more than half of Scottish households are struggling to make ends meet or merely surviving.

Yet many throw money away every day by failing to make simple changes to the way they spend.

According to the latest Money Mood survey by insurer Legal and General, one in 10 households north of the Border cannot cover their monthly bills, while more than four out of ten say they can only just afford their regular outgoings.

Less than half have enough money left at the end of the month to be able to describe themselves as financially stable.

Legal and General puts the average shortfall for those who cannot manage essential bills and debt repayments at £38 a month - £456 a year.

As a result, many are turning to relatives for help. Research by Scottish Windows found three out of ten Scots adults owe money to family members, while one in ten skip meals and one in eight have sold valuables to cover day-to-day living costs.

The insurer says the average amount borrowed is just over £2,000. Yet many households waste more than this every year.

Account provider Thinkmoney says eight out of ten consumers admit to spending more than they intend to when shopping because they succumb to impulse buys or discounted offers.

Thinkmoney spokesman Ian Williams commented: "Overspending in this way can cause people to blow their budgets without even realising.

"By regularly spending a little more than they planned on purchases, they may get to the end of the month and realise they don't have the money they thought they did.

"The key is to always have a plan in mind of what you want to buy when you go shopping - and if you see a special offer, ask yourself if it will really benefit you.

"By sticking to your budget, you shouldn't get any nasty surprises at the end of the month."

In a survey by Standard Life half of respondents confessed to squandering an average of £99 a month.

Julie Hutchison, the insurer's family finance expert, said: "Many of us seem to be quite literally eating away our money, frittering it on takeaways, food shopping that goes to waste or eating out at lunchtime.

"This could probably be avoided by putting more time aside to plan menus, write food shopping lists and by making packed lunches.Buying a meal-deal lunch every day can cost around £3, which could add up to as much as £60 a month. If you add takeaway meals and hot drinks to that, you can see how £100 or more can easily be spent.

"Even freeing up £50 of this can make all the difference when it comes to covering other costs or saving regularly and getting the benefit in the years ahead."

According to Standard Life, investing the wasted £99 a month could in ten years create a nest-egg worth almost £13,000 in today's terms.

Millions of people overpay for everything from energy and insurance to credit cards and loans because they assume the effort of moving their business won't be worth the potential saving.

Comparison website Gocompare.com says half of all consumers have not changed providers for any of the 10 most common financial products in the past year.

And energy regulator Ofgem says more than six out of ten have never switched power supplier.

Yet consumers' organisation Which? puts the cost of failing to shop around for these essentials at an average of £550 per household.

And it can be far more. One Which? member who stayed with the same home insurer for 16 years was quoted a renewal premium of £1,400.

When he looked elsewhere, he found an equivalent policy for just £287, saving more than £1,100.

For most people, swapping to a new provider isn't difficult - Gocompare.com says more than three out of four who take the plunge report that the process is simple.

For car insurance 84 per cent find it easy, while for home cover this rises to 90 per cent.

Claire Peate, the website's customer insight manager, advised: "Rather than just accepting your existing provider's renewal terms, check that the deal you're being offered is competitive.

"However, policies vary widely in the levels of cover they provide, so it's essential to compare products on a like-for-like basis rather than on price alone."

The gains from simply keeping a closer check on your bank account can soon mount up too.

Avoiding fees and charges for unauthorised borrowing can save hundreds of pounds a year.

Meanwhile, MoneySupermarket.com says around 3.6 million Britons pay direct debits averaging £70 a month for goods and services they no longer use.

Among the most common are old mobile phone contracts and gym memberships.

Kevin Mountford, the site's head of banking, said: "You should have a clear idea of what is coming in and going out of your account each month - spend five minutes looking at statements and identifying any payments you don't recognise.

"A relatively small monthly payment soon adds up to a lot of money and there is just no excuse to let these lie."