Personal savings rose and debt levels fell during 2014, according to a survey, but the latest national statistics have suggested people feel less well off than a year ago.
Some 6.8% more people said that they were ending the year with higher savings than a year earlier compared to those reporting a savings fall, according to the data from thinkmoney.co.uk.
Saving more was cited as the top New Year's resolution.
However, households considered their financial position to be "slightly worse" than a year ago, according to yesterday's Economic Wellbeing statistics from the ONS, which showed that household income per head decreased by 0.2% in the third quarter of this year.
Nearly half (47%) of respondents to the thinkmoney poll - equivalent to 23.8 million people across the country - have pledged to set more money aside for a rainy day in 2015.
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Some 29% more people reported that their total debt had reduced compared with those who say they have borrowed more.
Ian Williams, spokesman for thinkmoney, said that slightly more respondents said that their earnings had gone up than declined.
Mr Williams said: "It seems that for many people 2014 was kind to their personal finances, with net increases in the numbers seeing high incomes, boosting their savings and cutting their borrowing."
OnePoll questioned 2,000 adults aged 18 and over for the survey.
Carolyn Fairbairn, chair of the Scottish Widows think tank, the Centre for the Modern Family, was concerned by the ONS figures, saying: "Despite a generally more positive picture for the economy as a whole, it is unsurprising to see families still being hit particularly hard by household costs like mortgage, fuel and power.
"Our recent report, Family Generation and Financial Pressures, found that household spending represents the most serious pressure point for families across all generations, with grandparent child-carers and empty nesters particularly most likely to cite this difficulty.
"Our research shows that more than a quarter (26%) of people raided their savings in order to cope with higher living costs.
"More than a quarter (28%) are borrowing money from family members to tide them over, with the family lending economy now worth £31 billion. However, perhaps even more concerning is that almost one in 10 (8%) people are skipping meals just to keep on top of household costs, which shows very little movement from 2012."  

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