The minute I had any disposable income, I would spend it on things I didn’t need. Deciding to wait a day before handing over my money changed everything
O
ne day at work two years ago, a notification hit my phone: my paycheck had come through. It was a fair amount for someone still at university, so I did what I always did when payday arrived: I opened every shopping app on my phone. Amazon, Vinted, Etsy, Depop, Zara, you name it. Within the space of an hour, I had spent £90 on clothes, decorative items and a completely useless weighted blanket I never touched.
A few days later, I went online again and bought a hairdryer. I already owned one, but thought another couldn’t hurt. Then I added LED strip lights and two pairs of shoes that weren’t even my size. This wasn’t new behaviour. In fact, I’d been notorious for it ever since I could afford to buy my own things.
Whenever I felt stressed, tired or bored, I would doomscroll until it inevitably ended in an impulsive shopping binge. My justification was always: “Oh well, it’s just £5.” But £5 became £10, then £20, and so on.
