🔗 Share this article

One afternoon at my job two years ago, an notification hit on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had parted with £90 on apparel, home decor and a completely useless weighted blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely certain about the reason. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

In the end, I decided to experiment with something new. Before buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me space to think – something I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After pausing I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can at last review my bank statements without feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.