Nearly a third of Irish adults use their credit cards to pay bills.

Research from the Irish League of Credit Unions also shows there has been a slight increase in the average debt that is being run up on credit cards around the country.

In the latest edition of their 'What's Left' tracker, the ILCU is highlighting a rise of €80 in the average debt being run up on credit cards, compared to figures from last September.

More than 2.6 million people in Ireland have a credit card - nearly a third are using their flexible friend to pay bills.

On the positive side, disposable income was up nearly €50 last month, compared to December of 2012.

Around 1.6 million people told the researchers they had €100 or less left at the end of the month after all bills were paid.

That's a drop of over 100,000 compared to September of last year.

The Irish League of Credit Unions says more people are moving out of the lower disposable income categories, pointing towards a gradual recovery in the finances of Ireland's families.