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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a decent sum for a student, so I proceeded with my usual payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already had one, but reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

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

I was never completely sure why I did this. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to brighten up the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to the lure of demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it provided me time to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was negative.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this method, I stopped acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once wanted to purchasing three board games, but after waiting before going to the shop, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, like most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus had no requirement to buy a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more discerning about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my financial records devoid of experiencing guilt or discomfort.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a strong trigger. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, compelling myself to pause before purchasing has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don't have to expend my diligently earned money on non-essential products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.