More than half the country has some money saved away that they plan to keep exclusively for themselves - with more than one person in six also keeping their cash stash a secret.
Figures from AJ Bell show women are more likely to keep money secret than men, with almost one woman in five having secret savings compared to one one man in seven.
And when asked why their money was a secret, the number-one reason women gave was for a feeling of independence, while the number two and three were to do with the fact they don't trust their other half.
AJ Bell personal finance expert Laura Suter said: “It’s a great idea for anyone to have enough money put away so they can afford to get out of an awful job, ditch a bad relationship or even if they just need a break away from it all."
The most common amount women have saved was a few hundred pounds - with 22% of women having less than £1,000 saved secretly, while another 21% said they had less than £2,000.
A lucky one woman in 25 said they had more than £15,000 saved in case they needed it.
Men tended to have more secretly saved than women, with a buffer against a bad relationship their top reason for hiding money, followed by sense of independence and in case they need to leave their job.
“Whether people keep a pot of money secret from their partner is a deeply personal thing, and there’s no right answer," Suter said.
"It’s understandable that those who’ve had messy break-ups in the past will want their own secret stash, or runaway fund as it’s often called, and no-one should be forced to stay in a relationship because they can’t afford to leave.
"However, for others this would be too big a secret to keep from their partner."
