Oxford is the health capital of the UK - but Cardiff is the junk food capital

Oxford is the dining out capital of the UK, with folk from the historic, university city splashing out £1,270 a year on meals in restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Researchers from VoucherCodes took a detailed look into the nation’s shopping habits and revealed a spending map of the UK – with the people of Cardiff also emerging as the biggest spenders on health and fitness.

Not surprisingly, London was revealed as the fashion capital (a whopping £1,179 is spent each year per person on shoes, handbags and clothes.)

And according to the data, the junk food capital of the UK is Cardiff, with residents of the Welsh capital spending £86.80 every month (£1,041 a year) on take-aways and fast food - more than any other City in the U.K.

But when it comes to the grocery shop, those in Cambridge spend the most, with the typical family forking out £3,541 every year on food and drink for the family.

The poll revealed Londoners are by far and away the most cultured, splashing out more than the rest of the UK on books, art and theatre trips.

But those living in Sheffield and Norwich were the biggest gamers - with residents of both cities spending £52 a month on new games, downloads and apps, more than any other Cities in the UK.

And it appears Geordies are the biggest lovers of holidays and mini-breaks – those living in Newcastle spending an average of £1,781 annually on trips away in the UK and abroad.

Those residing in the southern city of Plymouth spent the most time online shopping, with the typical resident spending nearly 10 hours A WEEK browsing the net for everything from clothes and food to trips away.

But Liverpudlians were the most likely to still hit the high-street and shop ‘in person’ with the average Scouserdedicating five hours a week to shopping in store.

Anita Naik, Consumer Editor at VoucherCodes said: “What the spending map shows is that we are a nation who likes to treat ourselves. However, what classifies as a ‘treat’ is very dependent on where you live. Meaning one person’s Friday night takeaway is another’s new pair of shoes or in app purchase. Using apps like VoucherCodes can save you money on all types of different treats, so it’s worth taking a look before you spend.”

Half of the 1,500 adults who completed the poll described themselves as good with money and extremely frugal – but an honest 11 percent said they were terrible when it comes to managing money.

But the average Brit blows all their wages 15 days after getting paid – and as many as 53 percent said they often find themselves with no cash left at all.

54 percent of us are savvy enough to set ourselves a monthly budget but 28 percent said they always fail to stick to it.

Six in ten adults who took part in the study said they often buy new purchases behind their partners back – with 43 percent of adults saying this has been a big cause of marital rows.

In fact – the average man and wife have one financial bust-up every month, with those living in Birmingham the most likely to fall-out.

Clothes were described as Brits’ biggest weakness, followed by holidays and technical gadgets.

But the poll found savvy shoppers use voucher sites or apps four times a month in a bid to bag a bargain.


SPEND CAPITALS OF THE UK

• Oxford – Dining Out Capital - £1,270 a year on meals out
• Oxford – Health and Fitness Capital - £921 a year on gym memberships and classes
• London – Fashion Capital - £1,179 a year on clothes, shoes, handbags and accessories
• London – Culture Capital - £819 a year on books, theatre trips and gigs
• Cardiff – Junk Food Capital - £1,041 a year on take-aways and fast food
• Cambridge – Grocery Shopping Capital - £3,541 a year on food shopping
• Sheffield / Norwich – Gaming Capitals - £625 a year on new games, downloads and in app purchases
• Newcastle – Holiday Capital - £1,781 a year on holidays and mini breaks

ENDS

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