Salary paid out monthly?

I've been working in the UK for 15 years and I've always been paid monthly.

As far as I'm aware, monthly paycheques are the norm in most UK companies - everyone I know is paid monthly as well.

The only time I wasn't, and was paid weekly, was when I was only a temporary staff member in retail and had a fixed contract for a certain number of weeks of work (short-term summer and Christmas jobs), but as soon as I went to a permanent staff member at that company, my paycheques became monthly.

When I lived in the US, I actually found it really odd that people were paid weekly or bi-weekly, and not monthly.

Similar experience here, and when we moved to the US in 1987 I suddenly found myself being paid twice a month, and when my wife started working she was paid every 2 weeks.  Sometime in the 90's our companies both switched to paying monthly.

In December we would be paid on or before Christmas Eve so it was more weeks than normal until the end of January paycheck.  It was only just before I retired in 2010 that my company finally abolished paper checks and insisted that all employees had to have a bank account for direct deposit.  I was amazed at how many folks hated not having a paper check sent to them in the mail.

Now that we are retired I get a pension from that company, but administered and paid out by an insurance company, paid on the 1st of the month regardless of Christmas or any other other holidays into my bank account.

I can't be the only person who finds getting paid monthly hard going?

Especially when 1.) Paid early for Christmas - it's so long until January pay.  2.) When it's Tax Disc, MOT, or Car Insurance month 3.) Just back from a holiday

I am used to it, but that doesn't mean I like it!   

I tend to manage to budget and save easily (well I did, may be more interesting on a much lower paid job) As for the car insurance I pay that by monthly direct debit.

I can't be the only person who finds getting paid monthly hard going?

Especially when 1.) Paid early for Christmas - it's so long until January pay.  2.) When it's Tax Disc, MOT, or Car Insurance month 3.) Just back from a holiday

I am used to it, but that doesn't mean I like it!   

I always hated being paid monthly. On the one hand, it is nice to get all your bills paid out and be done with it, but if something else comes up then it could be a looooong wait until your next payment. At least when it's bimonthly it's a shorter wait!

Those few months here in the US when my husband and I were both working and both being paid biweekly (or bimonthly in his case) there was always money going into the account and it was glorious!

I can't be the only person who finds getting paid monthly hard going?

Not really..
All my direct debits go out on the day after I get paid, and then I know what I've got to live on for the rest of the month.
I found weekly pay a lot harder, because I had to let the money sit there so that it was available when the DDs hit.

Especially when 1.) Paid early for Christmas - it's so long until January pay.  2.) When it's Tax Disc, MOT, or Car Insurance month 3.) Just back from a holiday

Apologies if I'm overstepping bounds phatbeetle but have you looked at something like YNAB? It is a tad expensive but they have a 30 day trial and regular sales on Steam for around $15.

They have a bunch of videos on how to structure your budget and accounts. Basically you start getting into the mind set of my Car Insurance is $600 every 6 months so I need to budget $100 every month to the Car Insurance bucket. Then when car insurance is due, Christmas presents are needed to be purchased you have all of the money set aside to pay it.

I've found it to be a large help in tracking my expenses granted I still need to do some more work on better using it. I've also gotten several friends and relatives using it to great effect.

Yes, when I worked in the UK for a large company, I was paid monthly as well.  I was quite shocked at first because for some reason as you see this lump sum you have to live with for 30 days and it was daunting....but I did the same as some others that mentioned have all my direct debits (including a little for savings) the very next business day. 

I am back in the US and love my twice monthly paychecks.  For some reason I find it easier to break up my direct debits into two days a month instead of one and manage my disposable income.

I've always been paid by UK firms monthly.  I always put in my employment contract that I'm to be paid by the 10th of each month (that is to reach my bank account, not the date of transfer) and it's never been an issue.

Monthly is a much better arrangement for a company with a low employee turnover, especially when they need to pay out expenses. 

I also think it's advantageous in general to encourage longer term financial planning  (especially amongst the youth of today). 

YMMV!