2022 Budget Goals: 52-Week Money Challenge To $10,000 (Free Printables)
Are you excited to start a 52-week money challenge to $10,000 to put towards your financial dreams?
While the 52-week money challenge to $10,000 can seem daunting at first, just remember that each completed week is one step closer to finishing the 10,000 savings challenge.
So try to enjoy the 10K savings challenge for precisely what it represents, a fantastic opportunity to save towards your financial goals or dreams.
Will it be towards a down payment on a home, a dream honeymoon, or a step closer towards early retirement?
Deciding what your savings will go towards is just part of the fun!
Now unless $10,000 suddenly falls into your lap (unlikely, right), then you’ll need to stick to a plan, trim the fat from your expenses and perhaps earn a few extra bucks along the way.
And if you need some easy savings ideas, here is an excellent article on some frugal living tips.
Over time, even the best savers can sometimes overlook some easy savings strategies. Why not maximize every opportunity to reach your goal better.
Another great way to start is by reviewing your budget and finding those easy savings that have been slipping through the cracks.
If you need a nice detailed monthly budget template, just sign up for our newsletter below and grab your free copy!
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STARTING THE 52-WEEK MONEY CHALLENGE TO $10,000
Let’s face it, each January, thousands of people make New Year resolutions to either eat healthily, save money, or both.
But January is also a month where many families pay off bills from the expensive holiday season.
The beauty of the 52-week challenge to $10,000 is that you can start it at any moment.
It does not necessarily have to be from January to December, just 52-weeks from your starting point.
Like most things, the key is to start, and what better way than by setting up your Savings Builder account here with CIT bank!
I genuinely believe in the saying by John Heywood, “Out of sight, out of mind.” Each week, take your contribution and put it away in a dedicated savings account, and forget about it.
The 10,000 dollar challenge can be done in many ways; I prefer to start strong and end on a lighter note. Especially when beginning on January 1st because I want my December payments to be smaller since it’s a hectic and costly month for our household.
52-Week Money Challenge Printable
Grab your free copy of the 52-Week Money Challenge pdf; it’s a great way to keep track of your weekly goals visually. I keep my copy easily accessible on the fridge!
Now, if you prefer to customize the weekly contributions to your family’s preferences, I also have a semi-blank copy of the 52 Week Money Challenge 2022 template available here.
Also, if you are a person who prefers handling their money and using cash envelopes, that’s fine as well.
We prefer keeping smaller amounts of money at home in our household, but many others thrive by using the cash envelopes wallet system. The key is finding the savings tricks that work best for you.
MONEY MAKING IDEAS TO HELP YOU SAVE MORE
If you anticipate needing some additional funds to make this money-saving challenge attainable for you, then get a jump start by reviewing some side hustles ideas.
This article on 12 Realistic Side Hustles is a great way to get inspired. I’ve used several of these side hustles myself to cover some extra costs over the years and even put some towards my own 10,000 savings challenge.
SELLING CHEAP EBAY FINDS LOCALLY
One of my all-time favorite easy side jobs is selling affordable goods year-round on Facebook Marketplace, Varagesale, and Kijiji.
These items can be anything from convenient kitchen gadgets, phone accessories to my personal favorite; wedding accessories.
The key is finding something extremely affordable to order overseas from places like eBay, Aliexpress, DHgate, which have a nice profit margin when sold locally.
This way, you will be able to sell the items at a good profit while providing a service to your local community looking for a more affordable option.
You can always order a few just to test the market in your area. I started with a $5 investment, which seems ridiculous, but it got me five different wedding veils.
So take a few hours and search through these sites looking for products. Always sort by Price + Shipping: Lowest first.
Once you find an item of interest, try different keywords looking for better pricing deals advertised differently.
CASHBACK CREDITS CARDS
Credit cards can be a helpful tool, provided you pay off the entire balance each month (do not carry anything over) and only spend what you can afford.
We only use credit cards for purchases we were already going to make, such as groceries, gas, or when a credit card is required like, an online order.
Tip: We immediately pay off the balance when we get home or after placing our order to avoid surprises at the end of the month.
If you know you can make all your payments on time, then you can capitalize on some great bonuses and enjoy cashback perks.
Capital One has a couple of interesting credit cards available; neither cards have annual fees. Currently, you can get a $150 bonus when you spend $500 within three months of opening the account.
And depending on if you select the Quicksilver from Capital One or the SavorOne Rewards from Capital One, the cashback can range from 1.5% (everyday purchases) to 3% (dining and entertainment).
INSTACART SHOPPER
If Instacart wasn’t already a popular service, 2020 saw their growth skyrocket to unforeseen levels.
The flexibility is great, having a couple of free hours over the weekend, hop on board, and fill a time slot.
Sometimes we just can’t take on another regular part-time job. Being able to merge multiple schedules with different employers isn’t always possible.
That’s one of the reasons why jobs like Instacart, Post Mates, Uber Eats have taken off in recent years.
They all provide a flexible way of earning some extra money without committing to a work schedule days in advance.
POTENTIAL SETBACKS
We all know life happens. You can have the best laid out plan, and boom, faith steps in with some interesting curveballs.
If this happens, just remember why you started this saving money challenge to better your financial situation.
What does that mean? Well, if you end the year with $9800 instead of $10,000 because of an emergency, you are still a success.
Too many people drop and run at the first obstacle in their path, but you can be flexible with the plan and make it work. If you need to skip this week’s payment, here are some easy ways to catch up;
- Double up the following week
- Divide the missed week’s dollar value equally among the remaining weeks left in the challenge (this reduces the burden when you have a lot of weeks left to split it between)
- If you are close to the end of the challenge and can’t double up, well, just add a 53 week, it’s fine (Give Yourself Grace).
STAYING MOTIVATED
When participating in a long-term 52-week money challenge to $10,000, staying motivated is key. It’s tough to stay on track when trimming out all of our favorite vices.
It’s still important to reward ourselves on occasion, whether that be a monthly specialty drink from Starbucks or a slice of cake from the Cheesecake factory (can you tell I love food ;).
Just remember to keep it occasional and reasonable. Heck, some friends of mine like ringing a bell every time they transfer money to their savings account; it’s a simple symbolic gesture of their ongoing success that keeps them going.
52-WEEK MONEY CHALLENGE RECAP CHECKLIST
Whenever you need a reminder during the next 52 weeks, just remember the following key points to your success;
- Use your Monthly Budget Template to track your expenses
- Stay on top of your weekly monetary contributions by referring to your printed guide
- Tuck your savings away into your CIT Savings Builder account or cash envelopes.
- Pick a side hustle if you need an extra source of income.
- Handling potential setbacks
- Keeping yourself motivated
Dutch is the author of Vanilla Nomad, Monday’s Not Coming, and Let Me Hear a Rhyme. A professional chef by day, and novelist by night. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Kingsborough Community College and her master of cooking from the New School. A Brooklyn native; she is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches. Currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking. You can visit her online at https://vanillanomad.com
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