web analytics

Medium Sized Family uses affiliate links. If you click a link, we could earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Read more.

Share or Save This

If you hate math but wish you could save more money, have I got the 52 Week Savings Plan Spreadsheet for you!  Forget January 1st…start this any time!

Lately I’ve been on a mission to find ways to make it easier for people to save money.  Not just on groceries and expenses.  (Though that’s important, too.)  But in a savings account, a piggy bank, or wherever you like to pile up money for a rainy day.

I don’t exactly pride myself on my math skills.  I often joke that I married my Hubby so he could help with math homework.  He’s the math and technology guy in the house.

That said, when it comes to my money, calculators are my best friend.  Especially calculators that break down my big goals (like paying off credit card debt) into manageable chunks.  If I pay this much money on this card and this much money on that card, when will I be debt free?

Same for my savings.  The thought of saving up $1,000 seems overwhelming.  Tell me how much I need to save up every week to make that happen instead.  That amount of money I can handle.

Why You Need a 52 Week Savings Plan Spreadsheet

I needed a savings plan spreadsheet that wasn't so hard to keep up with. This one moves with me. If I have a bad week, it shows me how to get on track. Waaaay easier to use!

If you’re one of the 16% of Americans who aren’t saving because they “haven’t gotten around to it” (source), let’s be frank.  It’s time to making saving a priority.  If something terrible happens, do you really want to be worrying about money?  Nope.  You’ll want to focus your attention on making sure your loved ones are taken care of.

There are a lot of ways to make a money saving plan.  One of my favorite ways to map out a path to reach my savings goals is to use special calculators.  Bankrate tends to be my website of choice when I need a finance calculator, and their savings calculator is helpful for showing where I’d be if I put $X into my savings account for Y years.

One thing I’ve learned is that life isn’t quite that black and white.  Calculators are an awesome place to start, but I wanted something a little more fluid.

Why Use a Spreadsheet?

Some parts of using a spreadsheet are similar to a calculator.  You’ll still decide how much you hope to save up in one year.  What I like about spreadsheets is that you can customize them to flow with your life.

Sidenote: Find Your Magic Savings Number

What goals do you have that you always wished you could do?  How much would it cost to reach that goal?

Don’t overthink it.  Any savings is better than getting overwhelmed and quitting!

Customizing Savings To Your Own Life

How often does life work out perfectly?  (Spoiler alert: never.)  You can lay some beautiful plans, but don’t expect them to always work out.

I’m not trying to discourage you.  But I bet you’ve already tried the plans where you try to put away $10 every week.  Then one week you totally forget.  The next, you get hit with a car repair bill and can’t afford to save.  Eventually, you give up because it seems impossible.

A spreadsheet can flow with the waves of life.  Let’s say week one you put away the amount they suggest.  Then on week 2 you can only save $5.  The spreadsheet will adjust the next payment you’ll need to make to keep you on track.

And you’ll be surprised to find that one bad week here and there doesn’t change the amount you need to save as drastically as you’d expect.  (Unless you have a giant goal, in which case your mileage may vary.)

Ready to give it a try?

The 52 Week Savings Plan Spreadsheet

You can create your own spreadsheet that tells you exactly how much money you need this week to reach your goal.  (Whether last week was so amazing that you’re ahead… or so terrible that you saved nothing at all).

OR you could save yourself the time and effort and get the free money saving weekly newsletters.  Subscribers already have their totally free copy of this weekly savings plan spreadsheet that moves with your real life.  Use it in Google Sheets or grab the Excel template.

It’s so easy to use.  Just plug in your magic savings number and you’ll know your target savings amount.  Find that amount of cash every week for a year and you’ll hit your goal.  Get ahead or behind, and you’ll get a new target savings amount.  That adjustment will keep you on track for reaching your goal in 52 weeks.

Join the Medium Sized Family weekly newsletter subscription to get FREE access to this spreadsheet.  My subscribers get a quick email from me just once per week.  And your email address is always safe with me.  I’d never sell out my favorite readers!

What’s your favorite way to set up a savings plan?