Grow £667.95 in a year by saving pennies each day. A simple 1p challenge anyone can start in 2026, with free printables and alternatives.
£10 sign up bonus: Earn easy cash by watching videos, playing games, and entering surveys.
Get a £10 sign up bonus when you join today.
Join Swagbucks here >>
Why the 1p savings challenge is still one of the easiest ways to save
Saving money feels tough when every bill seems to jump at once.
That is why the 1p challenge works so well. You start tiny, with pennies, so it never feels scary or impossible.
Skint Dad first shared this challenge back in 2015 and it has taken off every year since.
Thousands of families now use it as a gentle way to build a pot of money in the background without messing up their weekly budget.
How the 1p savings challenge works
There are some of you saying, “Just a penny? There’s no chance you’d save anything saving a penny a day!”
But could I?
Well, one penny adds up quickly.
- You start on day one by saving 1p
- On day two, save 2p
- On day three, save 3p
- And so on
By the end of the year you’ll be saving £3.65 on the final day. If you follow the whole chart, your total for a normal 365 day year is £667.95.
For a leap year, the total is £671.61, but 2026 is not a leap year so you will be aiming for £667.95.
You can begin on any day of the year. You do not need to wait for January.
Skint Dad says:
Small steps build up far quicker than you think. Pennies turn into pounds, and pounds turn into choices.
Free 2026 printable charts
You can download the updated 2026 charts to help you tick off each day.
Choose the version that suits you best.
These fit neatly on one A4 page and are easy to stick to the fridge or save on your phone.
You can use apps instead of jar saving
Not everyone uses cash now.
If you prefer to save digitally, you can use:
- Monzo Pots – sign up here and make a card payment within 30 days to get £10 for free
- Starling Spaces
- Chase round-ups
- Plum
- Moneybox
- Any bank that lets you move money into separate goals
Some people find it easier to do the challenge using a bank app, as there’s generally less cash in circulation nowadays.
Monzo gets lots of good feedback from our community because it makes the 1p challenge simple. You can set up a Pot, name it “1p Challenge”, and move the daily amount over in seconds.
Plenty of people add up a week’s worth and transfer it in one go. With reminders, easy tracking and no jars of coins to fuss with, it’s a handy way to keep the challenge going all year.
What if you miss a day?
Do not panic.
Just add up the days you missed and move that amount over in one go.
Lots of people choose to save once a week instead of daily because it is quicker.
Why so many families stick with this challenge
The 1p Saving Challenge fits into real life.
You start tiny, you see progress fast, and it never asks you for a big lump of money all at once.
Many readers say they hit £100 far quicker than expected, which is a good confidence boost when saving normally feels impossible.
Try these alternative versions if daily saving feels tricky
Backwards 1p challenge
Instead of trying to over-save, why not try a similar saving challenge by saving just a penny at a time (still increasing each and every day)?
Weekly penny challenge
Save the full weekly amount instead of doing it day by day. The final month can be a bit tougher, but some people prefer the routine.
Save £650 with equal weekly payments
If you want steady amounts, this version keeps the payment the same every week. It is brilliant for anyone on a strict budget.
Bingo challenge
If you ever struggle to save set amounts each week, the bingo challenge is a fun way to mix things up. Instead of following the numbers in order, you get a sheet covered in different amounts, just like a bingo card.
When you have a spare tenner, or even a few pounds, you pick any square you fancy and tick it off. Some days you might cover a £1 box, other days you might feel brave and clear a bigger one. Because you choose the amount each time, it feels more flexible than the usual weekly targets.
This is a good challenge if your income changes, or if you want something that feels more like a game than a strict plan. Bit by bit, the board fills up and your savings pot grows without you worrying about what you “should” be saving that day.
Want to save differently? Try an alternative savings challenge
A few quick tips to stay on track
- Pair the challenge with a goal, like Christmas, a personal treat, or an emergency savings fund.
- Move the money on payday so you stay ahead.
- Let kids do their own mini chart to help teach them about saving.
- If cash is tight one week, pause and pick up again later. The chart does not mind.
We’ve got plenty of tips to keep you on track so you can still save £667.95 by the end of the year.
When saving is not the right step
If you are behind on rent, council tax, energy bills or any other urgent payment, focus on those first. These bills can snowball quickly, so it is better to steady things before starting a challenge.
Once the essentials are under control, it can still help to save a very small amount, even if you are paying off debt. A couple of pounds a week can give you a little safety net for things like a broken kettle or a school trip that pops up out of nowhere. This stops you slipping back into borrowing when life throws something at you.
You do not need a big pot. Just a tiny buffer can make everything feel less stressful, and you can grow it slowly while you work through your debts. The aim is to protect yourself, not to stretch your budget too far.
When you feel ready, you can start the full challenge at any point in the year. There is no rush.
Start whenever works for you
There is no perfect day to begin.
The chart has no dates by design, so you can start on a Monday, halfway through a month, on your birthday or even today.
If you stick with it, your pot will grow without you feeling the pinch.
- Cold Weather Payments: check your postcode to see if you can get £25 - 20 November 2025
- How to get cheap gig and festival tickets without getting scammed - 20 November 2025
- Ticket tout ban: what the new rules mean for your gig and match tickets - 20 November 2025
Wendy Tolhurst says
Wow – I have not seen these methods of saving before. Being someone who is always short of money, I would really like to try this. Having just had our car die today, and my husband thinking it is irreparable, we are going to be in even worse debt now as I am housebound without a car so we will have to borrow some money to replace it. I agree with you about finding it easier to save the same amount each week and will sort it out from pay day to start my saving £12.50 per week.
Ricky Willis says
Oh dear for your car. I hope it’s sorted now?
My wife is doing a weekly transfer as well – looking forward to some good savings at the end of the year.
Anonymous says
I have been doing this for the last 4 years it is a great help near christmas
Mrs Tubbs says
This is such a good idea! I’m going to give it a try! :)
Ricky Willis says
Good luck with it :-)
Zoë says
We have a jar that we put any coppers and 5 pence pieces into….even my children do it. Then twice a year we take it to the supermarket and tip it into one of the machines that will then give you a token to spend that day in the supermarket. Even though these machines knock a few pence off (why would it be a free service after all ?!) it gives us a ‘family treat voucher’…..this Christmas we got Skyfall on DVD and snacks to go with it….a free film night at home !! My children enjoy the fact that saving pennies = great fun spending the voucher in the supermarket.
Ricky Willis says
That’s a lovely treat and great that your children get involved.
Remi Badozi says
This is awesome and a great way to get the young ones to save. Thanks for sharing!
Ricky Willis says
No worries :)
OMGitsagirl says
Great idea.
I’ve thought of a way to avoid the large saving month in December.
My partner orders from a Christmas hamper company. They begin in November.
If you start with week 1 as the first week in December then your last week will be end of November.
A nice 650 for Christmas or saved in the bank. The new challenge then starts with the lowest amounts in December.
Ricky Willis says
Perfect. You can really start this at any point in the year and staring a bit later can mean that you can cash out early (and have time to use it for shopping in December)
Lin says
Every day I empty my pockets of small change 1’s, 2’s and 5’s and put it into a money box. Every few months I bag it up and take it to the bank and put it into our ’emergency’ account. Just calling it an ’emergency’ account means we are less likely to waste it. Over the years this has paid for short holidays or days out.
Ricky Willis says
It is a good way to save and it’s amazing how quick a few coppers can add up! :-)
Ricky Willis says
Both are great ideas. I think getting all the family involved (and working to a joint target) gets everyone more bought into saving.
Ricky Willis says
Sounds like the perfect plan!
Ricky Willis says
Fantastic – the savings will really help for your trip! Well done for keeping at it :)
Ricky Willis says
Wow – well done! By the time you hit December you’ll be flush! :)
Joanne Massiah says
I have just started this with my hubby as didn’t have christmas in mind, just general saving. We are taking it in turns daily to contribute. As I realised that the last weeks of this would be challenging I decided to do it a little differently – I printed a list off of the days i.e. 1-365 and we put in whatever we feel like and cross off the amount put in (e.g. I put in 10p the other day but today I put in £3.17. The only rule is you have to put in an amount that hasn’t yet been put in (hence crossing them off the sheet). End amount of £667 is achieved, it’s just spread out better over the year.
Ricky Willis says
That’s a good idea. The weeks you’re more flush you can save more and you can save less during the skinter weeks.
Sandra McInnis says
I’ve saved using Skint Dad method for 2 years now. I save monthly, this year August to July. The first month I look at how many days are in the month I am starting. August 31 days, looking at chart £4.96. September 30 days, £18.91-4.96=so I save £13.95 for September, TOTAL AMOUNT SAVED £18.91.
Love it.
Ffion Hilliard says
This Is soooo clever! I am so glad i came across this on Pinterest and i might even pin it myself! Although i am just putting more than just 1p a day, as i started late in the year, but i record it as if i have e.g if i put 10p worth of pennies i would mark of 10 days and possibly save a little extra!
Alison Dent says
just to say I’m still going with the penny challenge. I stopping on 30th November as what I have saved will still be enough to get through Christmas. I then plan to start again on 1st December but might do it in reverse!
Ricky Willis says
Whoo hoo!! Well done for getting so far.
Bet all that extra savings feel great :)
Ricky Willis says
Wow!! Amazing Linda, well done!
It’s great how the savings add up. Wonderful that you’re giving it a go again this year :)
Elaine says
I Have been doing this for 2 years now. The first year I bought some new glasses, and this year , a new back bumper for my car and the rest, Christmas presents. I have just started again, from December 1st. It’s a great way to save. When it starts getting tough, I put the whole weeks amount in on payday.
Naomi Willis says
It’s great to have a little pot of savings there to fall back on. I know it’s rubbish having to break into it, but I wonder where we’d get the money from in the first place if we didn’t have our 1p savings jar!
Really glad you’re starting in year 3 :)
Neil says
Last year I used a similar approach to the 52 week challenge. The method I did was to save £1 on Monday, £2 on Tuesday up to £7 on Sunday. Thats a total of £28 a week. By the end of the year I had saved just shy of £1500!
Naomi Willis says
Awesome! Well done for keeping it up! That’s great savings
Neil says
Thanks. I wont lie it is difficult to stick to, but I’ve saved more this year, due to the lockdowns and not being able to go out etc.
This plan is not my idea, but I called it the money ladder. Next year I plan on altering it from 7 to 10 days. So instead of Monday to Sunday being 7 “rungs”, so to speak, I’m going from day 1, to day 10, so adding £1 every day until the 10th day, then starting a new ladder. I’ve estimated if I am able to stick to it ill save £2k. That’s the plan anyway!
explained this so well, my kids could understand. says
I have been searching via forums to locate some useful resources for my kids. You guys have done so well. Great job, and I can’t wait to see more. I will be subscribing to your post.
Rachel says
This is such a fab idea, I’m a bit behind but I’m going to start doing this from today. Last Christmas was a real financial stretch for us and this would totally take the worry away.
Naomi Willis says
Welcome to the savings club :)
GreenDollarBillsGirl says
I did this a few years ago; it’s a great way to save! I find the weekly set amount easier to keep track of, rather than working out the pennies every day – although it is a great way to get rid of loose change that way! I started at New Year, which meant I could count it as a NY resolution and actually stick to it! It covered the cost of Christmas too, which meant by the time January rolled back around I didn’t have to dread being broke for once!
Fleur says
Thank you for the free printable – I’ve been doing this for the first time this year and keep losing track when I forget to put the pennies in first thing in the morning. It’s a great way to remind me every day to stop frittering away small amounts of money.
Stephen C says
Hi Ricky,
I live in Singapore we use the Singapore Dollar – 10 cents to one dollar – how can I make this work for me?
Naomi Willis says
Hi Stephen, you could use your lowest denomination of coins and build up each day in a similar way.
Carol Piper says
I may be a bit dense but if you are hard up, how do you manage to put the daily amounts away once they get to the £2 to £3 a day, that’s a lot in a week for someone who has no money. Am I missing something?
Naomi Willis says
My favourite way is to do it a bit like bingo. When I have spare change, I add up what I’ve got and tick off the higher amounts first.
Will says
Hi
Always enjoy you YT vids do you just saving 1p or any coins and which way to you find the best way to count the coins up kind regards