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People in Britain are spending an average of £254 a month supporting adult children - aged over 21 - according to a survey, which could mean that parents turn to loans in order to pay for that investment for themselves.

And nearly one million people are supporting elderly relatives, at a cost of £254 a month, Unbiased.co.uk reports, which could leave little money for a new car, a deposit on a house or even that long-awaited holiday abroad.

David Elms, chief executive of the website says: "As the credit crunch continues to hit, these costs are only set to increase and for the Sandwich Generation - the 250,000 people who are supporting both adult children and elderly relatives - this could result in many facing immense financial pressure."

And spending money helping others could mean people are missing out on their pensions, after the Fair Investment Company found that women pay 50 per cent less in to their pension pot each year.

For those who decide it is time to invest money in other areas, secured loans could finance a large buy, which could see a property being used as security for the lender.