Laziness costs the typical Brit almost £17,000 over the course of their lifetime, a report revealed yesterday.
A study found using the car wash when a bucket and sponge would do, not taking advantage of price comparison sites and driving rather than walking are the biggest drains on our finances. Not cancelling direct debits, putting wet clothes in the tumble drier rather than a washing line and getting people in to do which we could have carried out ourselves are also commonplace.
Nearly half of the 2,000 people who took part in the study said they would rather pay someone to do laborious tasks such as cleaning the windows than do it themselves.
Simon Healy of British bank Aldermore, which commissioned the study, said: ”The typical adult is more likely to be too busy to sort out their finances rather than being lazy, which we are all guilty of.
”But lots of savings can be made from very simple changes.
”We live in a world where we want everything to be done as quickly as possible so if that means we throw clothes in the tumble dryer and pay for the car to be washed rather than getting our own hands dirty, then that will all come at a cost.
”Many people will not automatically think of the cost when using the car or cranking up the central heating to dry clothes more quickly but it will all add up.”
The report also found the average Brit could save £52 a year just from cancelling pointless direct debit payments. Washing their own cars would save £68 a year and cleaning windows would save £72 a year. One in ten of those polled said it’s easier to shell out the cash than do the job themselves.
One third of Brits never bother to turn appliances off at the wall, one in three throw out food on a daily basis and 12 per cent say they are too lazy to shop around for insurance and go with the first option. Similarly one in ten adults said they book more expensive train tickets because they are too lazy to work out the most cost effective deals.
A bone idle 12 per cent said they often keep unwanted clothes because it’s too much effort to take them back to the shop. The study also found even when shopping for expensive purchases like TV’s, cars and mortgage deals one in ten adults said they go for the first deal they come across.
Of those, 43 per cent said they couldn’t be bothered to shop around, a third said they didn’t have time and one in five said they can afford to spend a bit more so shopping around for the best deal isn’t necessary. Despite this, those who fail to shop around reckon they could have saved £757 over the last few years if they had been a savvy consumer.
Another third of respondents admitted they were lazy when it comes to their finances – one in twenty parents who completed the poll said they tend to give their children dinner money rather than have the hassles of preparing a packed lunch. And ten per cent said they could cancel gym membership they don’t make use of.
But lending money can also leave us out of pocket with 36 per cent of people claiming to not bother pursuing people they have lent cash to. On average the typical person has lent £254 to friends or family which they never got back and were too lazy to chase up.
Simon Healy added: ”When making big purchases or when looking for a mortgage or loan or even a savings account, it’s important to look for the best deal but the first one will rarely be the most cost effective and I’m staggered the survey revealed that one in ten plumped for the first deal they came across.
”Everyone has to balance time and money, so if you are so hectic that you don’t have time to do the more mundane things in life yourself, it may be worth paying someone to do those things for you.”
TOP LAZINESS TRAITS
1. Leaving appliances on standby
2. Throwing out uneaten food
3. Buying new shoes rather than repairing old ones
4. Buying more of everything at the supermarket rather checking what you need
5. ‘Buying it Now’ on auction sites rather than waiting
6. Drying clothes in a tumble dryer
7. Turning up the central heating to dry clothes
8. Staying with the same insurance provider rather than shopping around
9. Driving to work rather than walking or cycling
10. Not bothering to get a refund on unwanted clothes
