Yahoo Finance Sticking to New Year's resolutions could save Brits £137bn a year
Sticking to the most common New Year's resolutions could collectively save Brits £137bn ($187bn) a year, research suggests.
The most common New Year’s resolutions for 2021 were “save money” (82%), “lose weight” (74%), “stop buying takeaways” (62%), “take part in Dry January” (58%) and “quit smoking” (23%), according to a survey of over 2,000 by price tracking website Alertr.
Brits estimated how much they spend on these habits, with those looking to save money generally believing they currently spend about £100 a month more than they need to.
Those looking to spend less on takeaways said it would save them a whopping £120 a month, while admitted to spending about £80 a month, and those planning to take part in Dry January estimates it would save them about £60.
Meanwhile, those trying to lose weight said it would probably save them about £20.
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Based on the number of people who were choosing to attempt each New Year’s resolution and the amount they would save if they were successful, this amounts to a collective saving of £137bn for the entire year, the research found.
Brits trying to save money would put away £50bn, while Brits ditching takeaways would save £45bn, those taking part in Dry January would save £21bn, ex-smokers would save £11bn, and dieters would would save £9bn.
Sadly, more than three in five (61%) Brits have already given up their New Year’s resolutions, with 12 January found to be the most common day to give up.
More than three quarters (76%) cited the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and news surrounding it to be the biggest factor in why they gave up their resolution.
Just one in five (21%) did not set themselves any New Year’s resolutions, with 85% of those saying it was because 2020 had been rough and they “didn’t want to add to the misery by restricting certain areas of their lives.”
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“New Year’s resolutions are hard to follow at the best of times, but especially this year where everyone is feeling depleted and not their usual bright selves,” said Alertr co-founder Andy Barr.
“If you were unable to stick to your New Year’s resolutions this year, don’t beat yourself up about it – just try again later in the year.
“Hopefully by highlighting here how much you could be saving, you’ll find the motivation to want to try again, whether in February or later in the year.”
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