Why the average British adult is 19 years behind on their 'life goals' Similarly, the average youth had aspirations of earning more than £30,000 a year by the time they reached 31, but for 71 per cent this dream has yet to become a reality. A spokeswoman for Skipton Building Society, which commissioned the study, said: "When you are growing up, you have very set ideas about when you will have that big white wedding, be carried over the threshold of your brand new house and cradle your first child in your arms. Unfortunately, the survey shows that, while the majority of people hope to have achieved most of their goals in their twenties, it is more likely to be late thirties or early forties before many are accomplished. And money is a key factor for many of these milestones, as people just can't afford to set foot on the housing ladder and feel lucky to have any sort of job let alone earn a packet, or buy a car. The research also found most adults hope to become the proud owners of a house or flat by age 27, but 32 per cent are still renting well into their 40s. Marriage is something most young people wish for - with 28 being the ideal age - but 48 per cent are still officially single by the time they turn 40. Most said they hoped to start a family by 28, but 38 per cent are unlikely to have done so by the time they are in their late thirties. When it comes to owning their first car, the majority expect to have bought a motor - albeit second hand - by the age of 21, and yet 24 per cent are still a long way from owning a car. Even a full time job proves elusive for 13 per cent of adults. This makes it all the more unsurprising that, while people hoped to be holidaying abroad twice a year by age 29, 75 per cent are yet to be so lucky. Even aspirations for starting a pension and writing a Will have changed over the years. Most people expected to have a pension in place by the age of 28 and a Will written for their loved ones by the age of 33. In fact, 47 per cent of those polled have no pension at all, and a whopping 77 per cent haven't even considered writing a will. All things considered, with the average retirement hopes currently set at 60, it seems unlikely many can look forward to finishing work so soon. A third of people say that the state of the economy hasn't helped them when it comes to achieving their life and financial goals. While 21 per cent say they have had a distinct lack of opportunities, and 18 per cent have just had a run of bad luck. Tracy Fletcher, a Skipton spokeswoman, added: "There's nothing wrong with thinking about the future, quite the opposite in fact. However, instead of presuming they'll reach a certain stage at different points of their life, our survey shows that people need to spend a little time working out their end of the deal. Everyone's feeling the squeeze at the moment, with money having to stretch further and our cost of living increasing. However, despite this, our findings demonstrate that people's life aspirations have remained static. However, the reality is that taking an honest look at your personal circumstances, and a little time to plan financially for the future - no matter how little or how much spare cash you have - can make a dramatic difference to how likely you are to achieve your personal goals. Most people wouldn't choose to be still living with their mum and dad by the age of 40 - while the majority would want to be gearing up for retirement by the time they get to 60. No-one can really predict when they will fall in love, get married or have kids. But you can make a conscious choice to organise your finances, to ensure that, whatever opportunities life throws your way, you're in the best possible position to grasp them.