The survey revealed the average Briton spends £741.90 within the first 48 hours of being paid.

Rent, food shopping and bills are the first things Britons fork out on before treating themselves and their loved ones, according to the poll by VoucherCodesPro.co.uk.

To survive the rest of the month after their wages run out, the respondents who were all 18 or over, in full-time employment and rented or owned their own home, said they dipped into their savings, paid with credit cards, went without or borrowed money until the next pay day.

“If there’s one lesson we can all learn from this it’s that budgeting is key. Savings are there for rainy days or special treats, and credit cards are there for emergencies. Neither should be needed to financially make it through the month, every month,” said George Charles, a spokesperson for VoucherCodesPro.