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One day at work two years ago, an notification hit on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. 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 anxious, exhausted or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping binge. 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 why I did this. Maybe it was because I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious desire for new and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to experiment with something new. Before buying anything, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it provided me space to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found products lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I stopped buying goods that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I realised I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first trip to the coast. After pausing I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly good camera, and therefore did not need to acquire a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can at last look at my financial records without feeling shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into previous habits – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless spending.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.