🔗 Share this article

One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it always ended in an unplanned 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 completely sure about the reason. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to brighten up the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a hidden yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Before buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me space to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I remembered I possessed a smartphone, like most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can at last review my financial records without feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the biggest driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my urges and reaffirming that I don't have to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is straightforward.