7 Money Challenges to Save up to $10,000 in One Year

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Ready to start building your savings? If the answer is yes, then it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. We’ve scoured the internet looking for the best money-saving challenges and narrowed it down to seven. One of which can help you save up to $10,000 in a year. So put your game face on and let’s get started!

$5 bill challenge

With this challenge, the concept is simple. Every time you come across a $5 bill, you save it. Store your fives in a jar and don’t touch it until the end of the year. You’ll be amazed by how much you’re able to save with minimal effort. Depending on your financial situation, you may want to experiment using bigger or smaller bills. Whatever you decide, just be consistent.

30-day quarter challenge

Save over $100 this month just by holding on to your quarters. The day of the month determines the number of coins you’ll need to add to your stash. You’ll start out saving 25 cents the first day and work your way up to $7.50 on day 30. Once you see how easy it is, we’re sure you’ll want to repeat the cycle for the rest of the year.

365-day penny challenge

Having a limited budget isn’t a good enough reason not to save. With the 365-day penny challenge, you’ll set aside a penny amount based on the day. For instance, day 1 – one penny, day 2 – two pennies, so on a so forth until the end of the year. At which point, you’ll have almost $668 in the bank.

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12-week money-saving challenge

Want to build your savings fast? Consider a 12-week challenge. Each week, you’ll save between $60-$100 as depicted in the chart. If you stick with it, you can have $1,000 in your account in just 3 short months.

52-week challenge

This is one of the most popular money-saving challenges on the internet. How it works is, week 1 you’ll save $1, week 2 you’ll save $2 and you’ll continue the pattern until you save $52 in week 52. Some people find it too difficult to save during the holidays so they prefer to jump around. Choose one of the weeks from the chart, set aside that amount and cross it off the list. Continue the process until you cover all the weeks. No matter which approach you take, you’ll still wind up with $1,378 a year from now.

$5,000 bi-weekly savings challenge

Aiming to save $1,000 is a great way to start building your emergency fund but for most people it’s not enough. Everyone needs to have at least 3-6 months’ worth of living expenses in the bank. The more money you have in your account, the less likely you are to reach for your credit card when issues arise. If you’re ready to step up your savings, give the $5,000 bi-weekly savings challenge a try. Every time you get paid, you’ll save the amount suggested in the chart.

$10,000 challenge

Dream of buying a house soon? If so, the $10,000 challenge can help you save up for your down payment. Every two weeks, you’ll set aside the recommended amount which ranges from $275-$575. Saving that kind of cash sounds difficult but it’s totally do-able. Remember, the average tax refund was $3,252 in 2022. If you put your entire refund in the bank, you’ll be more than a quarter of the way towards your goal. Some may call it cheating but do what you have to do to hit your target.