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One day at work a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my usual when payday arrived: I launched every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, home decor and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

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

I was never completely sure why I did this. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to brighten up the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden desire for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Before buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this method, I ceased buying things that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once considered purchasing three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I realised I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, like everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore did not need to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more selective about the items I do buy, and I can finally look at my financial records without feeling guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a strong catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.