Christmas: One in three Brits shop for presents without checking their bank balances, study finds

The research also suggests that 29 per cent of Brits are still trying to finish their Christmas shopping

The study found that for some Brits, having enough money is a big worry at this time of the year (Getty)

One in three Brits shopped "blindly" this Christmas - by not checking their bank balance before, during or after hitting stores and retail websites, according to research.

Despite 77 per cent setting a typical budget of £539 the study of 2,000 adults found overall one fifth spent more than they intended to.

Commissioned by Asda Money, the research also found 27 per cent said having enough money is one of their biggest worries as the big day approaches.

Matt Collinge, head of cards and lending at Asda Money, said: “Despite it being an annual occasion, the cost of Christmas and how to pay for it tends to be a big worry at this time of year.

“There is a lot of pressure to get it right, and there is so much to think about – the food, gifts, decorations and more.

“So it’s understandable we might feel a little overwhelmed and sometimes sweep the costs under the carpet.”

One quarter of people start Christmas shopping six to eight weeks prior to 25 December.

But 29 per cent are still trying to finish buying everything this week, with 45 per cent revealing they simply haven't had enough time to do it sooner.

Carried out through OnePoll.com, the research found most of those polled have paid for Christmas out of their salary and 49 per cent of people have used savings.

However almost one in 10 have relied on credit and store cards to cover their festive spend.

SWNS