🔗 Share this article

One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app 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 heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another 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 reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it always culminated in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I decided to try a novel idea. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I truly require this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the answer 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 system, I stopped buying goods that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I possessed a phone, like most people, that features a perfectly adequate lens, and therefore had no requirement to buy a dedicated device.

The Lasting Impact

It also means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant gratification. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. Gaining command over my urges and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is straightforward.