What would you do with a £10 note?

With the nation still reeling from the shock of entering a double-dip recession, UK adults have shown that they have a generous nature when it comes to a £10 note, according to protection specialists Bright Grey's Financial Safety Net research.

The new study shows that 50% of people would give £10 away to their family each month if they could afford to do so, with nearly one in four (24%) electing to give the money to charity. Less than one in five (19%) would opt to keep the extra £10 for themselves. Belfast is the most generous UK city where just six per cent of respondents said that they would keep the money themselves.

While the attitude reflects the fact that most people are prepared to help those around them and those in need, it also underlines how even in tough times, the impact of giving away £10 would not hit many people too hard. Some two in five adults (39%) said that they would not miss £10 a month - a figure that rises to 45% of men - while in London and Edinburgh nearly half (48%) believed that they would not miss a ‘tenner' on a monthly basis.

Roger Edwards, proposition director, Bright Grey, commented: "Even in these times of austerity, an amount of money like ten pounds wouldn't be missed every month. Most people would be keen to invest the money into their family or to help those less fortunate than themselves, which is great, but few suggesting that they would keep the money and put it towards their own lifestyle or to help protect their own future.

While a £10 note might not be missed by the majority of UK adults each month, it's an amount that could go a very long way towards helping people and their families if used in a way to help secure their finances."

Rather worryingly, only two in five people (41%) know exactly how their total income is spent on a monthly basis. A further 47% think that they know where their money is spent each month, while over one in ten (12%) are either unsure or have absolutely no idea where their money goes.

Roger Edwards added: "People need to ensure that their financial priorities are made so that they do not end up being wasteful with money. As little as £10 per month can provide people with up to £200,000 worth of vital life cover that can protect their families against the financial risks associated with the main source of household income, losing their life. Securing their financial future should be fundamental for families to work out, and there's little better way of spending a £10 note than to know that you have protection in place should the worst happen."