From Being a Compulsive Shopper to a Savvy Consumer: The Simple Trick That Changed Everything

One afternoon at my job a couple of years back, an alert popped up on my phone: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a fair amount for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, the list was endless. In under 60 minutes, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a totally useless heavy blanket that never touched.

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

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

I was never completely certain about the reason. Perhaps it was due to my upbringing in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new clothes or anything to brighten up the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious yearning for novel and exciting things. Or possibly, and almost certainly, I was just financially irresponsible and gave in readily to the lure of consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

In the end, I decided to experiment with something new. Prior to buying any item, I’d put it in my digital cart, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to check out. The best part of this technique was that it provided me time to think – an action I’d never done before. For the first occasion since adulthood, I began questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I opened my shopping apps and found items lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and start fresh. Using this method, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never use. I once considered buy a trio of games, but after waiting before visiting the shop, I realised I never actually engage with board games.

I also wanted to buying a disposable film camera for my first trip to Croatia. After waiting I remembered I had a phone, similar to most people, that has a perfectly good lens, and thus did not need to acquire a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It additionally means I am more selective about the items I do purchase, and I can at last look at my bank statements devoid of experiencing guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into previous habits – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can identify the warning signs early, particularly when I’m rushing into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s perhaps the primary driver of my reckless spending.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our need for immediate gratification. That’s why, looking back, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt strangely freeing. Gaining command over my urges and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as radical as it is simple.