In Our Lifetime, We Dish Out 6,000 Hours Worth Of Advice

We're a nation of agony aunts

They say a problem shared is a problem halved - and it seems we Brits have really taken that advice to heart. Britain is a nation of agony aunts, with the average person dishing out 6,000 hours of wisdom in a lifetime, according to new research. The study, which examined 2,000 adults in the UK aged between 18 and 45, found that people spend nearly 100 hours every year asking friends and family for advice and support - the equivalent of 12 working days a year.

It turns out we seek reassurance from family and friends on everything from relationships and fitness to salaries and budgeting. The research, by Amigo Loans, found that if all these would-be agony aunts billed their time at an average hourly wage, this would amount to a staggering £70K worth of advice over a lifetime. Maybe we'll start charging for those late night phone calls from our BFFs? The main issues people seek advice on are relationships and cooking, closely followed by gardening, health and budgeting. While we have to say we're surprised that gardening is in there, we can't pretend we've never called Mum to find out how to make those roast potatoes just right - and to ask whether we should dump the guy we've been seeing for a few weeks.

According to the research, we're most likely to ask our partners for advice on budgeting and saving, most closely followed by Dad - and then Mum.

Partners also come top for advice about property decisions and careers, offering 35 hours’ of hand-holding a year. All that pillow talk adds up. Parents trump partners when it comes to advising on topics such as gardening, cooking and health, with 30 hours of advice and counselling a year - but Mum is the most popular choice, contributing 18 hours, with Dad only offering 12.

Apparently, we rely on our friends for 18 hours of advice a year on, most commonly, relationships, fashion and fitness.

Are you most likely to ask for or give advice? And what do you ask for advice on? Let us know @marieclaireuk