One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my salary 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 phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that I never used.
A short while after, I returned to the internet and purchased a blow dryer. I already owned one, but reasoned another couldn't hurt. Then I included LED strip lights and two pairs of 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 uninterested, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was constantly: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and so on.
I was never completely sure why I did this. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any moment I had extra money, there was always a subconscious yearning for new and exciting things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to the lure of demands.
A Revolutionary Approach
Eventually, I opted to try something new. Before acquiring any item, I’d place it in my basket, wait 24 hours, then decide on whether to check out. The best part of this technique was that it provided me space to reflect – something I’d never done before. For the first time since I turned 18, I began questioning: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the answer was no.
If I opened my shopping apps and found products sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. Using this method, I stopped acquiring things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before going to the store, I understood I never actually play tabletop games.
I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I recalled I possessed a phone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.
The Enduring Benefits
It also signifies I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can at last review my bank statements without experiencing guilt or embarrassment.
Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve relapsed into old habits – it's human nature. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs early, especially when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve come to understand boredom is a strong trigger. It’s probably the primary motivator of my reckless expenditure.
Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s why, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have command over my urges and reaffirming that I don't have to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary products feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.
