One day at work two years ago, an notification hit on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my usual payday ritual: I opened every shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.
A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.
Whenever I felt anxious, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was always: “It's only £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 low-income family, where we’d go months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had some disposable income, there was always a hidden yearning for new and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and gave in easily to the lure of demands.
The Game-Changing Strategy
In the end, I opted to experiment with something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it gave me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I started asking myself: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.
If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this system, I stopped buying goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the store, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.
I also contemplated buying a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I remembered I possessed a phone, similar to everybody else, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus did not need to acquire a dedicated camera.
The Enduring Benefits
It also signifies I am more selective about the things I do purchase, and I can at last look at my financial records devoid of feeling shame or discomfort.
Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it's human nature. The key change is that I can identify the signs early, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my impulsive spending.
Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our desire for immediate gratification. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to halt before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. Gaining control over my urges and remind myself that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as radical as it is simple.
