🔗 Share this article

One day at work 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 shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely useless weighted blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or bored, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably culminated 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 entirely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d go months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and exciting things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to try something new. Before acquiring anything, I’d place it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me time to think – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this method, I stopped buying things that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I recalled I had a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more selective about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements without experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can identify the signs early, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to pause before buying has felt unexpectedly liberating. Gaining control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on non-essential goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.