These are the top 3 financial New Year's resolutions Americans are trying to accomplish in 2022

The Mint app has shut down as of Jan. 1, 2024. For alternatives, check out CNBC Select's ranking of the best budgeting apps.

As we await the beginning of a new year, it's natural to reflect on what worked (and didn't work) this year and where we want to go next year — especially when it comes to our money. Resolutions can be an exciting and motivating way to think about new goals and actually start working toward them.

Fidelity conducted a Financial Resolutions study to learn more about how people feel about their money and what their biggest financial resolutions are heading into 2022. Below, Select takes a look at the findings from this study, and we have some tips to help you achieve those resolutions.

According to Fidelity's Financial Resolutions survey, saving more money was the number one-resolution for respondents. Close to half (43%) said this was a goal they wanted to work toward in the new year.

Building a nest egg can help you pay for big ticket items — like a house, a vacation, a wedding or even just an expensive item you really want — without taking on additional debt. Having savings can also come in handy if an emergency expense comes up.

If you're looking to increase your savings in the new year, it helps to start small — even if you're only transferring $10 a week into your savings account. Starting small helps you build a muscle for saving. This way, when you receive salary bumps, bonuses and gift money, you've already gotten into the habit of saving, and you'll be more likely to transfer that money to your savings account.

You may also want to consider automating that process instead of just manually moving money into your savings. Relying on manual transfers leaves a lot of room for procrastination — and before we know it, we've spent the money we intended to save. But when you set up automatic transfers into your savings account, you take away the need to make that decision altogether. You can usually schedule automatic transfers through your bank's mobile app.

Lastly, if you want to see your savings grow just a little faster, you can opt for a high-yield savings account instead of a traditional savings account. High-yield savings accounts — like the Marcus by Goldman Sachs Online Savings Account or the Ally Online Savings Account — pay you more in interest each month compared to traditional savings accounts. Granted, you won't earn hundreds of dollars in interest each month (unless you have a lot of cash in savings), but the extra money you do earn can help you reach your goals a bit faster.

The Fidelity survey found that 41% of survey respondents expressed a strong desire to prioritize paying down debt in 2022.

While there are many ways to use credit cards, personal loans and other forms of debt strategically to earn rewards, finance a big purchase and ultimately build your wealth, debt can still be a financial and emotional burden for many borrowers. Those with student loan debt, for example, often cite that their high monthly payments make it difficult for them to save for other goals, like owning a home.

One popular strategy for paying down debt is called the snowball method. It entails paying more toward your debt with the lowest balance while paying just the minimum on all your other debts. Once that debt is paid off, you can move onto the second lowest balance and repeat the process until you're debt-free. This allows you to knock out one debt faster, which can make you feel accomplished and more motivated to keep tackling the others.

You might also consider using a balance transfer card to move high-interest credit card debt onto a card that offers an interest-free period. Thanks to that 0% APR period, 100% of your payments will go toward your balance instead of mounting interest charges, which can help you become debt-free a little faster. The 0% APR period will vary depending on the credit card, but one good option is the Citi Simplicity® Card, which offers a 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months from the date of first transfer (after that, the variable APR will be 19.24% - 29.99%; all transfers must be completed in the first four months after account opening). There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5). (See rates and fees).

Another good option is the Chase Freedom Flex®, which offers a 0% intro APR for balance transfers for the first 15 months from account opening, then a 20.49% - 29.24% APR variable thereafter. One thing to note is there's an intro fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer on transfers made within 60 days of account opening. After that, either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Make sure you have a plan to pay off the balance before the interest-free period ends, so you can avoid being whacked with high interest charges.

The third most popular financial resolution for the new year is to spend less money overall — 31% of respondents cited wanting to achieve this goal.

Reducing your monthly expenses can free up some cash that you can redirect toward other financial goals or items that you actually love.

If you want to spend less next year, an important first step is looking at where your money is currently going. You can do this by going through your bank statements and jotting down your various expenses over the last few months. Or you can use a budgeting app like Mint or Empower, which connect to your bank accounts and credit cards and automatically categorize your transactions for you. Doing this helps you get a better understanding of where you're spending the most money. You can use this as a jumping off point to decide whether or not you want to maintain your spending or spend less in those areas.

One area people tend to cut spending in first is subscriptions. This can mean unused gym memberships, streaming platforms that don't get used too often, subscription boxes that aren't that exciting anymore and others. You may be surprised by how much money you spend on subscriptions that aren't used enough.

In some circumstances, you may decide to take more drastic measures to spend less money. This could mean moving to a city with a lower cost of living or getting a roommate to save on rent. Of course, these decisions will depend on your circumstances and what makes the most sense for you and your goals.

As we head into the new year, saving more money, spending less and paying down debt are all top-of-mind for many Americans. There are many ways to achieve these goals, but the most important step is considering what's right for your personal circumstances. This will help set you up for success when working toward those goals.

Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

Information about Chase Freedom Flex®, Marcus by Goldman Sachs High Yield Online Savings has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the banks prior to publication. Goldman Sachs Bank USA is a Member FDIC.