Study Reveals The Little Wins That Transform Our Day

A new study has found that four out of five Brits (78 percent) look out for little wins to perk up their day, saying it’s the small things that put a smile on their face – with unexpectedly finding money topping the list (66 percent). 

With the cost of living increasing, it’s perhaps no surprise to see Brits getting a pick-me-up from finding forgotten money, but it seems that we love a little win in the car too, as traffic lights turning green before we need to brake came second on the list (53 percent), followed by finding a parking space with ease (49 percent).

The study of over 3,000 Brits by webuyanycar found that little wins around the house make a big difference to our day, from having fresh sheets when you get into bed (43 percent) and a warm towel when you get out of the shower (25 percent) to getting home to a cooked dinner (23 percent).

The research revealed that over half of those questioned (58%) feel bogged down by everyday life and for 39 percent, a little win really improves their day.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar, said: “We’re all guilty of getting a bit worn down by everyday stresses, whether at work or home, but it’s great to see that so many of us keep a look out for those little perks to boost our mood. The research shows a lot of the little wins are all about making our lives easier, especially when it comes to money, and that’s exactly what our customers find at webuyanycar when they get a better deal for their car than they were expecting.’’ 

When it comes to our finances, Brits love an unexpected extra as six of the top 20 little wins are all money-related. 43 percent are jumping for joy when they get a better deal on a purchase than they thought, one third (35 percent) are thrilled when a delivery arrives earlier than planned and 32 percent are pleasantly surprised by something free with an order.

With the daily pressures caused by our jobs, we’re often on the look out for little things that improve our working day, from having a meeting cancelled at work (14 percent) to starting the day with no new emails (11 percent). And when it comes to making the most of our time off, 43 percent appreciate good weather when they’re not in the office and over a quarter of us (27 percent) celebrate turning off the alarm on the weekend.

Yet some of the biggest little wins that truly brighten our day come from friends, family and even people we don’t know, with 28 percent cheered up by a phone call from someone they miss and a quarter (25 percent) say their day is made that much better if a stranger says hello. 

Pop culture has a big impact on how we feel and that’s the same for little wins, with a third of Brits feeling a burst of happiness when their favourite show returns for a new series or when their favourite song plays on the radio (both 34 percent), while 14 percent really value finding the perfect playlist to suit their mood.

While most little wins as voted by Brits happen frequently, a few obscure choices also made it on to the list, including 13 percent who appreciate waking up without a hangover, when there’s no queue at the drive thru (also 13 percent) and the satisfying – but rare – occurrence when both the shampoo and conditioner run out at the same time (9 percent).

For the full list of all of life’s biggest little wins, visit webuyanycar. 

LIFE’S 30 BIGGEST LITTLE WINS

1. Finding money you’d forgotten about                                                                             66%
2. Traffic lights turning green before you have to brake                                                      53%
3. Finding a parking space easily                                                                                        49%
4. Finding a better deal on a purchase before completing it                                                43%
5. Good weather on a day off                                                                                              43%
6. Fresh sheets when you go to bed                                                                                    43%
7. Finding something you thought was lost                                                                         39%
8. A delivery arriving earlier than expected                                                                          35%
9. Your favourite show returning for a new series                                                                34%
10. Your favourite song playing on the radio                                                                        34%
11. When you get something unexpectedly free with an order                                              32%
12. No queue in the supermarket                                                                                          32%
13. Not having to defrost your car on a winter’s morning                                                      30%
14. Getting a call from someone you miss                                                                             28%
15. Turning off your alarm on the weekend                                                                           27%
16. A warm towel when you get out of the shower                                                                 25%
17. When a stranger says hello                                                                                               25%
18. Getting home to dinner being cooked already                                                                   23%
19. When plans you weren’t bothered about get cancelled                                                      23%
20. When an outfit you ordered fits perfectly                                                                          23%
21. Remembering to take shopping bags with you to the supermarket                                   22%
22. Finding out you have the weekend to yourself                                                                  22%
23. Someone else unloading the dishwasher                                                                          15%
24. Remembering to put the bins out on bin day                                                                   14%
25. When a meeting gets cancelled at work                                                                           14%
26. Filling the car to the exact amount you wanted to pay at the petrol station                     14%
27. Finding the perfect playlist to suit your mood                                                                 14%
28. No queue at the drive thru                                                                                              13%
29. Waking up without a hangover                                                                                        13%
30. When you reach the bottom of the washing pile                                                              13%