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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.

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 added LED strip lights and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or uninterested, I would doomscroll 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 certain about the reason. Perhaps it was because I grew up in a poor family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered items lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this method, I ceased acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more selective about the items I do purchase, and I can finally look at my bank statements without feeling shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my reckless spending.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. Gaining control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.