Most expensive age is 31, new study suggests

A raft of costly events all happen when people are in their thirties

The most expensive year of someone’s life happens when they are aged 31 on average, research suggests.

A survey of more than 3,000 people found that 31 was typically the age at which they had experienced the costliest year of their life.

A wedding, buying a house, having a baby and a honeymoon were the most likely expenses to have contributed to the year when people felt the biggest financial squeeze.

Typically £43,000 is racked up to cover all their costs, according to the survey from credit checking firm ClearScore.

The early thirties is typically an age when people get on the property ladder, a time when finances can feel particularly stretched.

Separate data from UK Finance shows the average age of someone buying their first home is 30.

More than half (60%) of people funded their most expensive year from their savings, ClearScore found.

The Bank of Mum and Dad is also increasingly likely to step in to help younger generations cope with high costs.

A third (33%) of 25 to 34-year-olds said their parents help them fund their most expensive purchases, compared with one in seven (14%) over-55s who had help from their parents.

Justin Basini, chief executive of ClearScore, said many of life’s big milestones can happen close together, causing the costs to quickly mount up.

He said: “It’s not surprising that, given the squeeze on day to day living, that more people are now turning to credit or parents to fund some of these milestones.”