The top five cities with the least financial concerns following Christmas 

New research reveals the top cities that manage to budget enough money to last through January over the festive period – and it turns out Sutton does it best. The ranking, created by WealthUp, analysed nationwide and regional Google search volume for keywords related to money concerns, including phrases like ‘how to save money’ and ‘payday loans,’ in the UK, to identify the cities that do and don’t require financial advice and help in January.

After buying presents and joining in on all the festivities, most have spent a lot more than they would in a typical month. For many who get paid early in December, their paychecks have already dwindled significantly before the New Year even comes around – never mind after by the time mid-January hits.

However, Sutton residents appear to be able to control their spending, as the area didn’t see a rise in Google searches for financial help following Christmas like many other cities did.

In fact, searches even dropped by a whopping 58% in January compared to the monthly average for the area – a sharp comparison to the 4% increase for the UK as a whole.

Following Sutton as the next city that didn’t seem to experience the same budgeting troubles as most Brits is Wakefield, with searches decreasing by 9%. In third is Chester, with workers looking for help covering costs 8% less than usual.

The five cities with the least financial concerns following Christmas

On the other end of the scale, Oxford residents appear to need to rein in their spending the most over the holiday period, with searches increasing by a staggering 187%.

Behind Oxford as the second city with the most post-Christmas money concerns is Derby, with searches surging by 177% whilst Carlisle’s increased by 149% compared to the average month.

Although the reason for the contrast in percentage changes is unclear, it could reflect how skilled residents are with keeping on top of their finances during the celebrations – or perhaps, how much they are willing to let go over the holidays.

The five cities with the biggest financial concerns following Christmas

As well as revealing the cities with the most and least money troubles, the study also analysed how monthly searches varied over the past 12 months across the nation.

Interestingly, July saw the highest amount of Google searches, with the volume shooting up by 10% from the average monthly total of 467,835 to 513,930 – perhaps peaking mid-way through the year as the financial pressure of the cost-of-living crisis mounted up.

Commenting on the findings, a spokesperson from WealthUp says: “If the trend continues this year, the cities feeling the financial burden of the festive season the most will again be turning to the internet in hopes of a solution.

“Whilst being paid early in December feels great at the time, this soon changes when you are staring at an empty bank account with weeks to go until payday and essential costs to cover still.

“If you have accidentally cut into the money you need for basic living expenses, all is not lost. Consider any unnecessary costs, for example, if you have a gym membership look to see if they have the option to freeze it for a cheaper cost and do home workouts for the month instead.

“It’s important to remember as well that you don’t have to kick the New Year off with a month of staying in if you have only gone slightly over budget. Figure out how much you need to spend on living costs, leave this untouched and see what you have left to play with.

“It may be less than usual, but this just means you have to be nifty – go for meals but during happy hour, treat yourself to a beauty treatment but only if they are offering a discounted price for a cancellation, or visit your nearest national park but using a voucher sourced from a newspaper.”