North West folk are literally counting the cost of being too polite!

A new study has shown that the average person in the North West spends an extra £24.81 a month on purely being polite. And this stacks up to an incredible £297.68 a year!

The most common things people have lost money on to save face are:

* Sticking around at social events and buying an unplanned extra drink (40%).

* Buying a round of drinks for others (39%).

* Splitting the bill in restaurants despite having cheaper meals (39%)

* Not asking for money back that is owed to them (38%)

* Donating money to charity (34%)

Just four per cent of people have fallen out with friends/family when they haven’t paid their fair share and generally people in the North West are too polite ask for money back from friends until it is an amount of £13.75 or more.

The study, from leading savings sites VoucherCodes.co.uk has found that Brits spend £7billion a year on being polite.

The research was carried out to find where people spend money just to avoid awkwardness, confrontation or appearing impolite to establish the 'true cost of being British.'

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.

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 six per cent 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.

Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk said: “Brits have a reputation for being especially polite and non-confrontational but, as the research shows, this quite literally comes at a cost.

"Buying an extra drink when out with friends might seem insignificant on its own, but each of these small costs can really add up – I’m sure most of us can think of many things we’d rather spend £279 on! "