🔗 Share this article

One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an notification hit on my phone: my salary had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my usual payday ritual: I launched every single retail application on my phone. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a completely useless heavy blanket that I never used.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased a hairdryer. I already owned one, but reasoned another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn't a new pattern. In reality, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

Whenever I felt anxious, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an unplanned shopping spree. My justification was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never entirely sure about the reason. Perhaps it was because I grew up in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing new outfits or anything to brighten up the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and succumbed easily to capitalism’s demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to try something new. Prior to buying anything, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The best part of this method was that it gave me time to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I began asking myself: “Do I truly require this? Is it within my budget?” More often than not, the response was no.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and discovered items sitting in my basket, I’d remove them and begin anew. By employing this system, I stopped buying things that I intuitively knew I would never use. I once considered purchasing a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to the coast. After waiting I remembered I had a smartphone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and therefore had no requirement to buy a dedicated camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also means I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can at last look at my financial records without feeling guilt or discomfort.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous patterns – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can recognise the signs early, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised ennui is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary motivator of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our need 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 urges and remind myself that I don’t need to expend my diligently earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is simple.