Having a baby is increasingly being considered a threat to the idyllic lifestyles of “dual income, no kids yet” couples – otherwise known as Dinkys, according to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

One couple interviewed by the newspaper said they have been spending their savings and income on renovating a 1930s-style semi-detached house.

Ellie Macintosh, 27, says: “This has felt like our baby. We’ve nearly finished the work. Now we just want a couple of years to be selfish – go on trips, be able to go to the cinema at the drop of a hat. We already have to worry about our pets.”

Raising a child to adulthood is heavy on the pocket, at an estimated £160,692 per offspring, according to the Child Poverty Action Group, a charity.

For many couples, not having enough disposable income to go on holiday together is enough to put them off becoming parents, at least for the foreseeable future.

But economists fear Britain’s declining birth rate spells trouble. Without new taxpayers, how will the Government fund big infrastructure projects, the NHS and the state pension?