52-week savings challenge printable, with the totals worked out
Short answer
In the 52-week savings challenge you save $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, and so on, adding $1 each week until week 52, when you save $52. The total after a year is $1,378. Start at $5 instead and the total is $6,890. Streaksheet prints the chart for any starting amount, plus a dated deposit log with a running total and a goal thermometer.
How it works
Each week you save the week's number in dollars. Week 1, $1. Week 10, $10. Week 52, $52. The early weeks are small enough to start without thinking about it, and the amounts climb slowly, a dollar at a time.
Add up 1 + 2 + 3 + … + 52 and you get 1,378. That's where the $1,378 total comes from.
Totals for different starting amounts
Change the week-1 amount and everything scales with it.
| Week-1 amount | Week 52 deposit | Last four weeks | Total after 52 weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | $52 | $202 | $1,378 |
| $2 | $104 | $404 | $2,756 |
| $5 | $260 | $1,010 | $6,890 |
| $10 | $520 | $2,020 | $13,780 |
The hard part is the end
The "last four weeks" column is the one to look at before you commit. On a $1 start, weeks 49 to 52 ask for $202 in a month. Start in the first week of January and those four weeks land in December. Ways to handle it:
- Start at a different time of year, so the big weeks fall in a month that suits you.
- Pick a starting amount you can afford at week 52, not one that only feels comfortable in week 1.
You can also run it backwards, $52 first, so the big weeks are behind you early. The chart still works for that if you colour from the last box ($52) back to the first, but Streaksheet's dated log always runs forward from week 1.
What to print
- A chart with all 52 amounts, to colour in as each one goes into savings.
- A deposit log with the week, the date, the amount and the running total, so you can check your balance against it.
- Something to look at that shows how far along you are. A thermometer shaded up to your running total does that.
Print it for your amount
Open the Streaksheet builder on Savings challenge, pick 52-week, then enter your week-1 amount and first deposit date. Three sheets come out of it: the savings chart with every amount worked out, a deposit log with dates and a running total, and a goal thermometer marked every 5% with quarter-way milestones in bold. The total shows as you type.
Previewing costs nothing. To print, it's $7 once (31 days of printing) or $5 a month. Streaksheet makes the sheets; it isn't financial advice and never touches your money.
Build your 52-week chart →Questions
How much do you save in the 52-week challenge?
Starting at $1, you save $1,378. The total is always 1,378 times your week-1 amount: $2,756 for $2, $6,890 for $5.
Can I choose my own starting amount?
Yes. In the builder you type the week-1 amount, and every week after it is that amount times the week number.
Can I do it in reverse, biggest week first?
Not on Streaksheet's dated log, which always puts week 1 first. You can still colour the chart's boxes in any order you like.
What dates does the log use?
You pick the first deposit date, and each following week is dated seven days later.
Does Streaksheet hold the money?
No. It prints the sheets. The money goes wherever you keep your savings.