52 Week Savings Challenge Week 9 Progress

We are in week 8 of our 52 Week Savings Challenge – you can read how it works by heading to our last post – and download the chart HERE to save with us for a period of 52 FULL weeks.

We are going to check in with you weekly to see how you are making progress, and we hope that you follow along with us to make this commitment for your family just like we are.  

It’s hard to believe it has been NINE weeks already – that’s unbelievable!  We are actually posting Week 9’s Submission 2 days LATE (because in reality we are in week TEN already!)  So look for Week 10 in just a few days!

Our Progress Thus Far: 

Week 1, $1.00 – We put away $7.00 – when we found it in the dresser drawer in the bedroom.  (Hubby never even noticed…!)

Week 2, $2.00 -We found $4 in the console of the truck, and instead of running out to use it on Sonic (which was our temptation…) we put all $4 in our Emergency Fund.

Week 3, $3.00.  We shopped around for auto insurance to get a better rate, and ended up switching from Geico back to USAA – in the process, we saved $600 for the 6-month term, AND we got a check back for just over $51 – instead of putting that in our regular bank account deposit, we put it in our savings along with $1 that we found on the kitchen counter for a total of $52.

Week 4, $4.00.  We cashed out the SNAP App for $32. 

Week 5, $5.00.  We took the kids out with the church youth group and saved the change we had for a total of $5.00.

Week 6, $6.00 – After being without my debit card for 2 weeks after it was compromised, I kept back $7 from my weekly shopping budget ($20) to tuck into our savings.

 

Week 7, $7.00. We had to pull out money for the kids field trips and I pocketed the leftover cash for our savings envelope – but I also had a friend buy some Essential Oil from me too so I actually was able to put away $25!

 

Week 8, $8.00.  We actually got a book of stamps at Fry’s and I asked for $10 cash back when I paid with my debit card. I put that in my savings envelope.

 

Week 9, $9.00 – This week!  I did not go to the grocery store at ALL this week and have no plans to – so I went to the ATM and just took out $20.00 as my weekly contribution. Since the ATM was on my way home from dropping the kids off at school it was not any extra gas spent.

Could I have spent it on other things?

 

Sure. I guess I could have.

 

But I didn’t need to go to the grocery store this weeks thanks to 2 local farmers. Which saved me huge – not only did I pocket $20, I also eliminated all the other stuff I probably would have tossed in my cart that I didn’t need.  Did I feel a pinch in my budget? 

 

Not yet. At least not right now I haven’t ;)

  

 

Last week we let you know WHY we do the 52 Week Savings Challenge starting at $1.00 and not “in reverse” as many attempt – it’s all about the small victories.

 

I always thought that those people who could save huge amounts of money were different – that they somehow had something special about themselves that allowed them TO save. Sometimes I would blame my inability to save on the fact that they [probably] made more. That they COULD do it because they made more.

 

Do you want to know what I found out?

 

That these people don’t necessarily make more at all.   They automate.   

 

Obviously we did NOT ask you to automate on this savings challenge, but you CAN if you find it easier. Instead of contributing small amounts, open an account and set up an automated amount to come out weekly or monthly.