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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 student, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every single retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but reasoned an extra one 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 reality, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or bored, I would doomscroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was because I grew up 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 hidden yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I decided to experiment with a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began asking myself: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this method, I ceased buying goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered 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 contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I possessed a smartphone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can finally review my financial records without feeling shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s probably the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.