According to research from uSwitch.com, 35% of shoppers are feeling increasingly guilty after they spend money on the high street, with one in ten (9%) taking on debt to buy something knowing they couldn’t actually afford to pay it back, headlinemoney.co.uk reports.

Of the shoppers who felt guilty, 48% did so because they should have been saving their money instead of spending it, while 32% said they have other expenses to cover, such as payments towards their mortgage debt or household/utility bills.

An IVA expert for the IVA Forum commented: “Everyone needs to do what they can to remain in control of their financial situation. Spending money that should be used to cover other (more important) costs can lead to serious financial problems, including unmanageable debt.

“We would recommend that anyone in this situation addresses the issue as soon as possible, before it has a lasting impact on their finances.”