Lockdown has changed many of our spending habits and has allowed individuals a chance to save like never before. From using online vouchers and discounts codes to buying second-hand, shoppers are being extra savvy this year and are racking up some impressive savings.
Determined to find out where in the UK is home to the savviest spenders, discount code and charity fundraising website Savoo analysed new metrics to find out which locations were home to the thriftiest shoppers. By using the cost of living and monthly income to work out how much each person could potentially save, as well as looking into the number of Google searches for discount codes terms were made by each city, we were able to find out where folks have the biggest stash of cash.
Here’s where you can find the savviest spenders in the UK:
| Rank | City | Google searches for discount terms per 1,000 people | Estimated cost of living | Potential monthly saving |
| 1 | Coventry | 13.76 | £1,330 | £1,073 |
| 2 | Glasgow | 13.79 | £1,268 | £691 |
| 3 | Leeds | 9.28 | £1,298 | £713 |
| 4 | Manchester | 13.50 | £1,488 | £598 |
| 5 | Leicester | 14.56 | £1,197 | £530 |
| 6 | Belfast | 13.11 | £1,187 | £555 |
| 7 | Cardiff | 4.92 | £1,297 | £743 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 16.50 | £1,289 | £440 |
| 9 | Sheffield | 11.81 | £1,223 | £533 |
| 10 | Edinburgh | 11.61 | £1,492 | £467 |
| 11 | Bristol | 19.81 | £1,598 | £242 |
| 12 | Birmingham | 13.76 | £1,391 | £331 |
| 13 | Wakefield | 3.69 | £1,201 | £557 |
| 14 | Bradford | 6.73 | £1,038 | £469 |
| 15 | London | 9.74 | £2,534 | £292 |
The Midlands city Coventry comes in as home to the UK’s savviest spenders thanks to their highest potential savings of £1,073 a month. Making 14 searches per 1,000 residents each month for online promo codes and vouchers (which is the third-highest just after Bristol (20) and Liverpool (17)), their high potential savings propels them to the top of the charts.
It may come as no surprise to learn that our capital comes in last place. Londoners only have a potential monthly saving of £292 which is the second-lowest just after Bristol (£242) thanks to the city’s unsurprisingly high living cost of £2,534 a month. Not only that, our study found that Londoners are not as interested in saving money when shopping online, the capital makes just 10 searches for every 1,000 people for discount terms secure its position as the UK’s least savvy city when it comes to spending.
Savoo’s wider research also explored where in the world the savviest spenders live, using metrics such as household spending and saving, the number of flea markets available, Etsy listings, and the number of Google searches for discount codes.
Ranking in first place, Belgium is home to the world’s savviest spenders. Earning itself the crown thanks to their shopping and saving abilities, this western European country is filled with bargain hunters. Belgians make over 943,597 searches online for discount codes terms which works out to be a massive 81 searches per 1,000 people. The nation also has 2.1 Etsy products and flea markets available for every million residents. With an average household saving of £1,026 per year, this nation’s low debt and average disposable income after tax makes them the world’s savviest country.
The UK places in eighth position, with an average household saving of just £71 per year – a mere fraction of our Belgian counterparts. This is largely due to the UK’s high household debt* (£29,642) and lower average income in comparison to other nations (£20,675), according to OECD data.
Commenting on the findings, Ed Fleming, Managing Director at Savoo comments:
“Our report shows that being a savvy spender is not just about how much you save. Shopping smartly is one of the biggest contributors to being a savvy shopper and Belgians is hitting the nail on the head when it comes to this. Not only have they been crowned the world’s savviest spenders, but they have also consistently made the top for the different metrics we analysed. Taking those extra steps to being a savvy spender by searching online for discount codes or even by shopping second-hand is something we can all do to help put those few extra coins into our savings”.
Photo by energepic.com from Pexels
