Family time, physical health and a faithful partner among top 50 things Brits value most in life, a study reveals

POLITENESS, family time, strong coffee, a faithful partner and eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, among the 50 things Britons value most in life, according to a new study.

Researchers surveyed the nation, to discover the people, institutions and things we place the most value on in modern life, with family time emerging as the thing we cherish most (44 per cent).

A happy, settled homelife (43 per cent) came second, followed by good physical health (41 per cent) and a loving, faithful partner (35 per cent).

And when it comes to rest, 21 per cent of Britons believe eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is something to be truly valued in modern life.

The study by Travelodge found that family-loving Brits also cherish their other half (29 per cent), their parents (33 per cent), and spending time with their kids (32 per cent).

While 33 per cent said they value the NHS, a host of less traditional aspects also made the list, including being able to park outside your house (10 per cent), being able to watch Netflix (17 per cent) and being allowed to work from home (10 per cent).

And Brits also value their freedom with around 21 per cent saying the freedom to travel whenever and wherever we want was a precious gift, while freedom of speech scored 19 per cent.

12 per cent rated a weekend lie-in one of the main things they value, while the same number enjoy the chance for regular weekends away and 20 per cent place value on the ability to have a whole day of doing nothing.

We enjoy value itself, as in today’s world 28 per cent of people value getting a bargain, 16 per cent say they like service with a smile but only 9 per cent value social media in our lives.

VALUE-SEEKING NATION

Clean water from the tap (30 per cent), a good cup of tea (22 per cent) and having a garden (25 per cent) also scored well.

Good mental health (38 per cent), belly laughing with friends (35 per cent) and honesty in all your relationships (34 per cent) also made the top 50.

According to the survey an overwhelming 91 per cent of those polled thought that as a nation our values have changed and evolved over the years.

41 per cent think we are less community minded than previous generations, while 59 per cent feel as a nation we’re completely immersed in an online world.

A further 26 per cent believe we have far higher expectations for our lives than our parents ever did, while a further 31 per cent said they want more from their life than their mother and father did.

However, one in ten (11 per cent) believe modern Brits are savvier with cash than ever before, wanting more bang for our buck.

91 per cent of the 1,500 British adults polled believe value for money is more important in Britain than ever before, with 95 per cent admitting they always shop around for the best deals.

And 84 per cent of those polled said we’re now more experience driven than any previous generation.

Shakila Ahmed, from Travelodge said: “Our research shows that we have become a value seeking nation that is striving to get the most out of all aspects of our lives. We want our time, money, friendship and love to work hard for us and provide a good return.”

“We are seeing a growing trend in more Britons maximising their leisure time by eliminating the traditional two week holiday and booking lots of short breaks throughout the year.

"This way they can extend their leisure time throughout the year with more experiences and have multiple short bursts of quality time with family and friends.”

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