We JUST finished the week 17 of our 52 week Money Saving Challenge.  You should have at least $153  in your savings account – do you have that? Some of you may have even more… depending on what (more) you have been throwing in there.

I will admit that I have been throwing in random amounts since about 6-7 weeks ago.

If you haven’t yet committed to this challenge, I would highly recommend opening a separate account for this savings (see below) – and, if you want to go a step further, set up an automatic draft to BOOST your commitment. Most banks allow a minimum of $25 – it’s not so much that you will notice but it is enough to make a NICE impact on your totals in December.

Who knows.. you might even realize that saving is easier than you thought.  Don’t miss reading our tips to help you save MORE too!

By December 1st, you will have $1,378 from your DEPOSITS and another $50 if you open a Checking Account (Below) – for up to $1,428. 

Has it been easy for you? 

Just this past week, Dave and I attended the Dave Ramsey Smart Money Workshop – and spent several hours listening to Dave Ramsey & Chris Hogan talk about the IMPORTANT steps you need to take to get ahead… 

The First Step was $1,000 in an Emergency Fund – Baby Step 1.   We’re really dying to help you do that … if you are able to put that Emergency Fund together FASTER, then that’s great – get creative:

SELL something

Work Overtime

Nix eating out

Cut the extra spending

Pay things with Cash

USE your Tax Refund to start your Emergency Fund

.. are just some ideas you can use to put $1,000 together faster than stretching it out 12 months.

Or, check out our last post on some tips to save more…

If you can’t do $1,000 in one month, or, in a few months, this Savings Challenge will be a GREAT way for you to get that Step knocked out so you can focus on Step #2:  Paying off your debt using the Debt Snowball Method.

We’re hoping that if you haven’t yet done so, that you will take this opportunity to head to the library and pick up The Total Money Makeover so you can read more about how to take control of your finances. 

How this Works:

• Each week, add the amount noted BELOW to your account 
• Each week I will remind you to deposit your money;  follow us on Facebook and join my mailing list for reminders.
• Should you add in extra, note that on the sheet as well – if you stick with the sheet, above, you will save $1,378.

Pin the sheet to keep it as a reminder of where you should be… all you need to do is check the box “Done” and look forward to putting money in that next week!

Even better, you can earn a $50 when you open a NEW 360 Checking Account, with NO initial deposit. Add in your weekly contributions and that is $1.478 over the 12 month period …  To score the $50 for a NEW Checking Account:

• Open a fee-free 360 Checking® account – NO minimum deposit is required
• Use your Debit Card to make 3 purchases or use CheckMateSM to make 3 remote check deposits (or a combo of both) within 45 days of opening your account (I would recommend using for something very small)
• Those purchases can be ANY amount!
• Score your $50 bonus on day 50.
• The offer is valid for NEW account holders only

Click above to print… hang it on your fridge as a reminder.