A single mum has detailed how rising bills have forced her family to limit showers and share baths.
Stacey Sherwood, 33, from Leicester, is feeling the squeeze of the cost of living crisis and has had to cut back to make ends meet.
She cannot afford to send her daughter Arabella-Rose, 2, to nursery full-time, so has to rely on her parents for childcare two days a week.
Stacey, who works for a window company, has also had to stop taking her son Oliver, 9, on days out - and worries this makes her look like a bad mum.
"Once you've paid for bowling, food and so on, you've spent £100 and we simply can't afford that anymore," she told the BBC.
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"It makes me feel like a failure, like a bad mum. I work, I should be able to pay for things myself."
She added: "I’ve had to cut back on what we buy in the supermarkets. Finding a lot of the healthy stuff is no longer the cheap alternative.
"I usually bath my kids every single night, due to them going to school and nursery, so they can be quite filthy.
"I’m still doing this, but now my girl goes in first, then my son, then me.
"I work. I should be able to afford these things and be able to put more than one bath on."
The story from Stacey is sadly not an isolated incident as the cost of living continues to soar, with prices now rising at their fastest rate in 40 years.
The consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation rose to 9% in the 12 months to April, according to the Office for National Statistics.
This is up from 7% in the previous month and the highest inflation has been since 1982. The Bank of England has predicted that CPI could rise above 10% this year.
In real terms, new research from Loughborough University shows the typical family with two kids is forking out around £400 more each month.
Energy prices alone have added about £121 to monthly costs, as the Ofgem price cap was increased last month and cheap tariffs ended.
Transport costs, including petrol and parking charges, added at least £85 to families' outgoings, while childcare costs rose by £66 a month.
The price of food was at least £33 more expensive, while social activities added £58 to costs.
These prices are based on a single parent raising two children, one primary school age and one aged two to four, alone.
Peter Matejic from anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: "Families in poverty are feeling the worst effects of the frightening jumps we are seeing in the cost of living, because more of their budget goes on essential items and their incomes just can't keep up.
"The government has the power to close the gap by uprating benefits now, ensuring that the worst off are not pulled under."
