Of these, one in five say they are now sitting on the brink, finding it impossible to meet their monthly bills and costs.
The figures are taken from the MoneySupermarket.com Affordability Tipping Point research, which measures the ‘pounds and pence' point at which household outgoings rise to overtake income.
The report also reveals that Brits have, on average, seen their household outgoings rise by £56 a week over the last six months, suggesting that this £50 monthly ‘tipping point' limit could literally be just around the corner for millions as the cost of living continues to rise.
The credit creep
While many Brits are cutting back where they can, the report shows that 44% of adults have increased their use of credit over the last year to help them make it through each month.
A quarter of adults (24%) say they have relied more on credit cards and 17% have turned to authorised overdrafts to help them meet regular household outgoings, while 13% have relied on hand outs from friends and family.
Budgeting nation
The majority of households in the UK (79%) are now on a budget irrespective of demographic, income bracket or family set up.
Just under a third of adults (30%) said the rising cost of food has been the biggest pull on their purse strings, up from 23% in 2011.
A quarter of adults (25%) said the rising cost of utility bills has had the biggest impact on their budgeting up from 19% in 2011.
To save money, more than four in ten (41%) adults have reduced their spending on new clothes this year, up from 37% in 2011.
Additionally 37% of adults have put bigger purchases, such as household appliances and cars, on hold.
Salary pressure
Compounding this squeeze on outgoings is the battle to hold onto current salaries or increase them in line with inflation.
While many people have not seen salary increases for some time, just over one in ten (12%) have been forced to take a pay cut in the last 12 months, according to the figures.
Clare Francis, personal finance expert at MoneySupermarket.com, said: "The fact a rise in outgoings of £50 or less would tip a third of Brits to ‘financial breaking point' speaks volumes about how difficult people are finding things at the moment.
"Thousands of borrowers paying Santander's standard variable mortgage rate could see their payments increase by £42.54 a month from October. This coupled with the fact that many already admit to using credit more than they normally would to get them through each month, paints a worrying picture.
"As news of rising costs continue to hit consumers, all the signs suggest that 2012 is set to be another tough year for many households with finances continuing to be pushed to the max. My advice to those in this situation is sit down and make a plan!
"Review all of your outgoings to see where you can get better value and free up vital cash. There are significant savings to be made by switching to a better energy tariff for example, or making sure that you find the best deal when your car or home insurance is up for renewal.
"The savings can literally add up to hundreds of pounds over the course of the year, a great way of giving yourself a bit of breathing room."
