Half of all Bristolians saw their festive social life affected by the credit crunch, according to a new survey.

Research by cocktail website Mixxit.co.uk showed more than one third of people surveyed in the city increased the average time spent entertaining at home in an attempt to save money.

New Year's Eve is expected to take a hit from the recession with the UK anticipating a nationwide 'sit-in' on December 31, with the survey showing many Bristolians opting for home-hosted parties.

This surge in home entertaining is also fuelled by our desire to impress friends and experiment, with 45 per cent saying that they like to wow their guests with something different and original and a further 75 per cent refusing to compromise on the quality of the products they will be using.

Bartender Wayne Collins said: "With the country feeling the pinch, it's little surprise that home-hosting is replacing conspicuous consumption.

"Home entertaining has been on the rise over recent years but the trend has been boosted by people looking to save money.

"But that doesn't mean you have to comprise on fun or standards."

The Mixxit survey also shows Bristolians entertain at home more often than any other UK region; top the confidence chart; are the most confident hosts in the UK with almost half of all homes here having a cocktail shaker in them.