New research has shown that in the last three months Britons withdrew twice as much from their savings accounts as they managed to save money.
The YouGov survey showed a number of factors contributed to the amount of spending in the three months to July.
These included unexpected bills, overspending, and needing to lend money to a friend or family member.
According to the survey, the average person managed to save around £764 during the quarter.
The figure was down compared to an average £1,031 saved in the previous three-month period.
And the average amount of money taken out from deposit accounts was £1,870. More than a third (38%) of those who responded to the poll said they had turned to their savings to help them through.
The main reason people gave for raiding their savings was needing to pay for emergency home or car repairs, while 15% admitted they had overspent on their current account, 12% had lent money to family and friends and 10% had received an unexpected utility bill.
The most popular reason for saving was to pay for a holiday at 26%, while 25% of people were setting aside money for a rainy day and 16% were saving towards their retirement.
A further one in 10 people said they were saving money towards a deposit for a house.
