A Quarter Of Women Hide Savings From Their Partner

Do you pocket spare pennies into a savings jar? Do you put away a little extra each month into a secret account? Most likely the answer is yes, most of us do. But do we all tell our partners about it, or are we squirreling away on the quiet in case things aren’t so good one day? Well nearly a quarter of British women are hiding ‘a considerable sum’ of cash from their husband or partner, according to a recent study.

Researchers polled a cross-section of women and have revealed that the typical female Brit has £2,768 either in cash or in secret bank accounts that they are purposely keeping from their other half.

And while 31% of women are setting money aside for an exotic holiday – more worryingly, 23% are saving on the quiet in case they need an ‘exit strategy’ from their relationship. Surprised?

More than one in ten of those questioned admitted to having at least one account set up in their maiden name in order to keep it incognito. However, most women in the UK believe they would need at least £21,164 in order to set up a new life away from their current long-term partner.

In fact, 13% of ladies have even entrusted the help of Mum and Dad to hide the cash for them, and nearly a fifth said they’ve given lump sums to their best friend to stash away.

Nearly one in ten have gone the extra mile to avoid suspicion and have even opened an off-shore account for their savings!

A spokesman for autoeurope.co.uk who conducted the poll, told Belle About Town: “It is wise to have some savings set aside, but personal preference whether you want to share your finances with your other half or not. However, it could seem one-sided if one partner is openly sharing knowledge about their savings and investments and the other is slyly squirreling away their money.”

The poll found that 26% of girls who have secret funds did admit to feeling guilty about it, but 16% felt it couldn’t hurt to have some cash saved for a rainy day.

Over a quarter of the 1,500 women studied said it was vital to remain financially independent whether you were in a relationship or not. However, a slightly hypocritical 42% said they would be furious if their partner had savings they weren’t aware of… But then more than half said they would be thrilled if their partner announced they had a secret stash of their own.

• Where do you stand on secret saving? Is it wise to save for rainier relationship days, or invest everything into the here and now? We’d love to hear from you at editor@belleabouttown.com!