One in three Brits shopped ’blindly’ this Christmas - by not checking their bank balance as they splurged on gifts, according to new research.

Despite having an average budget of £539, the study of 2,000 adults found a fifth spent more than they intended to.

Just over a quarter (27 per cent) said having enough money is one of their biggest worries as the big day approaches.

The study was carried out by Asda Money, which offers unsecured loans, in order to understand its customer’s spending habits.

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 25th 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.