Must-Try 52 Week Ipon Challenges You Would Love to Start Now

52-Week Ipon Challenges Updated on October 2022

Year in and year out, most of us promise ourselves to save up for the entire year. Some of us even bought new coin banks in all sorts and sizes for ipon challenges.

So the ultimate question is: How are your savings now?

Money saving is like my promise to go on a diet and earn the hot momma look. It is short-lived. After a few weeks, I came up with excuses why saving is hard or is it really?

At the end of this article (it will be a long yet worthwhile read), you must be able to:

• Identify the reasons why saving is hard for you (and bust those reasons);
• Learn the benefits of tracking your expenses;
• How to effectively set financial goals;
• Discover the Ipon Challenges you are comfortable with;
• Understand what increment is; and
• How to surely stick with the Ipon Challenges.

“Money, money, money must be funny…” but it’s not. We all know how money saving can be a real challenge and pain.

I remember promising myself to set aside part of my income as my savings. However, I ended up buying something that made me feel guilty after paying for it. Sometimes, I shun going to groceries as I am usually tempted to buy things I don’t even plan to purchase.
Then I will think to myself: “OMG! Why is it so hard to save up?” I was mentally kicking myself too.

Why is it so hard to save up?!

Here are 5 reasons (so real I slapped my forehead because I was guilty with these excuses too).

1. You don’t feel the immediate need.

We take active action on things we prioritize. Why would you save for retirement when you need a new smartphone now? This sounds like procrastination, huh?!

Why will you study today if the test is still a month to go? You still have more days to study. Then, you’ll be surprised that you’ve got just one day left to cram all the lessons in your brain.

Just like studying, saving takes time. Saving up may not give you a positive feeling right away, but you need to start as early as possible. You may not need it now, but you’ll be thankful to have it when you get into a financial crisis.

2. You forgot how it felt to have nothing.

There are times when people forget how hard it is to live with debt after debt. It seemed endless. Perhaps you have been living payday to payday until you had a salary increase. However, your expenses also increased, so you go back to square one.

Technology also made spending easier. You can easily buy things online. With connecting to the internet and social media becoming part of people’s lives, a lot of Pinoys add Wi-Fi or data into their budget. Don’t get me wrong. Having an internet connection may be a need for most of us. However, be realistic enough to get the right product within your means.

3. Spending does not hurt right at the moment.

Yes, you deserve a little fun. You worked hard for your money. That’s why you need to reward yourself. You drink and splurge on a Friday night but end up with a hangover on Saturday morning, much like spending.

You may feel happy with your new Jordan shoes, but you’ll feel bad after some time when you are hit with the reality that you could have saved up for much-needed things in the future. Some people have no choice but to skip eating lunch for a week just to buy a new pair of shoes.

And because you need to feel better, you go shopping again. Spurge. Feel guilty. Repeat. An endless cycle you thought was hopeless.

4. Life intervenes

There is an old saying among old Filipinos. They say that saving up is like preparing for a disaster about to come. This is why one of my friends doesn’t save. She believes that every time she saves up, one in the family will fall ill. So when she needs money, she goes to 5-6. Spending your saving is cheaper than getting a loan from 5-6 with a 20% interest rate.

When you try to save up, sometimes life intervenes. Somebody in the family gets sick. You lost your job. You needed to make house repairs. House rent increased. However, you should not lose focus on your financial goals. No matter how slow the progress is today, things will get better.

5. Financial goals seem so far.

When you look into your goals, it seems too far from your current salary. You get distracted and disheartened. Do not give up. Consider money saving as a journey you need to finish.

RELATED ARTICLE: Savings Account for Kids: Teach Your Children How to Save Money

3 Types of 52 Week Ipon Challenges 

You might have heard different techniques on ipon challenges. Some opt for a weekly ipon challenge, while others ponder the 52 weeks ipon challenge. To better understand a strategy that suits you, here are your top 3 choices. 

1. Basic 52 Week Challenge

The basic week challenge is very simple. Everyone can do it at any age. You can even encourage your kids to do it. Start with a jar or a coin bank. Every week you need to put the same amount of bill until the end of the year. 

Doing the math is simple. There is no need to take note of the number of weeks if you are not particular about keeping tabs on how much you already saved. If you want to keep records of how much is in your jar or coin bank, print a weekly guide and highlight the week you can put the corresponding cash in.

Children can be encouraged to put P20 a week in their own jars:

• 52 Week Challenge 20 pesos = P1,040
• 52 Week Challenge 50 pesos = P2,600
• 52 Week Challenge 100 pesos = P5,200
• 52 Week Challenge 200 pesos = 10,400
• 52 Week Challenge 500 pesos = P26,000

You can increase the amount depending on your means or preference. The challenge here is to keep up and not skip even a single week.

It may sound easy, but as days and weeks go on, special holidays (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, etc.), celebrations (monthsaries, anniversaries, birthdays, etc.), and super sales (50 to 70% off, rainy days’ sale, etc.) will surely come your way. Sometimes, Ipon challenges like this come in handy when you least expect them. 

Credit: dearcrissy.com

2. 52 Week Money Challenge Peso 2017

Start with a small amount, which increments every week. Increment means increasing on a fixed scale. It usually starts on a small scale. Then, it gradually gets bigger. This makes the challenge harder. It is hard enough to stay focused on saving money despite the temptations everywhere.

Each week the amount you have to put in your jar or coin bank will increase, and you’ll have to tighten your financial belt more. It requires self-discipline if you want to be victorious in the end.

If you start with P100, you are expected to put in P5,200 at the end of the year. That is like saving up P1,000+ a day from December 10 onwards December 30.

Another way to put it is every week from December 10 to December 30. You need to save P5,000 a week. This will not be practical if you earn P15,000 monthly with three kids to feed. How to choose the suitable increment?

Credit: The Thrifty Pinay

Credit: The Thrifty Pinay

Use 52-week kuripot money challenge calculator.

If the P100 increment seems too much for your pocket, let a calculator help you decide.

This calculator will let you see how much you have to save daily for five (5) days a week, daily for seven (7) days a week, and per week. This is because some people prefer to save only on weekdays, others save up daily, while other Pinoys prefer to save up once a week. You will also see the Goal Progress each week. The Goal progress is supposed to be the money in your alkansya.

Let’s make it clear: the savings amount gets bigger each week. It will be sad to stop halfway through the year because you can’t handle the amount anymore. This will make you lose focus. Some people will give up and then start spending what was saved. What a waste of effort that will be, and you will lose in the challenge.

This online calculator will help you save time and give you an insight into how much you can afford to save until the end of the year. This way, you can be realistic with your goals.

3. Reverse 52 Week Money Challenge Peso 2017

Yes, you have read it right. This is the reverse version of the famous 52 Week Money Challenge. This means that instead of saving amounts that go bigger a week, you have to save in decreasing amounts.

A friend cited 3 points why this is more practical:

1. As said above, saving is hard because it seems you don’t feel it is possible to reach. It will seem easier if you start with the highest amount and then continue to decrease it. The heavy lifting is done. As much as you want to save, Filipinos usually spend more before the year ends.
2. If you start early in the year and have leftover money from your 13th-month pay, you start your savings from there.
3. When you reach December, it will be easier since it is the season for parties and buying gifts. You will not scratch your head looking at the amount you have to save and the long list of things you must buy. If you think you might be tempted to spend your savings halfway, consider opening a savings account in a bank.

Now that you have decided which 52 Week Money Challenge you will take, you are done with the easy part. It is time for the hard part, putting it into action.

RELATED ARTICLE: Top 10 Money Saving Ideas for Low-Income Workers

How to stick with the 52 Week Money Ipon Challenges?

It sounds promising when you plan your peso ipon challenges at the start of the year. However, committing to it is a different story. You’ll face various trials just to comply. So here are ways to overcome your dilemma. 

1. Set SMART Goals

• SPECIFIC – Be specific about what you must accomplish with your ipon challenges. Print out your 52 Week Money Challenge guide and write your goal on top.

What will you do with your savings? Is it for “Emergency Funds,” “iPhone 7,” “Mountain Bike,” “Trip to Singapore,” or perhaps, “Wedding Rings.” You can even write the name of the person you are saving for.

• MEASURABLE – Set the criteria to determine if you have reached your goal. This is why you need to print out the weekly challenge guide. You can easily track your progress. Also, you can motivate yourself by seeing how near you are to your 20 pesos ipon challenge.
• ATTAINABLE – Consider if you are financially capable of reaching your goal. Do not set impossible feats. Wag mong paasahin ang sarili mo. Be realistic. If you can only deal with the coin ipon challenge, push through. 
• RELEVANT – Take some time to reflect on your goal. Is it worthwhile? Does it add value or meaning to your life? Then ask yourself how committed you are to your goals for ipon challenges.
• TIME-BOUND – Set a specific deadline and time frame to reach your goals.

2. Eyes on your Prize

Do not stop reaching your goals when things get hard or life seems to give you setbacks again. Keep your focus and remind yourself why you have started in the first place. This is a challenge you have carefully planned to finish victoriously.
Keep your eyes on the goal you wrote in your 52 Week Money Challenge guide.

3. Save your monetary windfalls.

Happen to come by with extra income? Put it in your savings. My uncle once told me that if you have extra cash now, perhaps you have something important to spend on in the future.

Having unexpected money today does not mean you have to spend it now. Resist temptation and keep it for emergency use. Also, this can help you reach your goal on ipon challenges faster. 

4. Save even the loose change.

Everything starts with a small amount. You will be surprised how much you could have saved if only you had kept your loose change for a month. Keep an extra jar and put your coins there. You may use it to fill in the extra space in your alkansya.

5. Money Jar System Budgeting

Keep track of your expenses. Money saving goes hand in hand with smart spending. Why? Because what you don’t spend will go to your savings.

List

List down all your expenses in a month. It’s fine if you do not finish in one sitting. Take your time at this step because it is important to know where your money goes. You can also list them in two columns: Needs and Wants.

Eliminate

Your expenses must be within your income. Pinpoint the items which make you spend more than you should. Cross out the things which give short-term happiness but aren’t necessarily needed.

Make a budget

Create a budget but do not forget to include a bit of allowance. Adjusting it won’t be hard if some of them change their price. Look at your bills, and reflect if you can tone down some of them. Do you really need to have a TV cable? Maybe some other service provider can offer similar packages with lower prices. Save electricity and water as much as you can.

Use the 70-20-10 rule. The 20% is for your savings. Always pay yourself first. The formula must be Income – Savings = Expenses.

70% of your income goes to your monthly expenses, and 10% goes to your wants (because you need to treat yourself occasionally). Try it. It will help you succeed with your planned ipon challenges. 

Cash is King

After creating the budget, take out a couple of jars. Label them with the needs you usually spend on. Label one jar with “self-treat” and another with “savings.” The rest of the jars could be for electricity, water, groceries, transportation, Wi-Fi/Data, and other financial responsibilities. Put in the allotted cash according to the label.

Follow the budget

Get the money in the jar only when you use it according to the budget. If you buy some groceries, do not bring along the money for bills. If some bills or coins are left in the jar at the end of the month, put them in the “savings” jar.

Keep all your receipts in a box.

Continue tracking your expenses to help you find expense holes. 

Saving can be a real challenge. Cash Mart wants you to reach your financial goals too. Follow Cash Mart’s blog to learn more about handling your finances, getting an approved loan, avoiding getting caught in uncontrollable spiraling debt, and gaining financial stability.

In case you suddenly need extra cash, but your savings in peso ipon challenge is not enough, you can get an online loan from Cash Mart.