From Being a Spendthrift to a Smarter Spender: An Easy Strategy That Transformed My Habits

One afternoon at my job two years ago, an notification hit on my mobile device: my salary had come through. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I proceeded with my what I always did when payday arrived: I launched every shopping app on my device. From Amazon to Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A short while after, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought an extra one wouldn't be a problem. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been notorious for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt stressed, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably culminated in an unplanned shopping binge. My excuse was always: “It's only £5.” But £5 turned into £10, then £20, and continued.

I was never completely sure about the reason. Maybe it was due to my upbringing in a poor family, where we’d experience months without purchasing 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 thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed readily to the lure of demands.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I opted to experiment with a novel idea. Before buying any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then decide whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this technique was that it provided me time to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first time since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” Most of the time, the answer was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and found products sitting in my basket, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this method, I stopped acquiring goods that I knew deep down I would never use. I once wanted to buy three board games, but after waiting before visiting the store, I understood I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also contemplated buying a disposable film camera for my first holiday to the coast. After pausing I remembered I had a smartphone, like most people, that has a perfectly adequate lens, and thus had no requirement to acquire a separate device.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more selective about the things I do buy, and I can finally look at my financial records without experiencing guilt or embarrassment.

Naturally, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the warning signs sooner, especially when I’m hastening into a transaction. I’ve come to understand boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my impulsive expenditure.

Consumer culture preys on this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s why, looking back, compelling myself to halt before purchasing has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have command 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.