1m Brits Have Secret Credit Card To Hide Lavish Purchases From Other Half
London: More than one million people of Britain have a secret credit card they use to hide extravagant purchases from their partner, a new study has revealed.
Women generally use their card to buy clothes and shoes, while men often use theirs to pay for expensive gadgets and alcohol .
The study by Debenhams Personal Finance discovered that over half of adults - 54 percent - lie to their loved ones about the number and price of items they buy.
Six in ten hide the truth from their partners and a third lie to their parents.
14 percent hid the truth, as they get embarrassed to be seen splashing out during a recession, while 18 percent are 'ashamed' of their extravagance.
However, just one in ten men and women believe their partner lie to them about their spending, the poll of 2,000 people found.
Surprisingly, eight percent also keep a secret stash of cash and three percent have a secret credit card - that's 1.18 million adults.
Beautician Ann Evans, from Portsmouth, Hants, said that she often hides purchases from her boyfriend because they are 'embarrassingly expensive'.
"My boyfriend and I are supposed to be keeping a close eye on our spending as we save for a mortgage," the Daily Mail quoted the 27-year-old as saying.
"However, if I'm out shopping with friends I can rarely resist buying a new pair of shoes - or two.The shoes I buy can be embarrassingly expensive so there's no way I can tell my boyfriend how much I really pay for them.
"Thankfully he does not know a great deal about fashion so I can tell him they cost much less and he's none the wiser.I did have a secret credit card I used to put some purchases on but I was rumbled when I went to pay with it by mistake when I was with him," she said.
Mike Hazell, from Debenhams, said that the study proved that during tough economic conditions people become "less extravagant with their lifestyles" and are "choosing to play down the true cost of some of their purchases and in some cases even hiding it".
"They admit to feeling guilty or even embarrassed about splashing out on luxuries at a time when many of us are experiencing a strain on our personal finances," Hazell said.
"As long as you act sensibly, if you are going to treat yourself, a credit card can be a good way to make sure you don't go past your overdraft limit and incur fees and it can also help build up your credit rating.
"But if you really cannot afford something, you should resist temptation and save up for it instead," Hazell added.
