How the 52-Week money challenge could help you save
If your New Year's resolution is to save more money, you may want to check out the $1 challenge. It's also known as the 52-week challenge on money saving blogs.
Here's how it works.
The first week of the year you save $1. Then, you increase your savings by $1 each week.
During week 2, you save $2, which you add to week 1's dollar. That's $3.
On week 3, you save $3, and that adds up to $6.
You keep going until you reach week 52. You save $52 during week 52, and at the end of the year, you would have saved a grand total of $1,378.
Some people like to put their savings in envelopes or a piggy bank.
Others like to keep their cash automatically deposited in savings accounts at the bank. Another option is using apps such as "Digit" or "Qapital". They promise to help you save money without thinking about it.
You could also set up a challenge for your spouse to see who can save the most. If you don't want to stop after week 52, consider carrying on in the 104-week challenge.
If you were to continue increasing your savings by $1 a week into the next year, you'd save up another $4,082 by the end of the second year. Over those two years, you'd have close to $5,500 total.
If you're already an aggressive saver, try kicking it up a notch. Start at $100 a week. Then increase contributions in $2-a-week increments.
