Savvy mobile phone owners use ‘dead time’ to sort out their lives

Thanks to mobile technology, 62 per cent of people are able to be more productive during lunch breaks, while commuting to work or when waiting for appointments.

The result is that 81 per cent of people who use their ‘dead time’ in this way feel in control of their finances, while 43 per cent feel more relaxed.

The figures have been released by NS&I as part of its quarterly savings survey, which took place in November and received almost 2,500 responses.

John Prout, NS&I retail customer director, said: “Whether it is taking advantage of this previously redundant or restricted time in our day to make important calls to friends or carrying out money management tasks, as a result millions of Britons are enhancing their control over aspects such as their finances and also buying themselves more free time in which to enjoy themselves.

“This positive trend also shows that half of the nation are using this time to manage their money. The ability to now undertake more tasks online often means that you can take back control, and our research suggests that three quarters of Britons prefer to manage their finances online.”

However, organising personal finances is not the only way people are using their dead time.

More than half of people use it to keep in touch with their friends and relatives, and almost as many use it to plan their weekly shop. Forty-nine per cent use the time to be more organised by completing a to-do list, while 41 per cent carry out research such as planning a holiday and 37 per cent choose to use the time to arrange appointments with their doctor, dentist or bank manager.

Just under a quarter of people take advantage of dead time to enjoy their hobbies more, while 21 per cent use it to socialise and have fun. Of those who do not use mobile technology in their dead time, almost a third choose to read books, magazines or newspapers, 26 per cent listen to music and 10 per cent catch up on sleep.