From Being a Spendthrift to a Smarter Spender: The Simple Trick That Transformed My Habits

One day at work a couple of years back, an notification hit on my mobile device: my salary had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a someone still at university, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I launched every shopping app on my device. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. In under 60 minutes, I had parted with £90 on apparel, decorative items and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but reasoned an extra one couldn't hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two shoes that didn't even fit me. This wasn’t new behaviour. In reality, I’d been infamous for it since I started earning.

Whenever I felt anxious, exhausted or uninterested, I would mindlessly scroll until it always culminated in an impulsive shopping spree. My excuse was constantly: “It's only £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.

I was never entirely certain why I did this. Maybe it was due to I grew up in a low-income family, where we’d experience months without buying new outfits or anything to decorate the home. So any moment I had some disposable income, there was always a subconscious desire for novel and thrilling things. Or maybe, and definitely more likely, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s demands.

The Game-Changing Strategy

Eventually, I opted to try a novel idea. Before buying anything, I’d put it in my basket, delay for 24 hours, then make a choice on whether to finalize the purchase. The greatest advantage of this method was that it gave me space to reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first occasion since I turned 18, I started asking myself: “Do I actually require this? Is it within my budget?” Most of the time, the response was negative.

If I accessed my shopping apps and discovered products sitting in my cart, I’d remove them and start fresh. By employing this method, I stopped acquiring goods that I intuitively knew I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the shop, I understood I never actually play board games.

I also contemplated buy a single-use camera for my first holiday to Croatia. After pausing I remembered I possessed a phone, similar to everybody else, that features a perfectly good lens, and therefore had no requirement to buy a separate camera.

The Enduring Benefits

It also signifies I am more discerning about the things I do buy, and I can at last review my financial records without experiencing shame or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been times I’ve relapsed into old patterns – it’s only natural. The key change is that I can recognise the signs sooner, especially when I’m rushing into a transaction. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful catalyst. It’s perhaps the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this idleness and our need for immediate satisfaction. That’s the reason, in hindsight, forcing myself to pause before purchasing has felt strangely liberating. Gaining control over my urges and reaffirming that I don’t need to spend my diligently earned money on non-essential products feels as radical as it is straightforward.