30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens Solution: A Week-by-Week Plan
Back to Challenge: 30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens: Save Without a Monthly Allowance
Synopsis
A week-by-week plan for the 30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens: start small, set a rule for gift money, then protect the total through the hardest week.
The Solution
30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens: your week-by-week plan
Read the 30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens page first for the rules. This page is the plan for actually getting through the 30 days.
Before day 1: set the rules
- Pick a daily amount you are confident you can keep even on a tight day, not the amount that sounds impressive.
- Pick your envelope or tin and put it somewhere you will see it daily, such as next to where you keep your school bag.
- Write your gift-money rule at the top of your log before day 1, so you are not deciding it in the moment when Eidi actually arrives.
Week 1 (days 1-7): prove you can hold the amount
Add the amount and write the total every day without exception. If day 3 or 4 already feels hard, lower the daily amount now rather than quitting the whole challenge.
Week 2 (days 8-14): handle the first temptation
By now something will come up that makes the saved money look useful to spend. Write down what it was and that you did not touch the money, even if you had to borrow from elsewhere to cover the actual need.
Week 3 (days 15-21): check the total against your rule
Add up the total so far and compare it to the daily amount times the days passed. If it is lower, a day or two were missed; add a note of which days and move on rather than trying to “catch up” with a big one-time addition.
Week 4 (days 22-30): finish without raising the stakes
Do not increase the daily amount in the final week just to reach a round number. Finishing the amount you committed to on day 1 is the actual goal.
After day 30
Count the total and decide: start a second round at a higher daily amount, or move the money toward a specific goal you choose now rather than spending it on the first thing that comes up.
Related guides
- 30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens, the rules for this page’s plan
- 30-Day Study Habit Challenge solution and 14-Day Sleep and Memory Challenge solution
Free books to read alongside
- The Art of Saving Money, the full guide behind this plan
- Career Planning and Study Habits for Students
Frequently asked questions
What if my family needs to borrow from my saved amount?
That is a family decision outside this challenge. If it happens, log it honestly rather than pretending the total stayed whole.
Should I open a bank account during the 30 days?
Not necessary for this challenge. Decide on a bank account afterward, once you know the habit holds.
30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens: your week-by-week plan
Read the 30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens page first for the rules. This page is the plan for actually getting through the 30 days.
Before day 1: set the rules
- Pick a daily amount you are confident you can keep even on a tight day, not the amount that sounds impressive.
- Pick your envelope or tin and put it somewhere you will see it daily, such as next to where you keep your school bag.
- Write your gift-money rule at the top of your log before day 1, so you are not deciding it in the moment when Eidi actually arrives.
Week 1 (days 1-7): prove you can hold the amount
Add the amount and write the total every day without exception. If day 3 or 4 already feels hard, lower the daily amount now rather than quitting the whole challenge.
Week 2 (days 8-14): handle the first temptation
By now something will come up that makes the saved money look useful to spend. Write down what it was and that you did not touch the money, even if you had to borrow from elsewhere to cover the actual need.
Week 3 (days 15-21): check the total against your rule
Add up the total so far and compare it to the daily amount times the days passed. If it is lower, a day or two were missed; add a note of which days and move on rather than trying to “catch up” with a big one-time addition.
Week 4 (days 22-30): finish without raising the stakes
Do not increase the daily amount in the final week just to reach a round number. Finishing the amount you committed to on day 1 is the actual goal.
After day 30
Count the total and decide: start a second round at a higher daily amount, or move the money toward a specific goal you choose now rather than spending it on the first thing that comes up.
Related guides
- 30-Day Savings Challenge for Teens, the rules for this page’s plan
- 30-Day Study Habit Challenge solution and 14-Day Sleep and Memory Challenge solution
Free books to read alongside
- The Art of Saving Money, the full guide behind this plan
- Career Planning and Study Habits for Students
Frequently asked questions
What if my family needs to borrow from my saved amount?
That is a family decision outside this challenge. If it happens, log it honestly rather than pretending the total stayed whole.
Should I open a bank account during the 30 days?
Not necessary for this challenge. Decide on a bank account afterward, once you know the habit holds.