How to stop spending money when you are bored

Boredom spending is exactly what it sounds like — buying things not because you need them or have planned for them, but because browsing and buying fills time and provides a brief moment of interest. It happens on phones during commutes, in the evening when nothing much is happening, on lunch breaks, and in the half-hour before bed. The amounts are individually small, which is why the total tends to creep up unnoticed.

Recognising the pattern in yourself

Boredom spending is distinct from impulsive buying triggered by a specific product or deal. It is more habitual — a behavioural loop where a feeling of restlessness leads to opening an app or a website, browsing without a specific intention, and buying something partly as a reward for the time spent looking. If you find yourself regularly buying things online that you had not thought about earlier that day, or that you struggle to remember wanting when they arrive, boredom spending is likely part of what is happening.

Remove the friction from not spending

Online retailers invest heavily in removing friction from buying. The most effective countermeasure is adding friction back in. Delete saved card details from shopping apps and websites — having to get up and find your card before buying is often enough to break the loop. Remove shopping apps from your phone's home screen. Turn off push notifications from retailers. None of these stop you from buying things you genuinely want; they just interrupt the automatic browsing-to-purchase sequence.

Replace the habit rather than fight it

The urge to browse and buy is usually filling something — restlessness, mild boredom, a desire for stimulation or novelty. Simply telling yourself not to do it tends not to work for long. Finding a replacement that meets the same need works better. For some people that is a game on their phone. For others it is a podcast, a book, texting someone, or going for a short walk. The replacement does not need to be virtuous — it just needs to not cost money.

A spending list as a middle step

Instead of buying something when the urge strikes, add it to a list. A simple note on your phone is enough. The act of adding it to a list gives you the same brief sense of intention and forward motion as buying it, without the purchase. Reviewing the list after a week usually reveals that most items no longer feel necessary — and the ones that still do can be considered properly rather than impulsively.