me space to think – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and discovered products lingering in my cart, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this system, I ceased acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I had a phone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to buy a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can finally look at my financial records without feeling guilt or discomfort.

Of course, 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 come to understand ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. Gaining 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.