It seems every week there is new research tracking consumer spending habits. One of the most recent surveys says that Britons are crazy about buying organic food - despite the higher cost. The UK is set to become Europe's biggest market for organic produce within five years according to researcher Datamonitor. A six-country survey of spending habits found that British shoppers were now changing to organic food at a greater rate than anywhere else in Europe.
Booze constitutes a sizeable part of many people's income too.
Londoners have the highest consumption of fruit juices and bottled water. People in Northern Ireland spent least on alcohol - but they are the heaviest smokers. Beyond fags and alcohol, having fun is also a growth industry. Another survey, this time on behalf of internet shopping system Smart Creds, analysed how much was spent on average on presents. It found men were bigger spenders.