52-Week Savings Challenge

[Magic2000]

So far, I'm doing pretty good. I've been putting aside some extra too, and I've saved $120!!! So I'm up to week 15 now!

I've put aside some extra now because I know the last few weeks are going to be hard!

 

[ArmchairDetective]

We are doubling it this year and doing the hop-around method. We're currently at $284.

We knocked out some of the bigger ones early!

We save for Christmas all year long and are currently at $60, doing $20/wk.

 

[roflclaw]

My mom and I made a joint savings account where we're each depositing an amount each week into. She's going backwards and I'm bouncing around depending on how much I feel like putting in that week and highlighting the amount on a page I printed out.

So far we're at $315, hoping for a nice bit of vacation money in hopes for a WDW trip next year sometime.

 

[kristinradico]

I'm skipping around and doing pretty well! I've done 3,5,7 and 45 so far.

 

[sara mom]

My dh and I are doing it in reverse order (getting the harder ones out of the way first). No problems yet. I love crossing out the weeks as we go!

 

[mommyburns]

I feel like we see the same or similar post just about every year, shortly after the new year. In the classical example, where you do $1, then $2, etc... I wonder how many people from last year actually followed through with it all year long? While I don't mean to sound like DreamCrusher or anything, it seems like there are a lot more posts in January about how awesome the idea is, how people have already paid week 1, and all the grandiose plans for what to do with the money. Feels a bit "cart before horse" to me, at risk of sounding cynical. I do like some of the ideas posted here about going in reverse, picking at random, or crossing values off a list.. I suspect those approaches might meet with greater success. For the reverse method, I wouldn't be surprised if part way through the year some people simply decide to not reduce the values at all, and actually end up ahead of the game." QUOTE

My husband and I did the challenge all year, for most of the year we actually doubled it. At the end of the year we had saved $2200 from our weekly cash budgets. We used the money to pay for one of his grad school classes. We are doing it in reverse this year, to either help pay for our October 2014 trip or to pay off another grad school class. Good luck to all those attempting it.

 

[Mickfarland4]

I decided to do this for airfare for 2015. I really like the random week thinking and will randomly draw a different week, I think I will actually have my kids draw them and teach them about saving.

 

[penguin1102]

I love the idea of the random week thing. I think that once DH and I are both working again we will try this. We are just kind of jumping around with what we can do right now.

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

I've stuck to my plan of drawing the slips of paper randomly. I let my DS draw last Wednesday (since I started on 1/1) and he drew $10 so not too bad! I'm actually looking forward to drawing tomorrow and the anticipation is sort of fun and I love crossing off the amount on my chart!

Heather

 

[Aryn]

We are still going in order, so we have saved $6 lol

my DH likes order so as much as I would like to just pick any week, we are doing it his way. I guess it doesn't matter as long as the money gets saved. I really hope that we can keep up with it, and don't "steal from the envelope".
We have not decided how we are going to spend the money, I would like to go on a trip.

Good luck to all the other savers!

 

[griergirl2]

I wrote all the weeks on an envelope and we are just putting in what we have each week and crossing that number off the envelope. So far we crossed off $52, $48, and $2 (can you tell I did three week at once and put in $100 ) But hopefully we can stick with it and see what we can save

 

[dreamin_disney]

I made a payment today for week #4 so I have a total of $202. I'm going in reverse . I'm hoping to keep up with it

 

[jenbelles]

We did Week 4 also. We are jumping around; started with $52 & $51, then we did $11 and $12 (after coming back from a 10 day trip to Florida). Hope to keep it going.

 

[Disneybell2015]

I really love the idea of using number evelopes and just picking at random. I was orginally doing the 52-week plan along with my normal savings but I think I will switch to the evelopes and make that money my dinning and buying expense for the parks.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Way to go everyone!!!

I did this last year, in reverse order due to getting dividends on our savings and we have 3 birthdays and Christmas at the end of the year so it gets tight.
I am using the money to pay for our hotel at Disney next month.

We are doing it again this year, not sure what that will be earmarked for but I have plenty of time to figure it out.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I've stuck to my plan of drawing the slips of paper randomly. I let my DS draw last Wednesday (since I started on 1/1) and he drew $10 so not too bad! I'm actually looking forward to drawing tomorrow and the anticipation is sort of fun and I love crossing off the amount on my chart!

Heather

Hmmmm wonder if we should draw slips. It seems more fun.....

 

[IBelieveInTheMagic]

Hmmmm wonder if we should draw slips. It seems more fun.....

I actually look forward to Wednesdays and love the anticipation of which one it will be. Last week my DS drew $43 and today $33.

So far, so good

Heather

 

[benniecooper]

I did the challenge last year and didn't tell my DH. On week 52 I told him and he couldn't believe that I had done it. So this year we challenged ourselves to both do it.

 

[4HppyCamprs]

I actually look forward to Wednesdays and love the anticipation of which one it will be. Last week my DS drew $43 and today $33.

So far, so good

Heather

I am liking the idea of randomly socking away the larger amounts instead of all in a row. I am pretty sure Dh will be on board since he keeps trying to pay early into the envelope and I like the idea if the kids drawing the numbers

 

[lillygator]

I am doing it x5 since there are 5 of us in the family....have already shceduled all the transfers through May at the bank.
I like the idea of doing it randomly and incorporating the kids - but this year I am keeping it under wraps....