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It is surprising that despite the current economic downturn, Britons admit that they are still managing to regularly save.

Such is the assertion of a National Savings and Investments spokesperson, who says that he finds the fact that 47 per cent of people who claim that they regularly put money to one side as unanticipated.

Indeed, such a statistic is even more surprising with the reduction of disposable income, he adds, a financial worry that may lead individuals to take out a loan in order to cover the costs of a venture.

"I think in these uncertain times we would hope that people are starting to save more to give a buffer against this uncertainty," he states.

Furthermore, the Office for National Statistics found that people's savings ratio - the amount of disposable income that is saved - stood at 0.4 per cent in the second quarter of 2008, up from -1.1 per cent in the first quarter.

However, households which find themselves in the situation of having no spare cash may want to take out secured loans to cover the costs of a new car, home improvements or an extended winter getaway.