Four-in-ten couples have shelved plans to have children because of the financial commitment involved.
Research by Skipton Building Society found childless couples have decided they cannot afford to have kids due to the steep rise in the cost of utilities, petrol prices and food.
As well as this, two-thirds of those who are putting off becoming parents say there are devastated it is for monetary reasons.
Of those questioned, one-fifth stated they want to have over £4,500 in the bank before they would commit to trying for a child.
A spokeswoman for Skipton Building Society said: "The credit crunch has had a [shocking] effect on traditional family structures, as people can no longer have children as and when they want them."
Over the past four years, individuals have had to fork out extra money in order to cover their living costs and this has impacted on their family aspirations, she added.
The representative went on to state the knock-on effect of this is that more people are having children later in life than in previous generations.
