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One day at work two years ago, an notification hit on my mobile device: my salary had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every single shopping app on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally unused weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I returned to the internet and bought a blow dryer. I already owned one, but reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, exhausted or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My justification was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden yearning for novel and exciting things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to capitalism’s demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to try a novel idea. Prior to buying any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, wait 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this technique was that it provided me space to think – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I opened my shopping apps and found items lingering in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this system, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, similar to most people, that features a perfectly adequate camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can finally look at my bank statements without experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old patterns – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s probably the biggest driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Modern culture preys on this idleness and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don't have to spend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is simple.