52 week savings challenge calculator

How the 52 week challenge works

You save 1 in week one, 2 in week two, 3 in week three, and so on until you put away 52 in the last week. That's it.

The amounts grow so slowly that the first months barely feel like saving. By the end of the year you've put away 1,378, and the calculator above simply scales that up to whatever you pick for week 1.

What you'll have at the end

It works in any currency, because it's just multiplication: the total is always 1,378 times your first amount.

Small first or big first?

Small first is the classic version. It's easy to get going, but the biggest weeks come last. If you start on 1 January, week 52 lands in late December, right when gifts and trips cost the most.

Big first flips it. You save 52 in week one, while the plan still feels exciting, and the amounts shrink toward the end of the year. Same total, a very different December.

Random shuffles the 52 amounts, so some weeks are big and some are tiny. It's the option to pick if a steady climb feels boring. Press Shuffle again until you like the mix.

Paid every two weeks? Try 26 paydays

If your money arrives every second week, saving every week can feel out of step. The 26 payday version saves once per payday instead. In my app it starts at 10, so you save 10, then 20, then 30, up to 260 on the last payday.

That adds up to 3,510 over a year. The rule of thumb: the total is 351 times your first amount.

The 100 envelope challenge

Number 100 envelopes from 1 to 100. Whenever you save, draw one at random and put that amount in it. Envelope 1 holds 1, envelope 100 holds 100, and when they're all full you've saved 5,050.

That's a lot more than the 52 week plan, so pace yourself. Two envelopes a week takes 50 weeks, and one a day gets you there in a little over three months. Pick 100 envelopes above for a grid you can print, tick off, or draw from right here.

A few things that help

• Tie it to a day you'll remember, like payday or Sunday evening.
• Keep the money apart from your spending money: a separate savings account, or a real jar if you save cash.
• Tick the box the same day you save. A chart with gaps is easier to fix than one you've stopped looking at.
• Missed a week? Catch up next week, or skip it and carry on. A smaller total is still a lot better than quitting in March.

None of this is financial advice. It's simple arithmetic and a habit, and the habit is the hard part.

Using the chart

Print the chart and stick it on the fridge, or download the PDF and keep it on your phone. Both come straight from your browser: nothing gets uploaded, and there's no sign up. If you tick boxes here, they're remembered in this browser too, so you can come back next week and carry on.

Why I built this

I made Savings Challenge, an Android app for exactly these plans, and this calculator uses the same amounts. The app adds what paper can't: a jar that fills up as you tap to save, a weekly reminder, a home screen widget, and backups you can move to a new phone. Everything stays on your phone, with no bank connection.

Questions

How much will I save?

1,378 times your first weekly amount, 351 times it for 26 paydays, and 5,050 times it for 100 envelopes.

Do I have to start in January?

No. Pick any start date and the chart's dates follow it. The challenge takes a year either way.

Can I use cents or pence for the first amount?

Yes. Type 0.50 and week 52 becomes 26, with 689 saved in total.

Is my chart saved anywhere?

Only in your own browser. Clear this site's data and it's gone.