How much does each savings challenge save?
Each challenge adds a little more every time, so the total is bigger than it looks. Here is what each one adds up to with the usual first step.
- 52 week challenge: 1,378. You save 1 in week 1, 2 in week 2, and so on up to 52.
- Reverse 52 week challenge: 1,378. The same amounts, biggest first.
- 100 envelope challenge: 5,050. Envelopes numbered 1 to 100, each holding its own number.
- 365 day penny challenge: 667.95. You save 0.01 on day 1, 0.02 on day 2, up to 3.65 on day 365.
- Your own target: the total divided by the number of deposits. 5,000 over 52 weeks is about 96 a week.
How to use the savings calculator
It takes about a minute, and nothing you type leaves your browser.
Pick a challenge
Choose one of the four classic plans, or My own target if you already know the number you want.
Set the smallest deposit
Every other deposit is a multiple of it. Change 1 to 5 and the 52 week total jumps to 6,890.
Add a start date if you want one
Every row gets its date. Leave it blank and the chart prints with a line to write the date in yourself.
Print the chart
Tick a box each time you save. To keep a file instead, pick Save as PDF in the print window.
Which savings challenge should you pick?
Pick the one that matches how your money arrives. The best challenge is the one you can still afford in its hardest week.
The 52 week plan starts easy and ends at 52 a week. Start in January and those big weeks land in December, when money is tightest. The reverse plan puts the big weeks in January instead. The 100 envelope plan is faster and more random. The penny plan is the gentlest start of all, but it asks for a deposit every single day.
If you want the same amount every week, use My own target with 1,378 over 52 deposits. That is 26.50 a week, and it is the only version you can put on autopilot. The full pros and cons are in our savings challenge guide.
How to make a savings challenge bigger or smaller
Change the smallest deposit. The whole chart grows or shrinks with it, and the total moves by the same factor.
The rule is simple: the 52 week total is always 1,378 times your first step. A first step of 2 saves 2,756. A step of 10 saves 13,780. A step of 0.50 saves 689. The 100 envelope total is always 5,050 times the step.
Start smaller than you think. A finished 689 beats an abandoned 13,780, and you can always run it again next year with a bigger step.
Tips so you actually finish
Keep the money somewhere you do not spend from. Mixed in with your everyday account, it quietly disappears.
Watch the total, not the last deposit. People push harder as a target gets close: in one study, cafe customers bought coffee faster the nearer their loyalty card got to a free one. A chart filling up gives you the same pull.
Log each deposit the day you make it, not at the end of the month from memory. If you miss a week, add it to the next one or accept a smaller total. Neither ends the challenge.
Want a break from the ladder? A no spend challenge saves money by cutting spending instead of setting it aside, and these money challenge ideas have more to try. For a challenge counted in days rather than money, print a day tracker instead.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does the 52 week savings challenge save?
- 1,378 in your currency with a first step of 1. The numbers 1 to 52 add up to 1,378. With a first step of 5 it saves 6,890.
- How much is the 100 envelope challenge?
- 5,050. The envelopes are numbered 1 to 100 and each holds its own number, so the total is 1 + 2 + ... + 100.
- How much does the penny challenge save in a year?
- 667.95. You save one cent more each day, from 0.01 on day 1 to 3.65 on day 365.
- How do I work out a weekly amount for my own goal?
- Divide the total by the number of weeks. Pick My own target, type the total and the number of deposits, and the calculator does it, down to the cent.
- Can I save the chart as a PDF?
- Yes. Press Print the chart, then choose Save as PDF as the printer.
- Is this calculator free?
- Yes. It needs no account, and what you type stays in your browser.