Nearly half of people polled said they stashed some cash in case their relationship broke down, according to the survey by www.vouchercloud.com.

However, 40% kept secret savings because they did not trust their partner with money and 32% liked to have their own funds.

The majority of respondents (57%) hid their secret cash in a savings account. But 31% kept their money in a current account and 25% asked a friend or family member to look after their stash.

More than half (56%) said they had no intention of telling their partner about their hidden money even though 70% admitted they would personally be annoyed to find out that their partner had ‘secret savings’ without their knowledge.

Matthew Wood of vouchercloud.com said: “It seems we Britons keep tight-lipped about the savings we have stashed away, with even our nearest and dearest being left in the dark. Savings tucked away for personal use are always a good idea as, let’s face it, no one know what’s around the corner. Whether or not you tell your partner about them is entirely up to you- your money is your money, so if you want to keep some back for a rainy day, I say why not?”