Three Ways to Finally Start Saving (No Matter Your Budget) Plus Helpful Free Printables: Part 3

Welcome back to my series on savings!  To refresh your memory, in Part 1 I talked about some common thoughts that derail our better judgment when it comes to starting our savings.  I also provided a method and printables that would help you save over $300 or over $600 just for pennies a day (handy if you're broke or if you're just wanting to save some extra for a special purchase or trip).  In Part 2, I focused on saving money from purchases you are already making and rewards you even more when you don't spend any money!  And in both parts, I reminded you that I'm not a financial expert, so let's issue that reminder one more time!  Remember, I'm not a financial expert.  I'm just a person who's right there with you, making the same mistakes, feeling the same stress.  So I'm sharing what works for me.

Part 3 is for those of you with a more comfortable income and/or with accelerated savings goals!  This is the very popular 52 week challenge.  In case you aren't familiar with it, this challenge means you are saving $1 the first week, $2, the second week, and so on through the last week when you save $52.  Or, for those who would like to NOT have the most expensive parts come out right during the holiday season, you can save in reverse (first week you save $52, second week you save $51, etc.).  Either way.  At the end of the year, you have saved over $1300.  That's fantastic!  Ok, it's not Warren Buffett territory, but we're going from poor savings habits to an established routine that gives you a healthy jumpstart on your Emergency Fund!  Additionally, this is great for those of you that get annoyed by the "every day transfer" business.  I get it!  You're now in a fortunate position that the annoyance of doing something outweighs the necessity of doing it because you have no choice.  That's the power of money!

But you know what I don't like about this method?  The end total.  It's not a round number.  When I think about it, I don't get excited. I like numbers that I can easily fixate on.  So I've adjusted it a bit so you get a full $1400 at the end of the year!  How did I do it?  Easy!  Add 44 cents to all but two weeks (in this case, I keep them off the $51 and $52 weeks).  It's one small nudge, but it gives me the exciting payoff number I'm looking for!  And wow, if I'm having a great year, I'm probably going to find a way to push an extra $100 into my savings because $1500 is better than $1400!

Just like with the other two methods, I'm providing free printable worksheets you can use to help track your progress (a regular and a reverse, both with the added 44 cents).  And just like with the "pennies" method described in Part 1, you don't actually have to go in order.  The point is to save and to do it habitually. 

Download 52 Week Money Endurance plus 44 PDF

Download Backwards 52 Plus 44 Week Money Endurance PDF

Hey, I've been talking a lot during this series!  I want to hear from you!  Which one of these methods is your favorite?  Which one will you try (or will you try all three)?  Do you have any other helpful savings tips or methods?  Would you like to see more things like this in the future?  Let me know in the comments!  And if you've liked this series, I'll bet there are some people in your life who would like it, too!  Sharing is caring!