A person who smokes a packet of cigarettes a day is likely to save around €6,700 annually if they decide to kick the habit for the new year, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Meanwhile, those partaking in dry January could save around €95, based on the average intake of four pints of beer or stout a week in the pub.
The CSO has examined the financial implications of popular new year’s resolutions made at the start of each year, using the prices of some of the items it collects as part of the Consumer Price Index basket of goods and services and other data.
A change in dining habits could also 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.
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This was similar for takeaways as they increased by 30 per cent, meaning a takeaway that would have cost €25 five years ago now costs more than €32.
Coffee lovers can also make significant savings as the cost of a single daily takeaway coffee rose by 7 per cent in the 12 months to November.
The CSO said after coming through the busy and costly Christmas period, households often shift their financial focus to better budgeting, tracking spending, and reducing expenditure, in a bid to increase savings.
Households saved almost 14 per cent of their income in January, February, and March 2025 or approximately €1 out of every €7 of their disposable income.
The price of package holidays increased by 1.5 per cent this year, and despite the costs, Irish residents took more than 4.6 million outbound overnight trips in July, August and September.
Eco-friendly resolutions, such as reducing energy consumption or commuting less by car, can also lead to a financial benefit, the CSO said.
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Public transport use is rising with the number of bus and rail journeys (excluding Luas) at approximately 229 million from January to the beginning of November.
People have also been switching to greener options in their home where they can. The number of homes with renewable energy sources is increasing and as of July, August and September, a quarter of the 1.3 million homes with Building Energy Ratings (Ber) had at least one source of renewable energy present such as heat pumps, solar thermal systems, and solar photovoltaic panels.
Irish homes are also becoming more energy efficient. As of September, of the 1.3m dwellings to receive a Ber since 2009, 17 per cent received an A rating in their most recent assessment.
The number of new electric cars licensed in the 11 months to November also rose by 38 per cent when compared to the same period in 2024, while there were 18,137 new plug-in hybrid electric cars registered, up 65 per cent.
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