How Much Money Could You Save by Sticking to Your New Year's Resolution?

LONDON, December 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Thomas Cook  has made sticking to those tricky resolutions a lot easier by developing an app that shows how much people could save by cutting back on their bad habits.

http://www.thomascook.com/new-years-resolution/

January is the time when countless self-help articles and books are released surrounding the theme of "New Year = New You". They promise all kind of wild results in spectacularly short spaces of time such as 'change your life in 30 days' and 'give up smoking in 24 hours'. Finally someone has seen the good sense in putting realistic resolutions into perspective by showing how much unhealthy habits cost, and what could be done with the money if it wasn't wasted.

Successful New Year's resolutions are all about creating realistic goals that can be achieved, sticking to a plan and then showing some serious willpower -  so what better incentive could people have than imagining big savings in 2013 after the whirlwind of Christmas?

The  New Year's Resolution Calculator  - how does it work?

The app focuses on the big vices people look to give up in the first week in January, such as alcohol, tobacco, chocolate and fast food.

By entering how much they consume every week, users can see how much they spend on their vices over a set period of time; three months, six months and twelve months. The app calculates the totals using an average cost for each of the vices.

The app on Thomas Cook's website then has the added feature of showing what kind of breaks travellers could go on with the money they save from cutting back on the bad habits. From a week in the Canary Islands, to a fortnight in Cuba, just by exercising a bit of willpower you could be jetting off to a far flung destination in 2013.

Banish the winter blues

There's no hiding from the fact that January can be a bleak time of year. Winter sun holds huge appeal and bargain hunters can grab some great value deals on cheap holidays at this time of year. Or if you are really serious about saving, why not check out the latest summer holiday breaks and rather than spending time down the local or at the vending machine at work, you could find yourself on a sun-drenched beach in Greece or Spain this summer!

The New Year's Resolution Calculator is a perfect companion to kicking out the vices during January as it bundles up the financial benefits and could result in a healthier and happier time on a rejuvenating holiday. Happy New Year!