Winter bills and Christmas spending put one third of Britons in the red

Personal Finance
14 Jan 2026 • 8:40 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • A third (35 per cent) of people in the UK anticipate running short of cash before the end of January, primarily due to winter bills and festive spending.
  • A majority (51 per cent) of those expecting a financial shortfall this month predict they will exhaust their monthly income by Thursday, 15 January.
  • This means roughly one in six of all UK adults are expected to be in the red by mid-January.
  • One in seven (14 per cent) individuals are planning to acquire new credit products this month to manage their finances, with 8 January being the most popular day for credit applications in 2025.
  • Eleonore Hajek from Intuit Credit Karma advises those considering balance transfer cards to understand the terms and have a clear repayment plan to avoid further financial pressure.

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