Britons 'cutting everyday costs'

Britons are trimming their everyday costs as they deal with the effects of the recently-ended recession.

A study by Santander has found that eight out of ten people have made changes to lower their outgoings

Common examples of this include having fewer drinks in coffee shops and taking packed lunches to work instead of buying food in lunchtime.

Another 55 per cent are looking for cheaper groceries, which may also help those with debt management issues to stretch their purse strings.

Despite this, Santander noted, 74 per cent of people have not looked at their current accounts to see if they can get a better deal.

One lender that has made the most of people making decisions to switch their current accounts is the Co-operative bank.

The institution has doubled its share of the market from two per cent to four per cent between 2008 and 2009, a figure noted as "impressive" by banking specialist at financial analysis firm Defaqto David Black.