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One day at work two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a student, so I proceeded with my usual payday ritual: I launched every 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 completely unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a blow dryer. I already owned one, but reasoned 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 fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a poor family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to try something new. Prior to buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this method, I ceased acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I had a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore did not need to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can at last review my bank statements devoid of feeling shame or discomfort.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, particularly when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, forcing 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 spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is simple.