Savings · Envelo
How much do you save with the 52 week money challenge
The standard 52 week money challenge saves $1,378. You put away $1 in week one, $2 in week two, and so on until $52 in week 52. That averages $26.50 a week, but the amounts climb, so the last 13 weeks ask for $598 while the first 13 ask for only $91.
Where $1,378 comes from
The challenge is the sum of the numbers 1 through 52. Pair week 1 with week 52 and week 2 with week 51, and each of the 26 pairs adds up to 53; 26 times 53 is 1,378. Bankrate gives the same total and describes the rule the same way: each week's amount matches the week number.
Its origins are informal. Girlboss reports that the challenge is believed to have been created in 2013 by Kassondra Perry-Moreland through a Facebook group called Kassondra's 52-Week Money Challenge. The rule itself fits on an index card: one deposit a week, each a dollar more than the last.
The appeal is the gentle start. The first four weeks ask for $10 in total, and the first two months for well under $100. The difficulty is all in the back half.
The quarter-by-quarter climb
Split the year into four 13-week quarters and the shape of the challenge becomes clear: $91 in weeks 1 to 13, $260 in weeks 14 to 26, $429 in weeks 27 to 39, and $598 in weeks 40 to 52. The final quarter asks for more than six and a half times the first.
By the halfway point, week 26, you have saved $351, about a quarter of the total. The remaining $1,027 comes in the second half of the year.
Starting on January 1 puts week 40 at the beginning of October, so the most expensive stretch overlaps with holiday spending. Bankrate's suggestion for anyone worried about their savings falling off during the holidays is to flip the challenge around.
Variations and what they total
Reverse. Start with $52 in week one and count down to $1. The total is still $1,378, but the big weeks come first, while motivation is high and before the holidays.
Flat. Bankrate notes that transferring $26.50 every week reaches the same $1,378 as the regular challenge, without tracking a rising amount.
Doubled. Saving $2 in week one, $4 in week two, $6 in week three and so on ends at $2,756, according to Bankrate. Week 52 alone is $104.
Any order. Girlboss describes a checklist version: put all the amounts from $1 to $52 on a list and mark them off in whatever order you can. You still save $1,378, but you can take a $5 week when money is tight and a $48 week after a good paycheck.
52 weeks or 100 envelopes?
The 52 week challenge and the 100 envelope challenge are built the same way, as the sum of consecutive whole numbers, but they ask for very different amounts. The 100 envelope version totals $5,050 with an average envelope of $50.50, almost twice the 52 week average of $26.50.
Pace is the bigger difference. At one envelope a day, the 100 envelope challenge runs about 100 days and averages about $353.50 a week, roughly thirteen times the 52 week average. At one envelope a week it stretches to 100 weeks. The 52 week challenge is a year by design.
A hybrid sits in between: 52 envelopes holding $1 to $52, drawn at random one a week. The total is the same $1,378 as the classic, but the large amounts are scattered across the year instead of stacked in the last quarter.
Where the weekly money goes
Bankrate is practical about the cash question: a simple piggy bank may work for you, but not everyone has cash on hand to deposit each week. Its alternative is to open a high-yield savings account, transfer the week's amount into it, and keep it there until the challenge ends.
Either way, the math is identical. The challenge only decides how much to set aside each week; where it goes is up to you.
This guide explains how a common savings challenge works. It is general information, not financial advice.
Mistakes that stall the challenge
Skipping a week and catching up all at once. Missing week 45 means finding $45 plus $46 the following week. Planning for the high weeks in advance, or switching to the any-order checklist, keeps one bad week from ending the whole thing.
No checkpoints. Bankrate recommends setting reminders and benchmarks so you don't quit midway, and suggests rewarding yourself for every 13 weeks you successfully save, four times a year.
Picking the wrong version for your calendar. If the end of the year is already tight, the standard climb works against you, and the reverse or flat version may fit better.
Losing the chart. A paper chart on the fridge does not travel with you. Envelo has a 52 Week Challenge template: 52 envelopes holding $1 to $52, each opened by scratching off a gold foil, with the amount drawn at random from the ones not used yet and a check mark once you mark the cash as stashed.
Frequently asked questions
How much do you save if you double the 52 week challenge?
$2,756. You save $2 in week one, $4 in week two, and so on up to $104 in week 52, the doubled total Bankrate gives.
How much should I have saved by week 26?
$351 in the standard version, the sum of 1 through 26. The remaining $1,027 comes in weeks 27 to 52.
What is the reverse 52 week money challenge?
You start with $52 in week one and save $1 less each week, ending with $1 in week 52. The total is still $1,378, but the large weeks come early instead of at the end of the year.
How much do you need each week for the 52 week challenge?
$26.50 on average. Bankrate notes that transferring a flat $26.50 every week reaches the same $1,378.
Can I start the 52 week challenge in the middle of the year?
Yes. The weeks count from whenever you begin, so a July start ends the following July. Check where the high weeks will land: starting on April 1, for example, puts weeks 40 to 52 between late December and the end of March.