🔗 Share this article

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 fair amount for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally useless weighted blanket that I never used.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I added light strips and two pairs of shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or uninterested, I would doomscroll until it always ended in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was constantly: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was because I grew up in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had some disposable income, 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 readily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I decided to try something new. Prior to acquiring any item, I’d place it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The best part of this method was that it gave me space to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I started questioning: “Do I actually need this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and found items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this method, I ceased acquiring things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before going to the store, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After waiting I recalled I possessed a phone, similar to most people, that features a perfectly good camera, and therefore had no requirement to acquire a separate camera.

The Lasting Impact

It also signifies I am more discerning about the items I do buy, and I can finally look at my bank statements without feeling guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this idleness and our need for instant satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to halt before buying has felt strangely liberating. Gaining control over my urges and reaffirming that I don't have to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.