NEARLY half of Britons regularly save, with one in five people who set money aside claiming they are saveaholics, research from National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has revealed.

About 48 per cent of people regularly saved money during the three months to the end of August - up from 46 per cent during the previous three months.

The average amount being saved rose to £81.43 a month, compared with £77.55 in the previous quarter, or 6.22 per cent of people's incomes, up from 6.02 per cent.

The amount set aside increases to an average of £173.73 a month once those who are not saving are stripped out. NS&I said it was the first time that all measures of savings had increased since autumn 2005.

The main reason people save has changed, with 42 per cent now saving for an emergency, replacing savings for a holiday and retirement as the most popular goal.

Just under half of people said they worried if they wasted money and 42 per cent did not like dipping into savings to fund unplanned purchases.

About 29 per cent had turned down holidays, social engagements, buying clothes and carrying out home renovations in order to maximise the amount they set aside.

One in 10 extremely stingy people even said they had not bought presents for people in order to boost savings, while 8 per cent avoided buying rounds of drinks.

Just over a quarter of people admitted being obsessive about shopping around for the best deals on purchases.

Senior savings strategist at NS&I, Dax Harkins said: "This demonstrates there's a group of British savers who aren't only in the black but committed to saving every little penny.

"It's positive to see that over half of savers say they regularly save a small amount."

Women are more likely to be saveaholics than men with 22 per cent of females saying they are addicted to setting money aside, compared with 18 per cent of men.

Communications director for Bournemouth based financial services group LV= Nigel Snell commented: "Our own research shows that Dorset families face huge costs just to meet everyday family needs: raising a child in the south west from birth to age 21 could cost parents a staggering £185,000 - higher than the national average of £180,000.

"Meanwhile locally a residential care home for an elderly family member can cost up to £680 per week.

"These figures show that many of today's parents are sandwiched between the costs of raising their own children, and the contribution many of them will make - either in money or time - towards the care of their own elderly parents.

"All of this shows how essential it is that everyone should try to save regularly, if only a little and often."