New Year, New You

We just can't help ourselves. Whether we like it or not, January is a symbolic month. The chance for a fresh start; the time of year when we gather all our self-will and optimism and dream of the year ahead. This January feels even more significant as it marks the beginning of a whole new decade. With that in mind, we've listed the top five resolutions most people make at this time of year, with some suggestions for how to stick to your resolutions. Anything else you would add to the list?

1. Travel more

One of the most popular resolutions we make is to travel more. Perhaps it's the time of year - dreary days and long, dark nights - but we start dreaming of the sun and far away places. Some of our happiest and strongest memories we make are when we travel or go on holiday with friends and family. Subscribing to a travel company like BRB Travel can make keeping this resolution incredibly easy, as you pay in monthly while someone else plans your trip for you. Of course, if you're the one organising the holiday, you can use Collctiv to easily collect money upfront from your trip buddies.

2. Be healthier

Once the surplus of Christmas has subsided, we invariably try to shake off the excess by starting up a new diet and exercise routine. January is the time of year when multiple gym memberships get taken out, when sports shop sell out of yoga leggings, and when the supermarket fruit and veg aisles take a hit. Even with all our best intentions, our plans often fall by the wayside come February. This sort of resolution is best done with friends, such as joining a group pilates class or taking up that sport you've always wanted to play. Collctiv can help you collect money for group sport or fitness class, in a very simple way.

3. Sort out personal finances

This resolution falls into the category of self-improvement and is often driven by the expense of the preceding Christmas period. Whether it's setting a new budget, getting better at saving, or taking less financial risks, make use of technology to help sort your finances out. Banking apps such as Monzo have nifty budget setting features, while Cleo acts like a financial advisor in your pocket. And if you're fed up of being out of pocket when organising all the fun for everyone, make sure you get those payments upfront using Collctiv - simply create a pot, share the link and watch the money come rolling in.

4. Spend more time with family & friends

As we take time to look back over the year and decade just passed, our thoughts often land on our loved ones, and on how much time we did or didn't spend with them. One of the biggest regrets of dying people is that they wish they'd stayed in touch with their friends more. So if this is one of your resolutions, don't wait to act on it! Use Collctiv to organise an activity, party or meal out with your friends and family - take the hassle out of meeting up, so you have more time to do the things you love with the people you love.

5. Learn something new

The new year is an excellent time to resolve to learn something new. We all know that learning new things helps our brains as well as our wellbeing, through a sense of achievement. We can take up a new sport, learn a new language, or perhaps travel somewhere new. This is another resolution that works better with friends - you're more likely to keep going at something if you have people around you to motivate you. Whatever you decide to do, let us help you with the money side of it by making it really easy to collect money from your group of friends to get started. De nada.