• 80% just ‘keep a close eye on property’ to protect it
• 96% of Brits always carry their smartphone and estimate the handset value at £450, yet only 40% take out any form of insurance

In today’s tech and style-savvy world, many of us will invest in the latest gadgets and must-have fashion items, but do we ever stop and think about the total value of the items we carry around with us day-to-day?

Phone specialist Envirofone surveyed Brits (1) to find how much money we carry around each day via the possessions we have with us. The study revealed that the value of items carried often totals more than £3,000 per person (2).

Smartphones are a key high-value item for 96% of us, but only 40% of smartphone owners have insurance, despite the average replacement estimated to cost over £450.

Other items that contribute to our in-pocket wealth include wearable tech such as fitness trackers and smartwatches. Around one in ten (13%) now own and wear a fitness tracker, worth an estimated £125. A similar number (9%) own and wear a smartwatch, which owners estimated would be worth around £300. Likewise, 14% of people surveyed carry a tablet computer every day, worth £600 on average.

Luxury items such as designer handbags and sunglasses are also increasingly common, with 16% and 14% of participants saying they have these lavish, high-value accessories in their possession every day.

So why do people feel confident enough to carry around expensive items, so much so that 80% will only protect property by ‘keeping a close eye’ on it?

Tom Barker, 33, from London said: “I’ve never really considered the value of the stuff I have in my pockets or on my wrist, but I reckon it would cost me a fair few grand to replace, and I rarely have more than about £500 in my bank account.

“What’s weird is that when I go on holiday I get so paranoid about my suitcase getting lost – even though I could replace all my clothes for about £300!

“I guess when items are so close to you, or when you get used to them always being there, you forget that they have a value.”

Commenting on the research, Richard Mavers, director of group marketing and online strategy at Envirofone, said: “I think we are all guilty of not being aware how much our everyday possessions amount to. But when you see all the items and prices broken down, it is quite shocking that we all feel so comfortable walking round with all this property on our person.

“As Tom said, when you become comfortable or used to having certain things you forget their monetary worth. Even a smartphone that is two or three years old could still be traded-in for £200+!”