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One day at work two years ago, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a someone still at university, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every single shopping app on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. 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 inevitably culminated in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was constantly: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Before acquiring any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it provided me space to think – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I truly need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this method, I ceased acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After waiting I remembered I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly good camera, and thus had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

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

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into previous patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless spending.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.