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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single retail application on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

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

I was never entirely sure why I did this. Maybe it was because I grew up in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious desire for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to try something new. Before buying any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I ceased acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.

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

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can at last look at my bank statements without experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. Gaining command over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on non-essential goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.