Many Britons face a significant budget management challenge as they battle to keep their debts under control, a new survey has revealed.
A study by the Debt Advice Trust has indicated that the 1.54 million calls it received last year from people seeking debt help - up from 1.4 million in 2010 - is just the tip of the iceberg.
In addition to this, the body's research found there are ten million people who are struggling to keep their debts under control, with an additional 2.5 million on top of this who are in arrears with at least one payment.
Furthermore, the body's chief executive Joanna Elson is predicting this situation is set to get even harder this year.
She said: "2011 was a tough financial year for many families across the UK; unfortunately more people are likely to struggle in 2012. With unemployment rising and wage growth relatively flat, whilst prices are going up, it's going to take a greater proportion of household income to heat your home, put food on your table and petrol in your car."
Ms Elson has noted the difficulty of managing in such circumstances has led to some going to "extreme lengths" to cope, such as selling their cars, jewellery and even pets.
Using a budget planner may turn out to be the answer for many consumers, as this can help make ends meet without having to resort to such desperate measures.
It can not only identify where money is going in terms of bill payments, food purchases and anything left to be spent on leisure, but also show where waste is taking place.
And some may find there is plenty of this, whether it is shopping for items that could be bought for less elsewhere, standing orders and direct debits being paid out for goods and services no longer received or used, or even simply items that are bought regularly but are a low priority and can be discarded.
For those who are struggling with debt, January is often the hardest month because of heavy spending over the Christmas period leaving many with big bills in the new year.
Managing director of the Debt Advice Foundation David Rodger recently stated that January sees "double" the number of calls received by the charity's helpline than are taken in a normal month.
