WITH Christmas Day almost upon us, many of us are frantically stocking up on a few last-minute treats from the supermarket aisles.

But before shoving more tins, jars and packets into the trolley, it's worth remembering some new research which suggests many of us are guilty of over-buying when preparing for our Christmas dinner.

Indeed, according to the report from Nationwide Building Society, around one in five people are still hoarding food and drink items in their cupboards that they bought during Christmas 2013, and two-thirds of people say they buy more food than they will actually use over the festive period.

The list of produce where people have gone completely overboard ranges from booze to sweets and chocolate, crackers, spices, stuffing for the turkey and pickles, according to the research conducted among more than 2,000 people last month.

Doubtless, some people are being canny with their spending, and may well have bought some items with long use by dates, which will be good for some time yet.

However, a "bargain" three for two or two for one offer on the supermarket shelf is not a great deal if these items end up being past it and have to go in the bin.

It's easy to see why people over-estimate what they will actually need, though. In the dash to stock up on what we think will be essential to see us through the coming days, we're being driven by the desire to please loved ones as well as the fear of discovering on Christmas Day - when it's too late to do anything about it - that there's some vital ingredient we've forgotten.

And as someone who recently discovered a couple of rather dusty Christmas puds languishing on top of my kitchen dresser, I'm hardly blameless.

Further findings show that for significant numbers of people, Christmas is also a time that's going to send them into further debt.

A separate report from the Money Advice Trust (MAT) charity provides some concerning evidence of the extra pressure that this Christmas will put on some people's finances. The MAT, which runs National Debtline, found that 21per cent of people have already borrowed, or plan to borrow money, to put food on the table this Christmas.

This would equate to 10.4 million people putting their Christmas dinner on credit if the MAT's findings were projected across Britain.

The findings also suggest that one in 20 people, equating to an estimated 2.3 million Britons, have already missed or expect to miss a household bill payment in order to fund their Christmas spending. This includes people falling behind with "priority debts" such as rent, council tax and energy bills, the MAT found in its survey of more than 2,000 people.

With reports of growing numbers of people needing to visit foodbanks, perhaps if you've already bitten off more than you can chew with your festive shopping and have food items going spare, it might be an idea to make an early New Year's resolution and donate them now, before they end up forgotten in the back of a cupboard. That way, you can spend your Christmas dinner knowing you've helped someone else to enjoy theirs.