From a Compulsive Shopper to a Savvy Consumer: An Easy Strategy That Changed Everything

One afternoon at my job two years ago, an alert popped up on my mobile device: my paycheck had been deposited. It was a decent sum for a student, so I did my what I always did payday ritual: I opened every retail application on my device. From Amazon to Zara, the list was endless. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, home decor and a totally useless weighted blanket that never touched.

A few days later, I returned to the internet and purchased a blow dryer. I already had one, but thought another couldn't hurt. Then I included light strips and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn't a new pattern. In fact, I’d been infamous for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.

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

I was never completely certain why I did this. Perhaps it was due to I grew up in a poor family, where we’d go months without buying new clothes or anything to decorate the house. So any time I had extra money, there was always a hidden desire for new and thrilling things. Or maybe, and almost certainly, I was just bad with money and succumbed easily to capitalism’s consumerism.

A Revolutionary Approach

Eventually, I opted to try something new. Before buying any item, I’d place 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 reflect – an action I’d never taken. For the first time since adulthood, I started questioning: “Do I actually need this? Can I afford it?” More often than not, the response was negative.

If I opened Amazon, Depop or Zara and found products lingering in my cart, I’d clear them out and begin anew. Using this system, I stopped buying things that I knew deep down I would never utilize. I once wanted to buy a trio of games, but after a waiting period before visiting the store, I realised I never actually engage with tabletop games.

I also wanted to buy a single-use camera for my first trip to Croatia. After pausing I recalled I possessed a phone, similar to most people, that features a perfectly good camera, and thus did not need to acquire a dedicated camera.

The Lasting Impact

It also means I am more selective about the things I do purchase, and I can at last review my bank statements without experiencing guilt or embarrassment.

Of course, there have been occasions I’ve slipped back into old habits – it’s only natural. The difference now is that I can identify the signs sooner, particularly when I’m hastening into a purchase. I’ve realised boredom is a powerful trigger. It’s probably the biggest motivator of my reckless expenditure.

Consumer culture exploits this boredom and our desire for instant satisfaction. That’s the reason, looking back, forcing myself to pause before buying has felt strangely freeing. To be able to have control over my impulses and remind myself that I don’t need to spend my hard-earned money on unnecessary goods feels as revolutionary as it is straightforward.