Tricks of modern Scrooges

Modern-day misers are finding new ways to preserve their pennies, such as swapping good wine for cheap plonk at parties or returning clothes after wearing them once, a study shows.

Today's Scrooges resort to tricks such as ringing a friend and then hanging up in the hope that the other person will dial 1471 and call back - picking up the bill in the process.

As many as three in 10 try this, while nearly half will contrive to use work phones and internet connections, said the survey of 1,200 adults by supermarket Somerfield.

The store group identified two types of savers, " antisocials" and "sharp-eyed".

Anti-socials practise scams to save cash and are more likely to be younger. Two thirds use text messages instead of ringing because it saves cash.

And old habits die hard. One in 10 anti-social savers will find an excuse to not buy a round of drinks in the pub.

Three in 10 people pretend to put money into the collection for a colleague who is leaving but do not (yet they still sign the card that goes round the office).

Sharp-eyed savers, meanwhile, are not so much trying to pull a fast one as trying to be careful with their cash. They are more likely to be aged between 40 and 60, said Somerfield.

The survey was commissioned for the launch of Somerfield's Saver Card loyalty scheme.

A spokesman: "The results demonstrate that we are all shrewd and canny about the price we pay for our everyday groceries."