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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired 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 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain about the reason. Maybe it was because I grew up in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for novel and thrilling things. Or possibly, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it gave me space to reflect – something I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began asking myself: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I accessed Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. Using this system, I ceased acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after a waiting period before going to the shop, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After waiting I remembered I had a smartphone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

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

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest driver of my reckless expenditure.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt unexpectedly liberating. To be able to have command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on non-essential goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.