Consumers are more concerned with meeting the cost of their lifestyles than putting money away in savings accounts, it has been claimed.

According to the LV= Look After What You Love Index, 6.7 million people are happy to raid the savings pot in order to live comfortably.

Mike Rogers, LV= group chief executive, commented: "Rather than doing away with valuable insurance or eating into savings, it is important for people to take stock of their financial situation.

"Everyone can take some financial steps, however small, towards protecting the things they love most in life."

One in three people said that maintaining their current income was a worry during the financial crisis, while four per cent said they had taken out insurance to replace their income should they suddenly not be able to work.

Furthermore, 33 per cent have a financial safety net in the form of savings on a deposit, the study found.

Trevor Williams, UK chief economist at Lloyds TSB, recently warned that the desired savings rate has been too low over the last few years.