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One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had come through. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, home decor and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I added LED strip lights 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, exhausted or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse 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 my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without purchasing new clothes or anything to brighten up the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and exciting things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me time to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this method, I ceased buying things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After waiting I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can at last look at my financial records without experiencing shame or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don't have to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.