The UK's most penny-pinching cities

We all like getting value for money, but where can you find the UK’s most savvy shoppers?

With money being tight for most of us, it seems Brits have embraced the habit of scrimping and saving. According to research from Santander, people are saving an average of £346 by hunting around for better deals on purchases such as holidays, mobile phone insurance, clothing and groceries.

The internet is the preferred tool for bargain hunting with 25% of respondents using price comparison, money-saving and voucher sites.

On a national level, these savings have amounted to a massive £14 billion during the past year.

Money-saving hotspots

As part of its research, Santander also looked at which of the UK’s major cities are saving the most money through their bargain-hunting habits.

Hats off to the people of Birmingham who seem to be the most savvy with their finances and save an average of £528 a year. Next up, Bristol and Newcastle were the second and third most frugal regions.

In contrast, residents of Leicester have the least success when it comes to bargain hunting and record average yearly savings of £240.

Britain's top bargain-hunter cities

City/town	Amount saved per year
Birmingham	£528
Bristol	£499
Newcastle	£466
Leeds	£420
Cardiff	£390
London	£357
Manchester	£349
Nottingham	£330
Sheffield	£329
Liverpool	£308
Southampton	£282
Edinburgh	£279
Glasgow	£270
Belfast	£252
Leicester	£240
National average	£346

Source: Santander

Luckily, there are a number of ways to you can potentially secure a bargain on your shopping – wherever you live in the UK.

The great haggling dilemma

For many of us, the idea of asking for a lower price is quite simply mortifying – I’d die of embarrassment, they’ll think I’m crazy, it’s just not very British…

However, you could potentially save a small fortune if you swallow your pride and start haggling – even in large shops and retailers. While haggling may be commonplace in discount outlets and markets, it is also possible on the high street if you can brave the slight social embarrassment.

Remember, you’re more likely to secure a discount if you’re dealing with someone who actually has the authority to reduce prices, such as an assistant manager. Maintaining a polite and diplomatic front could also improve your chances of haggling successfully.

Get something for nothing

By using websites such as Freecycle or Freegle, you could potentially pick up an item that someone else no longer has any use for – free of charge.

From an environmental point of view, these websites aim to reduce landfill waste – though online etiquette means you should also donate an item when claiming a freebie.

Don’t buy what you don’t need

It’s common sense that forking out for items that you never use is one of the most significant wastes of money.

The average UK homeowner has more than £2,800 in clutter sitting in their attic, according to research from the Co-operative Bank.

If you have items lying around your home that you no longer use, you could make a bit of extra cash by selling these online or at a car boot sale.

For more information, check out The £2,817 fortune in your attic.

**This material is for information purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. We strongly encourage our readers not to rely solely on this content, but to seek independent advice when making financial decisions.**

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