Five Ways to do a 52 Week Money Challenge + Free Printable
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Setting money saving goals is easy, but following them through - and doing it for a entire year - can be tough. One of the easiest ways to hit your savings goal is to use a 52 week money challenge printable. This printable can help you stay on track and achieve your big goal, like downpayment on a house, funding a wedding (or wedding ring), or buying a new car.
A 52-week challenge also help you put down the credit cards, and focus on spending less money. Think of all the good things youc an do with all that extra cash!
Trust me, when it comes to goals, I'm all about setting them. Like, daily. However, it's that whole consistency bit that I seem to falter on. I'm like a toddler surrounded by goldfish crackers, shiny new toys, Paw Patrol, and Grandma - I'm easily distracted and overwhelmed by the possibilities around me!
That's why I've created these great 52 week money challenge printables so that you (and I, and a lot of people) can stay focused on our goals for the year.
Don't worry about not starting January 1st of a new year. These money-saving challenges can be started at any time - on your birthday, on a Taco Tuesday, for Halloween. Nothing is dated, so no worries if you start it in 2020 and end in 2021. Consider it just one of the new ways you're improving yourself this month. Print it out, hang it on the fridge, and get started whenever it strikes your fancy.
Varations of this Money Savings Challenge
52 Week Money Challenge + Printable
If you want to save money every week for a year, the 52 week money challenge is what you need. In the original version of this money-saving challenge, you'll start saving an amount of money that matches the week you're on. For example, during the first week, you'll put aside $1, the next week will be $2, and so on until you hit week 52.
Once it's complete, you'll have an astonishing $1378 saved from the 52 week challenge! It's a great way to pull together extra money for Christmas gifts, a vacation, an emergency fund, or to pay off debt.
If you're worried about saving money while on a tight budget, this version of the challenge can help. It starts with a lower amount, with a $1 a week, which isn't much money. By building up every week, it's easier to get into the savings mindset. Plus, you can work on cutting expenses as you go to meet each week's savings requirement.
Use this blank 52 week money challenge printable to get started:
Reverse 52 Week Money Challenge Printable
Reverse 52 Week Money Challenge PrintableIf you're starting your savings challenge at the beginning of the year, I like to do this version. You'll start saving $52 for the first week, $51 for the second week, and so on.
Why do it this way, you ask? It's easier if you're using this for Christmas presents. You start with a higher amount, so by the time you hit December, you'll have the majority saved before you start shopping. Even if you're not using these savings for the holidays, it's less stressful to set aside smaller amounts closer to Christmas, so you'll feel the pinch much less.
Random 52 Week Money Challenge Printable
Random 52 Week Money Challenge PrintableThis version of the savings challenge takes the amounts $1 to $52 and mixes them up. Start by printing out the 52 week money challenge chart and randomly selecting savings dollar amounts for the week by:
- Placing the page on a dartboard and see where your dart lands
- Blindfold your kid, spin around, and have them point at a number
- Place the page on the ground and toss a small rock
- Make it part of your cheap date ideas (if you're super weird like me)
- Have a couple of drinks, close your eyes, and point 😉
You get the idea (I vote for the drinks option!). No matter how you come up with your number, don't forget to mark it off so that it doesn't get repeated later in the year.
52 Week Money Challenge $5000 Printable
52 Week Money Challenge $5000 PrintableMaybe you find this challenge not to be...challenging enough. How about saving a whopping $5,000 in a year?
With this version, you'll be saving heftier amounts, and they'll add up much quicker. It'll take some digging into your budget and looking at your spending to work on setting aside the correct amount each week.
By the end of the year, you'll hit that $5,000 goal. It's a little intimidating, but I know you can do it!
Get your 52 week money challenge $5000 printable here.
52 Week Money Challenge $10,000 Printable
52 Week Money Challenge $10,000 PrintableRaising the stakes, even more, is the $10,000 52 week money challenge. This one's not for the faint of heart, but the reward is worth it. Being able to save $10,000 in a year is achievable with some planning and this printable. To tackle the weekly amounts needed, you'll have to make a lot of room in your budget or start earning more. Using your income from a side hustle would be an easy way to meet these weekly savings amounts.
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Bonus: What Do I Do with my Savings?
Now that you've decided to start a yearly savings challenge, you need a place to put those savings. If you just tuck it in the corner of your bank account, I can guarantee you'll "accidentally" end up spending it (don't ask how I know that!).
It's essential to set up a separate savings account to keep this money safe. You are much less likely to spend it, and you'll always know exactly how much you have saved.
The best types of savings account for these challenges are with online banks such as CIT Bank. For starters, they have higher interest rates on their accounts so that you can earn a bit of interest.
Secondly, it's not as quick/easy to get your savings, so you're less tempted to spend it. If your savings are at a local bank, you can easily walk in, pull out $50 for dinner out, and kill your savings challenge.
With banks like CIT Bank, they easily connect with your local bank. You can transfer money between accounts with little effort, but it does take a couple of days for the transactions to clear. For me, this is a bonus, since I'm less likely to dip into that savings because it's forcing me to stop and think a couple of days before purchasing something.
Now that you have a plan, get these printed and get started saving! Good luck!
Looking for more great money savings challenges, like the 5 dollar challenge? Why not try out one of these?
A forty-ish web designer/developer by day, a budget & financial fanatic by night. I’m a mom, wife, avid reader, and DIY enthusiast who’s tracking our journey to debt freedom. Read More
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