The cost of being British: Brits spend £7 billion per year on being polite
Brits rack up a bill of almost £300 each year on items or activities they paid for just to be polite, with a huge 91% admitting to doing so, according to new research.
The study from leading savings site VoucherCodes.co.uk investigated where people spend money just to avoid awkwardness, confrontation or appearing impolite, to establish the true ‘cost of being British’. The findings show that respondents admit to spending an additional £23.27 each month – amounting to a national total of £7.1 billion per year on average [1].
Activities such as getting a round of drinks in or splitting the bill, despite having a cheaper meal than others, are ranked among the most common examples of Brits forking out extra cash just to be polite.
Top things that Brits do just to be polite:
| Rank | Activity | Percent of Brits admitting to spending money on activity |
| 1. | Buy an unplanned extra round of drinks | 46% |
| 2. | Stick around at an event for an extra drink | 42% |
| 3. | Split the bill in a restaurant, despite having a significantly cheaper meal than others | 41% |
| 4. | Not ask for money back which is owed | 36% |
| 5. | Donate money to charity | 34% |
The research also finds that 42% of Brits feel unable to say “no” to the extra spend in certain social situations, with 18-24-year-olds (50%) far more likely than over-55s (27%) to feel the need to pay more.
People from Cardiff are the most likely to maintain the typically British behaviour of spending to avoid coming across as impolite. Cardiffians drop almost three times the amount of cash Geordies do – those in Newcastle are the least likely to spend extra out of politeness.
Top five cities that spend the most on ‘being polite’:
| Rank | City | Extra amount spent on ‘being polite’ each year |
| 1. | Cardiff | £423 |
| 2. | Bristol | £402 |
| 3. | Plymouth | £398 |
| 4. | London | £379 |
| 5. | Liverpool | £275 |
Top five cities that spend the least on ‘being polite’:
| Rank | City | Extra amount spent on ‘being polite’ each year |
| 1. | Newcastle | £147 |
| 2. | Norwich | £169 |
| 3. | Sheffield | £210 |
| 4. | Leeds | £227 |
| 5. | Brighton and Hove | £236 |
Respondents also say they feel their friends often avoid paying their fair share in social situations, with tactics including not carrying cash (16%) or leaving social events before it is their turn to buy a round of drinks (24%). Despite 63% of people taking issue with friends or family not paying their fair share, the majority bite their tongue and just pay the extra – just 6% have ever fallen out over money-related issues.
However, there is a limit to our generosity when it comes to covering for a friend’s spending. The average Brit will happily forget about money owed to them until the debt reaches £14 – it’s at this point they consider asking for their money back.
