Savings Challenge Tracker: 52 Weeks, 100 Envelopes and Your Own Goal

Who it’s for

It’s made for anyone who likes a game to make saving stick, whether that’s a New Year challenge, a holiday fund or a first emergency cushion. Run one challenge, two or all three at once.

Every amount is yours to set. The 52-week challenge can go small to big or big to small with any step. The 100 envelopes can be any order and any amount per number. Your own challenge works weekly, every two weeks or monthly toward a target and a date.

What’s inside, tab by tab

Start Here

Three steps, one colour rule (yellow cells are where you type) and quick answers.

Setup

Currency, report date and the settings for each challenge on one page.

52 Weeks

52 boxes with the date of each week, small to big or big to small, with any step (1, 2, 5, 10…).

100 Envelopes

100 numbered boxes in any order. Set the amount per number (at 1 per number, the total is 5,050).

My Challenge

Your own target, start and end date, and how often you save. The plan is worked out to the cent and you log what you really saved.

Dashboard

All three challenges side by side, with totals and a chart.

Print it too

Every tab prints on one A4 page, so you can also tick the boxes by hand and stick it on the fridge.

Excel and Google Sheets

The workbook is an .xlsx file that opens in Excel 2010 or later, Excel for Mac and LibreOffice. For Google Sheets, open Google_Sheets_Links.pdf and click the link to make your own copy, or upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets. Formulas and dropdowns carry over; Google redraws the charts, so they can look slightly different. The quick-start guide walks you through it. Type your own currency symbol on Setup and the whole workbook uses it.

There are no macros and nothing to install. Every formula uses only functions that Excel and Google Sheets share, and before release the workbook was filled with a filled example and checked by 106 automated tests. Apple Numbers can open the file but isn’t supported.

How delivery works

You buy on Etsy, with Etsy’s checkout and buyer protection. As soon as payment goes through, the download is ready on your Etsy Purchases page and Etsy emails you a link. You get one ZIP file containing:

• Savings_Challenge_Tracker.xlsx (blank)
• Savings_Challenge_Tracker_Example.xlsx (filled in)
• Quick_Start_Guide.pdf (4 pages)
• Google_Sheets_Links.pdf

Nothing is shipped. Because it’s a digital file, Etsy returns don’t apply, but if something isn’t working, send a message through the shop and we’ll help put it right.

Not financial advice. The workbook tracks money you put aside yourself.

Read the guide

Sinking funds explained. A sinking fund is money you set aside a little at a time for a cost you already know is coming. It turns a large once-a-year bill into a small monthly line in your budget.