Partners 'help men to save more'

Men are more likely than women to be influenced to save more money because of the good example set by their partner, a study has found.

Nearly a third (31%) of men said that their spouse is good at saving and this has encouraged them to put more cash aside themselves, compared with a quarter (26%) of women who said this, said Treasury-backed financial provider NS&I.

One in 10 men said their other half's bad savings habits were forcing them to save harder themselves, compared with a higher proportion of women, at 15%.

Men tended to put higher sums of money away than women as a result of being motivated by their other half, at £85 a month or £1,020 a year.

Young men aged between 25 and 34 were found to be particularly heavily influenced by their spouse, saying they were putting aside around £100 a month or £1,200 a year more than they otherwise would.

Women said they put an average of £50 a month or £600 annually directly because of their partner.

However, while nearly half of women in a relationship believed that they are splitting all of the couple's costs evenly, only around a quarter of men agreed.

Around twice as many men than women said they normally foot the full bill for the couple's leisure activities and nearly half said they pay for household bills and council tax from their own finances compared with a fifth of women. Four in 10 men said they pick up the tab for food shopping, compared with a third of women.

John Prout, NS&I director, said: "Many couples will be making purchases like holidays relatively soon into their relationships. Along with costs like eating out, this can start to add up and it is a good idea to talk about setting money aside to fund these outgoings."

Some 2,427 people took part in the study across Britain.