Companies may be more inclined to put discount vouchers in their booklet labels after a new survey revealed the extent of which bargain-hunting has taken off in Britain.

A survey by Halifax Home Insurance found that nine out of ten adults in the UK now uses coupons or looks for deals when buying things, with nearly half admitting they now do this more because of the economic downturn.

The average adult could be saving as much as £1,196 a year by looking for deals, special offers and promotional labels, amounting to a collective £51 billion.

Only one per cent reported being too embarrassed to redeem coupons, while one in ten said they get annoyed with their partner if they do not try to save money.

Halifax Home Insurance spokesperson Lindsay Forster said: "The recent downturn has made us more careful about what we spend and more savvy in searching for savings and getting a good deal matters."

This comes after Markit found that 40 per cent of families witnessed a decline in their finances between July and August, the worst figure since the recession in 2009.

Denny Bros Ltd, 24 August 2011