British holidaymakers will take around 40 million breaks overseas this year and more than 11 million of these people will have researched or bought their breaks online, keen to snap up a cheap deal.

However, according to research from Abbey National Credit Cards and Personal Loans, savings they may have made on their holiday package are likely to be spent several times over on pre-holiday essentials.

The average British holidaymaker spends £430 on holiday-related items like sun bed sessions, haircuts, lotions, books and new outfits. Whilst bargain breaks in the sun can be snapped up for as little as £200, the cost of preparing for a holiday means that sun seekers are having to stretch their budgets before they have even left the country.

The research reveals that the average amount spent on pre-holiday essentials in many cases exceeds the amount of spending money people take abroad.

The average:

• Woman spends £472.
• Man spends £392.

With pre-holiday essentials adding such a significant chunk to holiday expenditure, the average family of four is left with a whopping £3,540 bill for two weeks in the sun once the cost of extras (£860) and spending money (£1,360) have been added to the estimated average cost of £1,320 for a fortnight abroad.

Unsurprisingly, the research reveals that over 50% of us always find our holidays costing more than we expect and seven in ten of us find ourselves running low on money as a result when abroad.

Therefore, it makes sense to plan how you are going to finance the whole cost of your holiday – including the extras that mount up.

Top financial tips for coping with the mounting costs of pre-holiday essentials:

• When you are planning a holiday, consider taking out a credit card that offers 0% interest on your shopping. Abbey National offers zero per cent interest on retail purchases for six months, which means that new customers can avoid high interest payments for their summer holiday spending.
• If you have already splurged too much money on your holiday and are paying interest on your debts, consider transferring your balance to a 0% interest credit card. Abbey National offers zero per cent interest on balance transfers for six months.
• If you want a more structured way of paying for your holiday, consider taking out an unsecured personal loan. This is a particularly good idea if you have other debts that you want to consolidate. Abbey National offers a best buy typical rate of 6.6% for online unsecured personal loans above £5,000.

Reza Attar-Zadeh, Director of Consumer Credit at Abbey National said:

"It seems people often blow a large chunk of their holiday budget on Pre-Holiday Essentials before they even get to the airport, meaning they have to scrimp and save when they are away.”

“Building the cost of pre-holiday essentials into your holiday budget and planning in advance how you are going to pay for all your holiday expenses will help ensure you don't run out of money when you take that well earned break."

“Many people put a great deal of effort into shopping around for the best deal on their holiday but then don’t look for the cheapest way to pay for it. Taking just a little time planning your finances means that you can avoid wasting money on high interest payments so you have more to spend while you’re away.”

The research also highlights the fact that women spend an average of £45 on beauty treatments, such as bikini waxes, manicures and haircuts, before hitting the beaches. Men only spend an average of £12.90 on such treatments and Scotsmen in particular spend a miserly sum of £5.50.

The findings reveal that women also spend significantly more than men on insurance, holiday clothing and holiday essentials such as camera film and sun tan lotion. The only area where men outspend women is in last minute airport purchases, such as duty-free booze and meals with the average man spending £52.25 and the average women £46.25.