Join the 52-week money challenge and see your savings grow every week. It’s a simple way to save more by the end of the year—save a little more each week and make your money work for you!
Like this? Check out the $1000 monthly challenge!
I never liked throwing money away, but I must admit that saving is not easy!
That’s why the 52-week money challenge could be a game-changer for you.
It’s a simple plan: save something each week, and by the end of the year, you will have a good sum tucked away.
It’s an easy and effective way to turn savings into a habit.
What is the 52-Week Money Challenge?
The 52-week money challenge is a savings plan designed to help you gradually increase your savings over the course of a year.
You start by saving a small amount of money in the first week and then increase your savings each following week.
For instance, if you start by saving $1 in the first week, you’ll save $2 in the second week, $3 in the third week, and so on, until you reach $52 in the last week of the year.
By the end of the 52 weeks, if you stick with the challenge, you’ll have saved a total of $1,378.
It’s a simple and incremental way to build a saving habit and accumulate a good sum of money over a year.
You can save for your dream holiday, for a big purchase, or to pay off your debt: there is nothing better than setting up a challenge and having a goal in mind!
52-Week Money Challenge Template
To help you with the challenge, I created not one but three free printables so you can set your own saving goal for this year.
Classic 52-Week Money Challenge
This 52-week money challenge is the classic.
Start with $1 in week 1, $2 in week to, $3 in week 3, and keep going. By the end of the last week, you’ll have saved a total of $1,378.
A great start for your emergency fund!
$5,000 52-Week Money Challenge
This 52-week challenge is a great way to save around $5,000 in the next 52 weeks.
It going to challenge you to save a different amount every week, and by the end of the year, you’ll have saved $5,000. No fancy tricks, just consistent savings.
$10,000 52-Week Money Challenge
This is the perfect strategy for those looking to aim higher and hit a five-figure saving target within a year. This challenge scales up the traditional 52-week method to supercharge your savings goals.
Each week, you’ll save an increasing amount, starting with a manageable sum, and by the end of the year, you’ll have a whopping $10,000 set aside.
It’s about commitment, discipline, and the satisfaction of watching your savings skyrocket week after week.
And remember, with each one of these challenges, you can start any week and keep going for 52 weeks. You don’t have to start the first week of the year!
You can download all these 3 printables by subscribing below.
How to get started
Remember: even the fact that you are reading this and are about to start the 52-week money challenge is an incredible achievement and the first step towards financial freedom.
Here are my favorite tips to get set up and keep the momentum going:
- Set up a high-yield savings account: Before you start stacking your cash, find a savings account with a high interest rate, like this one. This is where you’ll watch your money multiply faster than in your regular savings account. Plus, you will be less tempted to spend the money you set aside!
- Decide on your end goal: Knowing what you’re saving for can keep you motivated. Whether it’s for an emergency fund, vacation, or just a financial cushion, set a clear target.
- Make it a habit: Choose a specific day of the week to transfer your money into your savings account. Treat it like a recurring appointment you can’t miss.
- Track your progress: Use this printable to keep track of what you’ve saved. Watching your success week by week is a great motivator.
- Stay flexible: If a week is tougher financially, it’s okay to save less. The key is to keep going. You can make up for it when you have more to spare.
- Boost your savings with extras: If you receive a bonus or a cash gift, put a portion of it into your 52-week savings account to reach your goal faster.
- Celebrate milestones: Every time you hit a significant number, celebrate! It could just be something simple, like a coffee in your favorite place. This isn’t just about saving money; it’s about building the skills to become financially responsible.
FAQ:
The classic 52-week challenge lets you save $1,378, but you can tailor the challenge to your needs. Here, you can also download a $5,000 challenge and a $10,000 challenge.
It really doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to be committed to the challenge.
You can start at the beginning of the year. Many people do the challenge as part of their New Year’s resolution.
But it’s a flexible challenge, and the most important thing is to start!
This challenge will help you to build new habits, and by the end of the challenge, you’ll be more confident about your money skills.
You will be able to increase your money savings and use them to build your emergency
Ready to start the 52-week money challenge?
This is a journey that begins with a single step. Each week, you’re not just saving money; you’re investing in your dreams, discipline, and determination.
The most important thing is to understand that you don’t have to deprive yourself! You can cut your spending by doing many things that will add up over time.
You can check this list of money hacks to help you find ways to find money you didn’t even know you had!
I also found that tracking my expenses helped me to save even more. It’s something I really encourage you to try along this challenge.
You CAN do it!
Jill says
Hi. Ive tried downloading your 52 week challenge multiple times and nothing happens. I’ve checked spam as well. Can you email me the challenge template? Thank you!!
BTW ~ Love your blog. So inspiring and helpful
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Sorry about that Jill! I sent it over 🙂
And thanks for your lovely comments!
Neba says
Wow…
Thank you for the great tips.
Will be sure to put them to practice.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Thanks Neba! 🙂
Penelope says
Hi!
I’ve tried the other challenge before (Saving over $1000 in a year), but unfortunately only got up to the $300 mark. (which was still a lot for me). This year, I am determined to do it again with a better focus. Not sure what I will be saving for, but the start of this school year (university) will be a better fit for me with my student funding coming in. Looking at it like a goal and taking it week-by-week, rather than something that’s impossible to do will hopefully help me 🙂 Any other “mindset” advice with this would be great!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hey Penelope!
What really works for me, especially when you are still trying to improve your savings habits, is to move the money you want to save straight into a savings account automatically as soon as you get your paycheck. That way you really don’t think about it and you won’t have the money there to spend. You can start with something small like $50 in the first month and increase it a bit every month. It’s super easy and you will save without thinking about it! You can log in to your savings account once every 6 months and see the amazing progress 🙂
Good luck!
Sara
Lisakaman says
I will definitely change to adjust my life style and practice these great tips.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Hey Lisakaman, I am sure you will save lots of money by following these tips! You can do it!
Meagan says
These are great tips! We are planning a vacation next year and I think these tips will help us save up a lot quicker. I recently started packing my lunch and only ordering water at restaurants. I will be using more of these tips!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Yes, every little helps and it adds up quickly into your savings 🙂
Margarita says
Books are important. You invest in your education. Also paper books can be part of your home style. And if you have kids, it’s easier to make them read if you have a couple of attractive paper books.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
I completely agree with you, Margarita! Education is one of the things you should invest more in. I try to read at least 2-3 books a month. But it doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money on books! You can still get books from the library and enjoy them that way for free, or get them at charity shops for little money. I am not saying to never buy books, but everyone should be mindful about it.
Chimere says
Lottery and casinos, ice coffee and cigarettes are my worst habits I waste a lot of money on. I am a couponer, so I save tons on the grocery run. I will attempt to save by excluding all the bad habits. I have summed the lottery and cigarette money and that’s 3000 but itself. Praying for this to work out.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Wow, Chimere! That’s a lot of money. Put that aside in a savings account so you won’t be tempted to spend it!
Janet says
Totally agree with everything this post, especially plastic bottles. I can’t stand when restaurants don’t serve tap water and want me to pay for a bottle of water. I never drink bottled water for a reason (to save money yes, but more importantly, to save the planet).
Also I’m pretty proud to say that I basically don’t buy anything on this list!
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Completely agree, Janet!
Saving the planet it’s a much better reason than saving money! But if you can help save the planet, and save some money at the same time, great 🙂
It’s amazing you are not buying anything on this list! Your saving rate must be pretty good!
fin$avvypanda @ finsavvypanda.com says
Hey Sara!
Thank goodness I’m not a lottery ticket fan. In fact, I actually dislike them… hmmm.. I wonder if I could’ve made it big with the lottery tickets haha…*shrugs* maybe I missed an opportunity LOL!
Overall, this is a fantastic list you have here! 🙂
My fiance and I are working to cut down the restaurant meals and we’ve been doing a pretty good job at that by making food at home.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
That’s why I played the lottery for a few years! Now I can definitely say I haven’t missed the opportunity…I have just lost some money that would have been better invested somewhere else! 🙂
Making food at home and buying less coffee are the 2 big savers here! It’s incredible how much money you can throw away!
JoeHx says
I pack my wife’s lunch everyday and bring my own lunch (frozen meals, not the healthiest, but better than eating out). I also drink the free coffee at work (which I jokingly refer to as “rot-gut”). This has saved us a ton of money over the past couple of years.
Sara @ Gathering Dreams says
Wow, you are doing pretty well then 🙂 Lunches, dinners and coffees are a killer! The first time we added up how much we were spending on that, we were shocked! Everybody keeps saying it, but when you do your own sums it really makes you stop!
Ashfak says
I agree with you