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One day at work two years ago, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every single shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely unused heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already had one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably culminated in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never completely sure about the reason. Maybe it was because my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily 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 on whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it gave me time to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started asking myself: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and discovered products sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this system, I stopped buying goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also contemplated buy a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I recalled I possessed a smartphone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore did not need to buy a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more discerning about the items I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements devoid of feeling guilt or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the signs early, particularly when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.