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One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I proceeded with my usual when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on clothes, decorative items and a completely useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I went online again and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two shoes that didn't even fit me. 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 stressed, exhausted or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Maybe it was because my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to brighten up the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and thrilling things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to the lure of consumerism.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Prior to acquiring anything, I’d place it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me time to reflect – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started questioning: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered products lingering in my cart, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this system, I ceased acquiring goods that I knew deep down 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 wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a smartphone, like most people, that has a perfectly adequate camera, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

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

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can recognise the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my impulsive spending.

Modern culture exploits this boredom and our desire for immediate satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt strangely liberating. To be able to have control over my impulses and reaffirming that I don’t need to expend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is simple.