The key to surviving the credit crunch could be to stay single. Nearly half of all Britain s single men admit that the key to saving money is staying relationship free – that s according to new research out today from Skipton Building Society, the UK s 6

The key to surviving the credit crunch could be to stay single. Nearly half of all Britain's single men admit that the key to saving money is staying relationship free - that's according to new research out today from Skipton Building Society, the UK's 6th largest building society.

The Skipton survey, conducted by YouGov, asked more than 2,400 GB adults what effect being in a relationship had on their finances.

And it's not good news for women. The results suggest that famous singletons, such as George Clooney and fictional super-spy James Bond, could be the new role models for millions of British Bachelors during the Credit Crunch.

Specifically nearly a third (32%) of all single Londoners surveyed admitted that they would spend more money than they currently do if they were to enter into a relationship. This could mean, especially in today's economic climate, almost half of Britain's 9 million single men could soon all become 'Bachelors of Finance' - staying relationship free in a bid to protect their finances!

Other key findings for London included:

- two thirds (66%) admit to still spending more than they save

- over a quarter (26%) see themselves as the biggest spender in their family

- 19% of Londoners believe they have inherited their spending habits form their Father - more than in any other region