Nearly 5 million men save money by staying single

The key to surviving the Credit Crunch could be to stay single as nearly half of all Britain's single men admit that the key to saving money is staying relationship-free, whilst a staggering 90% said they'd avoid romantic commitments altogether because of the downturn - that's according to research from Skipton Building Society.

Additional research conducted by YouGov asked more than 2,400 GB adults what effect being in a relationship had on their finances.

And it's not good news for women. The results suggest that famous singletons, such as George Clooney and fictional super-spy James Bond, could be the new role models for millions of British Bachelors during the Credit Crunch.

Nearly half (47%) of all single men surveyed admitted that they would spend more money than they currently do if they were to enter into a relationship. This could mean, especially in today's economic climate, almost half of Britain's 9 million single men could soon all become ‘Bachelors of Finance' - staying relationship free in a bid to protect their finances!

The good news for men is that it's not just your wallet that could benefit by staying single. It appears that ‘Gorgeous George' may have retained his good looks for a reason. Relationship experts, including Paula Hall, continue to cite ‘arguments about money' as a major cause of relationship angst. Out of those surveyed, two fifths of those in a relationship claimed to researchers that their partner was a spender rather than a saver; this rose to nearly half (49%) in the South East where the ‘Hag' (Hedge Fund Girlfriend) still seems to reign supreme.

Jason Clarke, head of PR at Skipton Building Society, comments: "We're noting a real view amongst men that the single life is the cheaper life! In these results men certainly take the view that having a partner comes at a financial cost. So perhaps single girls should be avoiding bars and heading for the building society to meet an eligible bachelor!"

Want to try and bag yourself a man who knows how to save? -Then head to Wales as the nation tops the polls when it comes to male savers. Sixteen percent of men admitted to saving more than they spend, compared to the West Midlands, which came out bottom at just 9%.

On the other hand, and perhaps influenced by shopaholic ‘Wags', including Coleen Rooney, Alex Curran and Victoria Beckham, 71 percent of women questioned confessed they still spent more on non-essentials than they saved, despite the gloomy financial climate.

And, if women are looking for someone to blame for their spending habits then they need look no further than their own mother. When asked which family member they thought they had inherited their spending patterns from, nearly 30% of women said it was dear old Mum.