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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every single shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I added light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

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

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try a novel idea. Before buying anything, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me time to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this method, I ceased buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a smartphone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can at last review my financial records devoid of experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the signs early, particularly when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is simple.