New Years Day is such a great moment of possibility. We have the whole year stretched in front of us, without having made any mistakes yet! And it’s a perfect time to set a few strategic moves in place.
A friend recently alerted me to the 52-week Money Challenge (thanks Adam!), which was new to me, even though it’s been a New Year’s tradition for years. The challenge is a simple and gradual way to save a solid chunk of money over the course of a year by deploying a large jar and weekly savings directive.
Starting small, all you need to do in the first week is to drop in four quarters, the second week requires scavenging two dollars from under your couch cushions, in the third you’ll rustle up three for the pot and so on, adding a dollar to your savings amount each week. The last week of the year when you’ll round out your savings jar by stuffing in a final $52 deposit for a respectable total of $1378!
I love this plan because it not only eases you in to a weekly savings practice with a sizable result, but sets you up with the endurance to start 2017 by enacting automatic savings of $200 a month. Some of us may already be on track with our savings, but if putting away $1,378 in a year’s time sounds impossible, then this is the perfect way to make this impossible happen.
To take this challenge into the 21st century I suggest that instead of using a jar, you make transfers into your savings account each week so you establish a little distance between yourself and your nest egg, so your hard-won saving isn’t accidentally spent on pizza delivery.
Another way to do it if you want to start strong and end the year effortlessly, you can flip the numbers around and start with a $52 in the first week and end with $1.
And to help you stay on track all year long I will offer to email you EVERY WEEK in 2016 to remind you how much to transfer. That’s right, follow this LINK and input your email address, and I will alert you every Wednesday of 2016 to make your transfer. You’ll also receive a FREE super-awesome, pre-programmed savings tracker, so you can watch your dollars pile up.
Sound good? Who wouldn’t want an extra $1,378 in the bank in one year’s time? And if you’re seeing this after New Year’s Day don’t worry — you can join any time, because each week’s email will let you know how much you need to start with to catch up. So climb aboard the Smartly 52-week Money Challenge! Click HERE to sign-up.