The study was carried out by the charity Save the Children and the Family Welfare Association. If you would like to find out more, visit the Save the Children website.

You can also download the charity's report.

There are a number of pain-free steps you can take to make your money go further. Here are some top tips:

Sign up for free weekly emails about all the latest money saving tips on the Moneysavingexpert.com website. You'll also find lots of help and advice on the website about making the most of your money.

Pay by direct debit.

If possible, pay your bills by direct debit. This is one of the cheapest ways to pay your bills. Money will be taken straight out of your bank account, so you don't have to worry about missing a payment. If you don't have a bank account, find out about basic bank accounts here. If there is not enough money your account, you may be charged a fee.

Don't pay to use a cash machine.

If you use cash machines to take out money, make sure you use one that doesn't charge you. Only use cash machines that say they are free to use. A message on the screen should tell you if you will be charged to use the machine.

Remember that the card provider will charge a fee if you use your credit card or store card to take out cash.

Find out more about charges for using cash machines on the Link website.

You can also find the location of your nearest cashmine on the Link website.

Don't ring expensive 0870 or 0871 telephone numbers.

Calls to 0870 and 0871 telephone numbers are a lot more expensive than other numbers. There will probably be a cheaper number you can ring to get through to the same organisation.

Visit the Saynoto0870.com  website to find out more.

See below for how the different charges compare.

0800 - free
0845 - up to 3.95p/min
0844 - up to 5p/min
0870 - up to 7.9p/min
0871 - up to 10p/min
09xx  - up to £1.50/min

Calls from a mobile telephone will usually cost significantly more.

Find out more on the cost of calls on the BT website and the Ofcom website.

Make a budget.

Making a budget will put you in control of your finances and you might spot opportunities to save money. Find out more about how to make a budget on our 'Managing your budget' page.

Open a bank account.

With a bank account you can pay bills by direct debit, which is one of the cheapest ways of paying bills. You can also pay in cheques free of charge, rather than having to pay someone to cash them for you. If you don't have a bank account, find out about basic bank accounts here.

Choose low-cost insurance.

Shop around for the best insurance deals. St. Leger Homes offers a low-cost home contents insurance scheme.

You can find out more about shopping around for insurance here.

Choose affordable light and heating.

Find out more about all aspects of choosing an energy supplier and how to pay for electricity and gas on our 'Energy' pages.

Don't use doorstep sellers and money lenders.

They charge very high rates of interest. Instead, join a Credit Union and benefit from affordable loans. Find out more about the Danum Credit Union.

If you need to buy essential furniture and household items visit our 'Manage the cost of running your home'  page to find out about buying inexpensive furniture and household appliances.

Find out more about doorstep sellers and lenders here.

Claim all the benefits you are entitled to.

Visit our 'Benefits' pages  to find out more.

Don't get caught out by supermarkets' marketing tricks

Visit our 'Get Control of Your Shopping' page for more information.