Around one in three Australians are regularly putting one or more everyday bills like utilities, car registration and groceries on their credit card but not paying the balance off in full each month.

Categorised as 'playing catch-up', these people face higher rates of interest on household bills, due to lack of cash flow.

The Australia Institute conducted an online survey of 1,180 adult Australians in October 2010. Respondents were sourced from a reputable online panel provider, and quotas were applied to ensure a representative sample of the broader Australian population by gender, age and household income. Respondents were provided with a small incentive ($1.50 each) so as to encourage participation but not attract ‘professional’ respondents.