Want to save a few quid? Then settle down with a partner

While 57 per cent of couples are motivating each other to save more, there remains some conflicting views over who controls the finances.

For some Britons, their partner’s influence has a particularly dramatic effect, with a fifth (20 per cent) saving at least £200 more per month, more than £2,400 over the course of a year.

Relationships are having the biggest effect on men’s finances, with men saving an average of £85 more each month due to their partner’s influence, compared to a £50 increase for women.

Young men (aged 25-34) are most influenced by their partners, saving around £100 more.

A quarter (26 per cent) of women are saving more as a result of their partner’s positive financial habits and for some women it’s actually their counterpart’s lack of discipline with money that makes them save even harder. As many as 15 per cent of women in relationships admit to being motivated to save more due to their partner’s bad financial habits, compared to 11 per cent of men.

John Prout of NS&I said “It is good to see that people in relationships are motivating one another to save significant sums of money.

“As well as helping each other save towards goals and providing more security in difficult times, these savings will make a difference for the bigger financial milestones that come during a relationship, like buying a home, or saving for life in retirement.”

NS&I’s research shows that there is a difference of opinion over who’s in control of the finances. Nearly half (47 per cent) of women in a relationship believe that they are splitting all of the couple’s costs evenly. However, only 27 per cent of men agree and a significant number say that they are paying for most joint items from their own finances. In almost all aspects of couples’ spending, from council tax to trips to the cinema, men believe they are footing the bill:

These differing views could be a result of not talking about savings in the early stages of relationships. While only three per cent of Britons say that discussing shared finances is taboo, people tend to a wait a long time to talk about savings. The most common moment for partners to first discuss savings is when they move in together (25 per cent) and a further 11 per cent wait until buying property together.

Older generations who have learned from experience would advise their children not to fall into this trap of failing to talk about money. Over a third (34 per cent) of people aged 65+ believe that savings should be discussed straight away in a relationship, compared to just six per cent of people aged 16-24.