Australians prefer to sacrifice exercise and breakfast than live without their mobile phones or favourite bag, a survey has found, the Herald Sun reports this week.

The survey, conducted by arnold&bolingbroke on behalf of American Express, revealed 61 per cent of the 1001 Australians polled can't live without their plastic credit and debit cards.

The survey examined their attachment to the personal possessions they carry every day and revealed many prefer to sacrifice key aspects of their lives like exercising, quality time with partners and watching a favourite television show.

Sixty per cent of those surveyed said they can't live without their mobile phones, 32 per cent said they couldn't live without their favourite bag and 24 per cent said their laptop was their most treasured possession.

Other important items to Australians included digital cameras, portable music devices, car satellite navigation systems and Blackberry devices.

Some 52 per cent of respondents said they would be willing to live without watching their favourite television show for a fortnight for the sake of their personal possessions.

And 48 per cent said they would give up exercising, 34 per cent would give up eating breakfast for a fortnight, 11 per cent would sacrifice quality time with their partner and six percent would cease showering.

American Express head of insurance Fady Taouk said the survey showed items such as plastic credit and debit cards, mobile phones and gadgets were no longer considered luxuries.

"They are modern day essentials that provide convenience, peace of mind and security," he said.