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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added light strips and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Maybe it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to try a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d put it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to check out. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me space to think – something I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered products sitting in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. By employing this system, I ceased buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film 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 thus did not need to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve relapsed into previous habits – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the primary motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. Gaining command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don't have to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.