Women are more conscious of taking care of the pennies, but men claim to save more.

Discount vouchers, coupons and apps top the list of the nation’s favourite money saving tips, with half of UK adults using them to cut the cost of goods and services, according to research into the nation’s money saving habits, commissioned by Gocompare.com Savings and Nisas.

Smart shoppers save money on their food bills by taking packed lunches to work, ditching take-outs in favour of home cooking and downshifting to a cheaper supermarket.

42 per cent of people claim to have developed money savings instincts out of necessity, while 39 per cent said that they hate unnecessary spending. For 32 per cent saving was just a habit and 18 per cent said that they were ‘tight and proud of it’.

Claire Peate, customer insight manager at Gocompare.com, commented: “Women have in the past controlled household budgets within homes, buying the weekly shop and doing the cooking, so it’s not surprising that they top the table when it comes to money saving schemes. Men still tend to earn more therefore would have more disposable income to spend – so it makes sense that they would save more money by using these saving tactics.

“Our survey suggests that many people are feeling under pressure to save money to make their squeezed budgets go further. Coupons, vouchers and money-off apps are increasing in popularity and can cut the cost of a wide range of goods and services – from tins of beans, beauty treatments, driving lessons and car tyres, to meals out – helping people to save money on the things they need or want rather than cutting them out altogether.

“Another effective way to cut costs is to shop around for better deals – whether that’s on your weekly grocery shopping, household bills, insurances or other financial products – there are some significant savings to be made.”

The UK’s top 25 money saving tips 

1 Use vouchers, coupons, money-off apps 
2 Take a packed lunch to work 
3 Use loyalty and cashback schemes 
4 Turn the thermostat down to reduce heating bills 
5 Do more home cooking and batch cooking
6 Cut down on takeaway meals 
7 Shop around for insurances 
8 Keep a coin jar and save change 
9 Switch energy supplier 
10 Cut out takeaway coffee/coffee shop treats 
11 Draw up a budget and stick to it 
12 Plan meals, make a shopping list and stick to it 
13 Downshifting to a cheaper supermarket

14 Never impulse buy – sleep on it

15 Only use cash – not cards 

16 Take your own treats to the cinema 
17 Buy second-hand instead of new, use sites like eBay or Freecycle 
18 Review your satellite or cable subscription or cancel it altogether 
19 Don’t use a tumble dryer 
20 Never grocery shop on an empty stomach

21 Review your mobile phone contract or come off a contract altogether 

22 Leave the car at home and walk or use public transport 
23 Cut up your credit cards 
24 Transfer all credit card debt to a 0% card 
25 Holiday in the UK rather than abroad