Free printable + Excel tracker
52-Week Savings Challenge
The classic. Each week you save the week number in dollars: $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, and $52 in the last week of the year. The early weeks are so small you barely notice, and by the time the amounts grow you already have the habit.
Both are free. Tell us where to send them and they are in your inbox in a minute. The tracker adds up what you have saved and shows your finish date.
Goal
$1,378
Cells
52
Takes
1 year
Saving
about $27 a week
How the 52-week challenge works
Fifty-two weeks later you have $1,378. Start any week of the year, and if the big weeks fall at an awkward time (December, for most people) run it backwards: $52 first, $1 last.
Print it, or open the tracker
Print the chart and put it where you will see it every day, or get the free tracker for Excel or Google Sheets. Write down what you are saving for.
Color a cell each time you save
Move the money to savings, then color the cell with that amount. One a week keeps you on schedule, in any order you like.
Reach $1,378 in 1 year
Watch the chart fill up. The tracker shows what is saved, what is left and whether you are on pace, and the milestones on the chart mark each quarter of the way.
What is on the chart
52 cells, one for each week, from $1 to $52. Color them in order, backwards, or whichever fits the week.
The free tracker adds it up for you
The same chart as a spreadsheet, for Excel and Google Sheets. Type x (or the date) under an amount when you save it: the cell turns green and the tab totals what you have saved, shows what is left, and tells you whether you are on pace and the day you will finish. It also has every other challenge, and a tab where you set your own goal and number of cells.
Curious how the green cells work? It is a two-minute idea: learn conditional formatting free, in a live spreadsheet in your browser.
Tips that make it stick
- Run it backwards if December is tight: the biggest amounts land in January, when your motivation is highest.
- Do the weeks in any order. Color the cell that fits your budget this week, so a bad week never ends the challenge.
- Set up an automatic transfer every payday for that week's amount, then color the cell when it lands.
Questions
How much is the 52-week challenge a week?
It starts at $1 in week 1 and rises by $1 a week to $52 in week 52. The average is $26.50 a week, about $115 a month.
Is it really free?
Yes. The printable PDF and the Excel and Google Sheets tracker are both free. We email them to you, along with a few short tips to help you finish.
Does the tracker work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Choose Google Sheets when you get the tracker, and the email has a button that makes your own copy in your Google Drive in one click. The totals, the green cells and the pace all work there. In Excel it works on Windows and Mac, in any version from 2016.
What if I miss a week?
Nothing breaks. Color any cell you like the next time you save; the order does not matter. The tracker shows how many cells you are behind and moves your finish date, so you can catch up when you have room.
Where should I keep the money?
In a separate savings account, ideally a high-yield one, so you can see the total grow and you are not tempted to spend it. Move the money as you color the cell, so the chart and the account always match.
Can I start in the middle of the year?
Yes. Write your own start date on the chart, or type it into the tracker, and the finish date and pace follow from that day.
Ready to start?
Get the chart, pick your start date, and color the first cell today.
Both are free. Tell us where to send them and they are in your inbox in a minute. The tracker adds up what you have saved and shows your finish date.
More savings challenges
$1,000
$1,000 Savings Challenge
50 cells, 6 months
$5,000
$5,000 Savings Challenge
100 cells, 1 year
$10,000
$10,000 Savings Challenge
100 cells, 1 year
Biweekly
Biweekly Savings Plan
26 paydays, 1 year
$1,000
90-Day Savings Challenge
90 cells, 3 months
Or compare all six challenges and get every printable in one PDF.