With 2026 underway, many New Year’s resolutions are already starting to wobble.
Old habits have a way of creeping back in, and the pull of a cigarette or a midweek takeaway can feel harder to ignore as the weeks roll on.
But beyond the health benefits, sticking to a healthier lifestyle could also make a noticeable difference to your bank balance this year.
Smoking, vaping, and drinking
Smoking and drinking are among the most popular habits people try to quit in January, with the continued rise of the ‘Dry January’ phenomenon highlighting just how common the reset has become.
Someone who smokes a packet of cigarettes a day will save themselves €575.36 if they give up for a month, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
If they can kick the habit for the full year, there could be potential savings of at least €6,700.
If you are spending €9.50 on a disposable vape every second day, you spend around €142.50 every month.
This means you could save around €1,710 in a year if you stopped vaping.
For those opting to take a break from alcohol for the month of January, there are savings of approximately €95 for people who drink on average four pints of lager or stout a week in the pub.
Dining habits and coffees
A change in dining habits could lead to savings, particularly as the cost of a meal in a restaurant went up almost 25 per cent in the five years between November 2020 and November 2025, the CSO said.
This was similar for takeaways as they increased by 30 per cent, meaning a takeaway that would have cost €25 five years ago is costing more than €32 now.
Photo: PA
If you got a €32 takeaway once a month instead of once a week, you could save €96 every month, and €1,152 in a year.
Coffee lovers can also make significant savings, as the cost of a single daily takeaway coffee has risen by 7 per cent in the 12 months to November 2025.
If you spend €4 on a coffee three days a week, that equates to €48 per month, or €576 per year.
If you can cut this down to one coffee out per week, you could save €32 every month, and €384 in a year.