🔗 Share this article

One afternoon at my job two years ago, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or bored, I would mindlessly scroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Before buying any item, I’d place it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I started asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I realised I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a phone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

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

Naturally, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. Gaining control over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.