Are you one of those many people living in the UK today who always make a New Years resolution, only to break it within the first couple of weeks, or are you one of the extreme few who actually do what they say they are going to do?

Personally, I solved the problem for myself many years ago, by resolving to stop making New Years resolutions and so far the plan seems to have worked! But a recent survey has shown that somewhere in the region of twenty million of us in the UK are planning to make a resolution…..this time it will be good, this time it will be different…and nobody will have to get nailed to anything!

Given the current economic situation in the UK, not surprisingly, the number one resolution for people this year is to try and sort out their financial situation. The main priority is to reduce the cost of personal loans and credit card payments whilst others intend to try and pay off loans and other debts altogether, with almost half of those interviewed saying that reducing personal loan debt was their main goal, yet only 15 per cent said they intended to save money.

Half the people surveyed said that they wanted to lose weight or get fitter, 28 per cent said they intended to stop smoking, but only 15 per cent said they wanted to spend more time with their families (you may draw your own conclusions from that!).

Please excuse me if I come across as being all cynical, nothing could be further from the truth! But in reality more than half of all New Years resolutions made, fail within the first three months of the year.

If you genuinely want to reduce your personal loan and credit card commitments, set a realistic target and plan properly to achieve your goal. Work out your disposable income with a budget planner, do not spend money unnecessarily and shop around for the best deals on personal loans and credit cards, you may be surprised at just how much you can save.

Finally, may I wish you all the best of luck with your resolutions and a happy and (dare I say it) prosperous New Year!