The 52-week savings challenge, with a printable table
The 52-week savings challenge has you save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, and so on up to $52 in week 52. By the end of the year you will have saved $1,378. The table below lists every week and the running total, so you can print it and tick each week off.
By Swapnanil Dhol. Last updated
How to do the 52-week savings challenge
- Pick a start date. Choose a day each week for your deposit and start in week 1.
- Save the amount for the week. Save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, and increase by $1 each week.
- Tick off each week. Use the table to check the amount and the running total.
- Adjust the multiplier if needed. Multiply every week by 2 or 5 for a larger goal, or run the list in reverse.
- Finish in week 52. The final deposit is $52 and the total is $1,378.
What is the 52-week savings challenge?
You save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, and so on, up to $52 in week 52. The weekly amounts add up to $1,378 over the year. Use the table below as a printable checklist, and tick off each week as you go.
| Week | Save | Total | Week | Save | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1 | $1 | 27 | $27 | $378 |
| 2 | $2 | $3 | 28 | $28 | $406 |
| 3 | $3 | $6 | 29 | $29 | $435 |
| 4 | $4 | $10 | 30 | $30 | $465 |
| 5 | $5 | $15 | 31 | $31 | $496 |
| 6 | $6 | $21 | 32 | $32 | $528 |
| 7 | $7 | $28 | 33 | $33 | $561 |
| 8 | $8 | $36 | 34 | $34 | $595 |
| 9 | $9 | $45 | 35 | $35 | $630 |
| 10 | $10 | $55 | 36 | $36 | $666 |
| 11 | $11 | $66 | 37 | $37 | $703 |
| 12 | $12 | $78 | 38 | $38 | $741 |
| 13 | $13 | $91 | 39 | $39 | $780 |
| 14 | $14 | $105 | 40 | $40 | $820 |
| 15 | $15 | $120 | 41 | $41 | $861 |
| 16 | $16 | $136 | 42 | $42 | $903 |
| 17 | $17 | $153 | 43 | $43 | $946 |
| 18 | $18 | $171 | 44 | $44 | $990 |
| 19 | $19 | $190 | 45 | $45 | $1,035 |
| 20 | $20 | $210 | 46 | $46 | $1,081 |
| 21 | $21 | $231 | 47 | $47 | $1,128 |
| 22 | $22 | $253 | 48 | $48 | $1,176 |
| 23 | $23 | $276 | 49 | $49 | $1,225 |
| 24 | $24 | $300 | 50 | $50 | $1,275 |
| 25 | $25 | $325 | 51 | $51 | $1,326 |
| 26 | $26 | $351 | 52 | $52 | $1,378 |
How much does the 52-week challenge save?
$1,378 in total: 52 weeks times the average week of $26.50. Multiply every week by 5 and you save $6,890, or by 2 and you save $2,756. Pick the multiplier that fits your budget.
Is it easier to start with the big weeks?
Many people do the challenge in reverse: $52 in week 1, down to $1 in week 52. The total is the same, but the biggest deposits come when the motivation is highest, and the last weeks are easy.
How do I set up the 52-week challenge in Goaley?
Goaley: Savings Goal Tracker plans equal contributions, so create a goal for $1,378 with a 52-week deadline and weekly saving, which comes to $26.50 a week. If you would rather follow the rising ladder, record each week's amount as a custom contribution and watch the goal fill up. Compare other timelines in the savings goal calculator, or see how the plan works.
Start the challenge today
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