Are Men Hopeless Romantics?
New research out today reveals that men are more hopeless than romantic when it comes to treating their partners.
More than half of women (55 per cent) have not been surprised with a gift in over a year, while a fifth of women (19 per cent) buy their own flowers rather than wait for flowers to be bought for them.
The study by Sheilas' Wheels home insurance found that chivalry is fading fastest amongst young men.
One in ten (10 per cent) men under 25 confessed that they had passed off a gift from someone else as a gift that they had bought for their partner, while one in five (18 per cent) had even given their other half a gift that they had received for free.
It's small wonder just over half of young women (51 per cent) now pick up or split the bill on a first date.
As many 'other halves' have long suspected, nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of men surveyed said that they buy their flowers at a petrol station, while three quarters (72 per cent) of young men under 25 said they rarely or never buy flowers for their partner.
The modern world is even turning the balance of flower giving around, one in three women (29 per cent) have bought flowers for their spouse or partner.
Proving that young men's brains are more 'sieve than give' a whopping 62 per cent of men under the age of 25 confess to not knowing when their anniversary is, and despite years of coupledom only two thirds of men (66 per cent) over 55 know their anniversary off by heart.
Only three per cent of women said they've forgotten an anniversary compared with nearly one in ten men.
And when it comes to present buying its women that put in more effort. The study found that women spend an astonishing 24 days planning a gift for their other half for a special occasion, while men take just 16 days.
A third (31 per cent) of men even admitted that they only search for a gift the day before they give it to their partner.
Women are most likely to buy clothes for their other half, spending £68.14 per year on average, with one in ten (eleven per cent) women under 25 splashing out more than £250 a year.
Men are most likely to opt for jewellery at an average cost of £81.49 per year. Chocolate and artisan treats also come high on men's gifts to their other halves spending £73.66 a year.
Jacky Brown at Sheilas' Wheels home insurance commented: "Men may think of themselves as Prince Charmings, but it seems that many are losing their touch and could learn a great deal from their parents or grandparents when it comes to chivalry.
"Gifts are an important way of keeping the love alive - and should be about the thought not the price.
That's lucky since a piece of jewellery worth £1,500 looks like a pipe dream given these stats but if it does miraculously arrive it needs to be specified on your home insurance policy."
People in the East Midlands buy more flowers than anywhere else in the UK as almost half (42 per cent) of those surveyed said that they regularly buy their partner flowers, which may have something to do with the fact that they are also the most likely to forget a special occasion.
Almost one in ten (eight per cent) admitted that they had forgetton an anniversary and six per cent confessed to forgetting their partner's birthday.