The “Politeness Premium”, an intersection of British etiquette and budgeting, sees a third of people overspending to avoid impoliteness or admitting financial constraints, reveals a study from hotukdeals.
In the battle between British etiquette and budgeting constraints, a recent hotukdeals study revealed that etiquette often wins ― at a considerable cost. Almost one-third of people confess to paying more than their ‘fair share’ of a restaurant bill just to avoid appearing impolite or admitting financial constraints.
This phenomenon, coined the ‘Politeness Premium’, has been studied extensively by the team at money-saving community hotukdeals. According to the research, 25% of Brits will buy the first round of drinks, spending an average of £18.80, just to evade social awkwardness.
Indeed, the quest for keeping up appearances transcends income levels. Half the respondents with higher incomes confessed to overspending simply to avoid appearing stingy or ungenerous. But the cost of ‘Politeness Premium’ is far from meagre. It seems that we are shelling out hundreds of pounds, and social anxiety continues keeping frugality at bay.
Amid these numbers, Liverpool stands out with a whopping 45% offering to buy the first round, while Cambridge is most likely to accept a free drink without returning the favour.
Not just nights out
The financial awkwardness is not limited to just night-out scenarios. A significant 19% confess to avoiding social events altogether to evade money-related discomfort. Despite budget constraints, an astonishing 13% of Brits never fail to tip at least 10%, although this action seems rather gendered, with men being more prone to tip than women.
The struggle to balance social expectations and fiscal realities even extends to saying no to costly invitations (spending £100s to go to a destination wedding for example), dealing with debts among friends and colleagues, and embracing budget-friendly solutions such as discount vouchers in public.
Consequently, there’s an obvious need for creating an environment of financial honesty. A noteworthy 22% admit they wish to discuss their financial limits more openly, but fear potential judgement.
Vix Leyton, a consumer expert and the False Economy podcast host said:
“Talking about money has been taboo for too long … we risk all falling into the trap of keeping up appearances when in reality, we would all prefer to spend a little less… It is clear that pride and avoiding awkward conversations is costing us hundreds a year, leaving us with even less to spend on the things we actually want to do.”
This ‘Politeness Premium’, therefore, throws light on an potentially uncomfortable but necessary conversation — the intersection of social expectations, personal finance, and the importance of financial literacy.
If you are looking for a great deal, or a voucher code to help you save, then don’t forget to visit hotukdeals — home to millions of deals hunters.
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