UK consumers tell at least four lies a day, according to the latest survey, but while most are harmless, a quarter of people regularly fib about debt problems they are in.

Two separate surveys have revealed the lies people tell their partners, colleagues and friends and while the odd ‘white’ lie isn’t going to cause too many problems, lying about the family finances could lead to trouble.

A study by Engage Mutual found that women in partnerships are most likely to keep quiet about their finances with one in ten hiding their debt and credit card bills and a further ten per cent admit to having a secret stash and almost a third fib about the cost of luxury items to make them seem less expensive.

While women who earn their own income are far more likely to hide their finances from their partner with 41 per cent of women in a relationship where both partners work claim to keep their finances secret, compared to 22 per cent of men.

Karl Elliott, 3GB spokesperson for Engage Mutual comments: “It is important that couples discuss their finances, particularly when children are involved. Understanding the state of your joint finances before a situation gets out of control could help to alleviate problems further down the line.”

A second study by alcoholic drinks brand, WKD, found that a quarter of the female respondents interviewed also admitted to fibbing about the amount of debt they are in and a further 44 per cent said they have lied about how much new clothes really cost them.

The list of lies, which looked at the top twenty most regularly used porkies, includes: “nothing’s wrong – I’m fine” which polled top with 28 percent of respondents, followed by “Nice to see you”, “I haven’t got any cash on me”, “I’ll give you a ring”, “Sorry, I missed your call”, “We’ll have to meet up soon” and “I’m on my way”.

Interestingly, two-thirds of those polled said they feel no guilt when telling lies and a confident four in ten thing they are actually good liars.

And while women tended to lie about how many pennies they spent or how many pounds they weigh, one in five males interviewed said they would lie to their girlfriend in order to go to the pub or watch sport while a further quarter claim to have told a partner that she looks good in an outfit, despite thinking the opposite.

Other popular lies Brit’s like to tell include: “We’re just friends”, “My watch stopped”, “I’ve got a call on the other line”, “I’ve been in meetings all day”, “It’s just what I’ve always wanted”, “I wrote your number down incorrectly”, “It was this big!”, “I’m working late tonight”, “I bought the last one” and “My car wouldn’t start”.

© Fair Investment Company Ltd