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One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my salary had come through. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two shoes that didn't even fit me. 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 stressed, exhausted or bored, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification 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. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it gave me time to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this method, I stopped buying goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I remembered I possessed a smartphone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore had no requirement to buy a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

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

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.