Free savings tool
52-week savings challenge tracker
Set aside $1 in week 1, $2 in week 2, and so on up to $52 in week 52, and you finish the year with $1,378. Tick off each week as you go, scale the target if $1,378 isn't your number, and print the chart for the fridge. It's free and runs entirely in your browser.
Pick your plan
You start small and climb, so week 1 is the cheapest week of the year.
Your biggest week is $52.
Your challenge
$0
set aside so far
of $1,378 across 52 weeks
Tick off a week in the chart as soon as the money is set aside.
With Lodavo
55 tickets
in every weekly draw, once you finish
A $1,378 balance in the account you already save in earns you one free ticket for every $25, every week. One user wins at least $100 each week, and matching all seven numbers pays $10,000.
Your 52-week chart
Tick off each week once the money is set aside. Your progress stays in this browser.
lodavo.ca/tools/52-week-savings-challenge
How the 52-week savings challenge works
The rule is one line: in week 1 you set aside $1, in week 2 you set aside $2, and you keep matching the amount to the week number until week 52, when you put away $52. It adds up to $1,378 saved, without ever having to find a big lump sum.
It works because the start is easy. The first eight weeks come to $36 in total, which is simple to say yes to, and by the time the weeks get expensive the habit is already there. The back end is the hard part: weeks 45 to 52 come to $388 between them, and they land right on top of the holidays.
That's why the reverse plan exists. Same $1,378 over the same 52 weeks, but you start at $52 in January and finish at $1 in December. Plenty of people find that version easier: the motivation is there in the new year, and the cheap weeks arrive exactly when money is tight. Neither version is better. Pick the one you'll actually finish.
Three ways to run it
All three plans land on about the same total over 52 weeks. What changes is how it spreads across the year.
| Plan | How it goes | Best if |
|---|---|---|
| Classic | $1 in week 1 up to $52 in week 52 | you want the easiest possible start |
| Reverse | $52 in week 1 down to $1 in week 52 | you'd rather not save $388 over the holidays |
| Steady | About $27 every week | your pay is the same each week and you want it automatic |
Where you stand at each milestone (classic plan)
The total climbs slowly at first and much faster later. At the halfway mark you have about a quarter of the final amount.
| Week | That week | Running total |
|---|---|---|
| Week 4 | $4 | $10 |
| Week 13 | $13 | $91 |
| Week 26 | $26 | $351 |
| Week 39 | $39 | $780 |
| Week 52 | $52 | $1,378 |
Frequently asked questions
How much do you save with the 52-week challenge?
$1,378 over a year on the classic version: $1 in week 1 rising to $52 in week 52. Scale the target in the tracker above and the weekly amounts scale with it, so a $5,000 year starts at $4 and finishes at $189.
What if I miss a week?
Nothing breaks. Tick it off when you catch up, or skip it and finish on a slightly lower total. The chart is a guide, not a contract. Missing week 33 doesn't undo the 32 weeks you already banked.
Do I need a separate account for this?
No, but it helps. Money left in a chequing account tends to get spent. A separate savings account keeps it out of the way, and a high-interest one pays you a little for the trouble. Our high-interest savings calculator shows what that difference is worth over a year.
When should I start?
January is the popular answer, but any week works. Starting in July just means your 52 weeks finish next July. The tracker starts at week 1 whenever you do.
Does the tracker save my progress?
Yes, in your own browser. Your ticked weeks and your target stay on the device you used, and nothing is sent anywhere. Clearing your browsing data clears the chart.
How does Lodavo fit in?
Lodavo is a free app that rewards you for saving. Connect the Canadian bank account you already keep your savings in, and every $25 of your balance earns one free ticket in that week's draw. Your money never leaves your own account. Finish this challenge and you'd be earning 55 tickets a week.
Keep going
Canada’s first prize-linked savings app
Make these 52 weeks worth more than $1,378
Lodavo is free. Keep saving at the bank you already use, and earn free tickets in every weekly draw.
Scan to download 