Credit card holders 'rely on plastic for January expenses'

A third of credit card holders have relied on their plastic to cover day-to-day living costs during January, a survey suggested today.

Around 34% of people with a credit card said they had had to use it to cover everyday expenses to see them through to their end of January payday.

More than two out of five people also admitted they had used their credit card to pay for their grocery shopping during the month, according to the Post Office.

One in 10 people who were using their credit card to make ends meet said they had to do so because of the long gap between their December and January paydays, while 11% of people said it was because they had overspent at Christmas.

But 33% of those who used their credit card admitted they relied on their plastic to cover the gap between their income and their spending every month.

Half of people with a credit card said they expected to spend the same amount on it during 2011 as they had in 2010, although 7% thought they would spend more, a third of whom thought they would spend an extra £100 a month.

But only 56% of people pay off their bill in full each month, with 7% estimating that it will take them more than three years to clear their debt.

Az Alibhai, head of credit cards at the Post Office, said: "January has been a tight month for many of us, especially with the long wait until payday, and we can see that many people are falling back on credit cards to ease the costs of day-to-day living.

"If the debt is managed sensibly and paid off quickly, this can be very effective. However, if you don't pay off the bill in full, it can be a pricey way to fund daily purchases."