I’ll hold my hands up and admit sometimes I can be kinda lazy.
I’m always looking for the easiest, quickest and simplest way to do things. I don’t do complicated, particularly when it comes to money.
So, when I saw this idea for a super-simple 52-week savings plan back at the beginning of 2014, I thought, ‘Why not? I’ll give it a go.’
The idea is that you save £1 in week one, £2 in week two and so on, right up to £52 in week 52. By doing this at the end of the year, you have a rather lovely total of £1,378. (Click the link below to see how the figures add up.)
I must admit when I started, I doubted whether I would keep going for the whole year. The early weeks were obviously pretty easy, but I wondered whether the larger amounts towards the end of the year would feel like a struggle.
So, I just made a start and set my intention to save the suggested amount each week. And I kept going.
I created a habit. As soon as I received any client payments, I would put aside my weekly savings.
Side note: I had a money box especially for the purpose. You can see a photo of it at the top of this blog post. Note how it has the words ‘Splashing Out’ written on it. This is significant, as I’ve seen money boxes with things like, ‘Rainy Day Fund’ on them. The messages you send out are important and in terms of the Law of Attraction, if you have a money box for ‘rainy days’, then you’re likely to attract just that – rainy days! I was very clear that I wanted to attract money for splashing out and that’s precisely what I did.
How did I benefit from this savings plan?
- I created a savings habit. Up until the beginning of 2014, I hadn’t been saving consistently. I kept telling myself I would save if I had money left at the end of the month (and of course, I never did). By using this super-simple savings plan and creating my ‘money pots’ (you can read more about these in an earlier blog post), it became normal and natural for me to put a proportion of my money aside as soon as I received it.
- I felt more empowered around money. 2014 was the year when I stepped up and took control of my money for the first time since I started my business. Until then, I had been floundering around aimlessly (despite my background in financial planning). This weekly savings plan was one of the first steps on my money mastery journey and it’s led to a transformation of my financial situation and business.
- The amount that I saved throughout the year paid for a week’s all-inclusive holiday to Turkey with Mr H, a long weekend in New York with some girlfriends and a luxury spa day with my sister. I’m not saying I wouldn’t have had these experiences without the savings plan, but it was such a delight to have the money there just waiting to pay for them.
So, are you willing to give it a go?
If the idea of starting small and getting bigger doesn’t feel good for you, you can work the other way and start off with £52 in week one, reducing the amount each week. That way, you accumulate a larger amount more quickly.
Or you could save £26.50 each week and end up with the same amount.
Find a way that works for you. Commit to creating your own savings habit. And have FUN with it!
Let’s make this your year for splashing out.
Nicola x
