52 Week Money Saving Challenge + Printable Sheet

The start of a new year means it’s time to start our 52 week money saving challenge, which easily helps you save just $1378 in just one year!

There are countless ways to save money, but it’s still something thousands of people struggle with. Most of the plans I see online are simply unrealistic and will set you up for failure. The 52-week money saving challenge works because it’s realistic and customizable and easy to understand.

This plan went viral several years ago and is still going strong. Everyone in my family does it, and we’ve all come up with our own ways to hack it. For example, my daughter does it in reverse, but I do it more randomly – and I’ll elaborate more on this below.

The 52 week money saving challenge is simple:

Start by saving just one dollar the first week.
Increase the amount you add each week.
At the end of the year, you’ll have at least $1378

What you do with the money is completely up to you. Most people use it for Christmas, which is a fantastic idea as the holidays are a stressful time financially. Others use it to start an emergency fund, which is so smart! Honestly, I started doing this as a way to save for vacation, and that’s what I still use it for to this day.

You can save it in a cute little box like I do or set up a savings account and transfer the money online – whatever is easiest for you. Most people don’t have cash on hand or want to go take it out, so they find that doing it online the easiest.

The beauty of this plan is that it’s fully customizable!

As I said, everyone in my family does it a little different, which is the beauty of this plan. If it’s easier for you, simply stick to the plan exactly – but also don’t be afraid to change it. Since I usually get cash back at the register, it’s never the exact amount and I just round up and add whatever I feel like. Also, I never count it throughout the year and usually end up with more than $1378.

If you have a light bill week or find yourself with some extra cash, knock out one of the weeks with a higher deposit amount later in the year (like weeks 40 and above). Some people even do the plan in reverse, which totally works too. Do what works best for you, and do it in whatever order you want. The easier it is, the more likely you are to stick with it!

Below you’ll find two different versions to print. One is the classic plan and one is blank for you to fill out yourself. Just click on the image, and it will open a printable version. I like to print it out, laminate it, keep it on my fridge, and use a washable marker to check off the deposits as I make them. At the end of the year, I can just wipe it off and reuse it next year!