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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a completely useless heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious 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: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely certain why I did this. Maybe it was because I grew up in a low-income 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 subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Before acquiring anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never taken. 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 discovered items lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a smartphone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus did not need to acquire a separate device.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more selective about the items I do purchase, and I can finally review my financial records without feeling shame or discomfort.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old habits – it's human nature. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless spending.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.