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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an notification hit on my mobile device: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but reasoned another wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. 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, tired or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping spree. My excuse was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely sure why I did this. 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 some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d put it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me time to think – something I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I started questioning: “Do I truly need this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and discovered items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this system, I ceased acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I had a smartphone, like everybody else, that features a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to buy a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It additionally means I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my financial records devoid of experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve slipped back into previous habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant gratification. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly freeing. To be able to have control over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.