Nowadays, more and more Australians are turning to payday loans for fast cash. Not all borrowers are people with bad credit ratings or in a financial emergency. The convenience and speed of a payday loan attract customers who cannot get a bank loan. This is because the amount they need is below the minimum loan amount or those who prefer to get a fast loan, one where they borrow a certain amount, pay it back on their next pay day then forget about it. The latter is actually a better option than using a credit card and adding to an existing balance, never knowing exactly when a particular debt has been paid off.

So what do people spend the cash on? Payday lenders do not require customers to supply a reason for applying for a loan, but borrowers can be roughly classified into those who use the money for necessary expenses and those who spend the cash on leisure or recreational expenses. As can be expected, the majority of borrowers belong to the first group.

What constitutes "necessary expenses"? This includes utility bills, groceries, rent, credit card bills and other regular expenses that, for some reason or another, people forget to pay on time. They spend the paycheck on other things, forgetting some monthly bill that has become due. The following month, they need to pay the amount for the current month, as well as the previous month, and that’s where financial difficulties start.

"Necessary expenses" also includes unexpected bills such as car repairs, house repairs and medical bills. The number of people who save is getting smaller as opposed to the number of people living on credit. It is not difficult to imagine, people not having any emergency funds to draw on when unexpected expenses crop up.

On the other hand, some people need instant cash loans to supplement their funds for a vacation or a trip. During the holidays, others take out payday loans to help buy presents for everyone on their list, including themselves. Using the extra cash for buying gifts happens not only during Christmas, but on other special occasions as well, such as Valentine’s Day, birthdays, and anniversaries.