Are you a Spendy Sarah or a Thrifty Tina? 

A new survey suggests we're a nation of frugal females - perhaps no bad thing in these recessionary times.

According to the research (carried out on behalf of HB to mark the launch of the €1 Cornetto), we bargain hunters find much to love about saving some dough. When asked what they loved so much about finding a bargain, 25 per cent of respondents said they love the thrill of getting something for nothing, 31 per cent said they were just broke and 20 per cent said they felt guilty when they overspent on things.

Those hailing from Cavan are considered the most frugal county (20 per cent) followed by Dublin (15 per cent) and Cork (7 per cent).

Most (63 per cent) keep their small change safely stored in a trusty piggybank for those rainy days.

As for the top 10 ways Irish people are saving in 2015:

1.       Waiting for the sales to splurge     71%

2.       Stealing toiletries and biscuits from hotel rooms and take them home     67%

3.       Collecting money off coupons     66%

4.       Cutting the bottom off cream/moisturiser tubes to get that last bit     52%

5.       Eating food that’s gone past its sell-by-date to save it from the bin     36%

6.       Asking for a doggy bag in restaurants      34%

7.       Dying their hair at home     30%

8.       Taking the trip North of the border in search of bargains     27%

9.       Cutting their hair at home     10%

10.   Avoiding tipping service people altogether     10%

Despite the tenth item on the list, it seems Irish people are still good when it comes to leaving that little bit extra for service providers. Almost all of those surveyed (89 per cent) are still tipping, with 10 per cent the preferred amount. Waiters (73 per cent), hairdressers (49 per cent) and taxi drivers (48 per cent) are the top three benefitting from tips while mechanics and hotel staff weren’t so lucky with just 4 per cent and 14 per cent of people reporting that they tip these groups.

Twenty per cent of Irish people overall would pursue their friend for €5 they were owed. One third would chase their friend for €10 - €15 euro. Women seem to be either more generous or just keen to avoid the awkwardness of asking for money back with over half (56 per cent) choosing to forget about loaned money altogether.

The research shows that when it comes to paying for dates, Irish men still want to make chivalrous gestures. A huge 60 per cent of men think they should be the ones to pay for the first day despite 71 per cent of women saying the bill should be split equally and just 28 per cent of women saying their date should pay. If that first date leads to more, 36 per cent of men believed they should continue paying for subsequent dates despite an overwhelming 96 per cent of women saying the bill should be split equally.