NEIGHBORS : Be It Resolved : World peace, less weight and more reading are among the hopes for 1991.

So it’s Jan. 3 and you still haven’t decided on a New Year’s resolution? Well, if your last resolution was not to procrastinate, it looks like you’ve blown it. But for those of you who think that such a momentous decision shouldn’t be hurried, that you should take your time and shop around before choosing a resolution, here’s what a few of your Ventura County neighbors have decided to strive for in 1991:

* Ed Elrod, co-owner of the Ventura Bookstore: “I have resolutions I work on all year long, but I guess my New Year’s resolution would be to read more books. Right now, I’m down to reading only one book a week. And to get my income taxes filed on time. And to write letters to long-lost friends--I have a stack of unanswered letters on my desk. I used to be a wonderful correspondent.”

* Bobby Weiszmann, leader of the Simi Valley Cajun band Gumbo La La: “I’m going to Weight Watchers, going to try to keep my weight down. I would take stabs at it before, but I never sat down and said I’m going to do it.” (Note: Weiszmann has already signed up to attend classes.)

* Francine Markow, president of the Conejo Players: “What I’d like to resolve this year is to spend more time working toward peace and brotherhood.”

Sounds like a tough job, but Markow is in the midst of a 17-day photo safari in Africa and her mind has been preoccupied with thoughts of peace. “A lot of people have been saying, ‘How can you leave now? There may be a war,’ ” she said last week, the day before she left. “So that’s where my thoughts have been.”

While most psychics have been busy making spectacular predictions about the coming year, one local clairvoyant admits that she doesn’t know what the future holds on an international level.

“I don’t know much about what’s going on in the world now, much less what’s going to happen,” said Joan Wysong of Ojai. “There are some things I wish would happen--it would be nice if Hussein would have a stroke.”

Rebate update: In case you were wondering how Stephanie Nardoni’s Christmas dinner went, the answer is--very well. If you don’t remember her, Nardoni is the Newbury Park coupon collector who, by using coupons and rebates, managed to come away from a shopping trip with a couple hundred dollars worth of groceries and $4 in cash. Well, her 10 guests were quite impressed. And Nardoni was thrilled to show off her freezer full of food. But bargain shopping has its price.

“We had one of the three turkeys. It was all right, but it was frozen and we’re used to fresh,” Nardoni said. “But I’m not going to complain since it was free.”

Mary Ashley expects to be particularly busy this month, thanks to the holidays. Ashley is a registered colon therapist at the Inside Tract colon therapy center. With people overconsuming for the past three months, January can mean a boom for people in the digestive-system business.

“People go off during the holidays and eat things they wouldn’t normally eat. More sweet consumption for sure,” she said. “And there are repercussions for the diet.”