They can get glammed up, enjoy a good meal and gossip till the cows come home.

No wonder one in three married women have more fun with friends than their husbands.

Researchers who interviewed 3,000 women found that many would rather spend the day with a friend than be with their other half.

Six out of ten said they prefer to go shopping with their girlfriends rather than their partner because they offer better, more trustworthy advice.

The survey found that when meeting female friends the women made more of an effort with their outfit and spent longer doing their hair and make-up.

And a day out with friends was also likely to cost more money than with their husbands, with women admitting that their friends encourage them to treat themselves more.

The survey was carried out at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex.

Lakeside spokesman Sophie Scott said: ‘These results will strike a chord with millions of married women all over the UK.

'After a busy week at work, we all crave escapism and some “me time”, and it is clear women prefer to spend theirs with girlfriends than partners.

'Spending time with girlfriends and hitting the shops, or stopping for a coffee and a chat, can lift a woman's mood.'

The study revealed a third of women agreed that they prefer to spend a day off with a friend because they were more fun and more likely to enjoy talking about relationships or gossiping.

Shopping, going to a spa or having a meal and a glass of wine topped the list of activities women enjoyed doing in their spare time.

The survey revealed two thirds of women felt guilty as they did not catch up with their friends often enough.

Worryingly, one in ten said they were more able 'to be themselves' around their friends, while almost half said they enjoyed the fact they could talk to their pals about 'anything'.

(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)