32% of singles 'prefer prudent men'

Gaming giant Betfair is considering flotation amid discussions over firm's future

One in three single women in the UK find prudent men sexier than spendthrifts, research has revealed.

Far from being turned off by tightness, 32% said they found frugal partners more attractive than dates who flash their cash, in a survey by moneysupermarket.com.

This may be just as well, given that nearly one in four (24%) of single men said they would have no qualms about whipping out a money-off voucher - even on a first date.

A third of cash-strapped male singletons (36%) said they made further cuts on courtship by always insisting on splitting the bill according to what they ordered, while one in seven admitted they would never leave a tip.

Newcastle men were found to be the most frugal first-daters, with more than one in three (36%) saying they would happily use a voucher deal to reduce their bill. Scottish men were the most generous, with almost eight in 10 single Scots (78%) saying they would not dream of "discount dating".

But almost half of single women (43%) said they would happily go on a second "discount date" and only one in five (22%) said they would find it a complete turn off.

Alistair Shrimpton, Dating Direct managing director, said: "With purse strings being tightened by both sexes, using a voucher has become a symbol of financial savviness without appearing too cheap.

"We have seen a real change in dating etiquette over the past few years. We have gone from an era of men expected to pay for dates to restaurant bills being split down the middle as a statement of equality."

Research was carried out by OnePoll, who interviewed 5,010 UK consumers in April 2009.