Research by Scottish Widows has revealed the spending habits of British men, with a fifth comparing themselves to tightwad Ian Beale from Eastenders.

Over a third of men admit that they could be described as diligent or thrifty with their finances. The survey asked both men and women which fictional soap character or celebrity best matched their personality when it came to money. Shockingly, the results revealed that more men financially identify with Ian Beale than anyone else.

In contrast, while men keep a firm grip on their wallets, women are more likely to identify with another Eastenders’ character, the financially messy Honey Mitchell, with 17% of women saying that, like her, they are always short of money and 15% of women saying that they ‘seem to have one financial crisis after another’.

Shopaholics Carrie Bradshaw and David Beckham resonated with only 6% of people, while just as many identified with the debt troubled Peggy Mitchell.

Mike Hoban, customer & brand marketing director of Scottish Widows, said: “It’s great that so many men see themselves as financially responsible, but they have to make sure that what they are doing with any savings pays off in the long term.

“There’s no point in saving money now if they end up simply splashing it all at once in a few years time. Putting a little aside each month and planning carefully for the future will stop them running into a financial crisis in later years.”