Clair Coe, 22, who lives in Kilton Close with her long-term partner, Adrian Jacks, and their three-year-old son Logan, said the credit crunch was hitting the family hard.

And with their second baby due in November, the situation is set to become more difficult, particularly over the winter months.

"It's hitting people of all ages, and I can't help but think it's only going to get worse," she said. "It's a weird situation. Having to stop taking so much for granted is making you realise that health and happiness are the most important things. But it's hard to be happy when money is so tight for even basic things."

Trained hairdresser Clair said the family was having to cut back to meet essential food, petrol and heating bills for their privately-rented Kilton home, which costs them £450 a month.

"Petrol is a nightmare. I have to use my car for a lot of town driving, and it's costing me about £5 a day," she said. "And we used to spend about £80 easily on our weekly shopping, but now we can only afford around £40, so we're having to go to places like Netto."

And she said it is proving difficult to accept the changes to daily life, as the family have had to cut back on holidays and special occasions.

"We used to have a holiday abroad every year and a trip to Skegness, but it hasn't been possible this year," she said. "And we took our son out for his birthday last month to The Butterfly House in North Anston, which was expensive, but we made sure we got the most out of it."

She added: "It has caused a lot of stress in the family and some arguments about money. We're only young and already struggling to make ends meet. What's it going to be like five, 10 years down the line? It's a horrible time and we can't see a way out."