What the 100 envelope challenge is
You number 100 envelopes from 1 to 100, shuffle them, and each day (or whenever you can) pull one and put that many dollars inside. When every envelope is full you have saved the sum of 1 to 100, which is $5,050. Done daily it takes 100 days, a little over three months.
That averages about $50 a day or $354 a week, which is a lot for many budgets, so the calculator lets you slow the pace or scale the amounts. Filling three envelopes a week stretches it to about eight months at around $150 a week, and halving every envelope gives $2,525.
Keep the cash safe
The physical envelopes are part of the fun, but cash at home earns nothing and is easy to borrow from. Many people use the envelopes as a tracker and move the money to a high-yield savings account every week or two.
Choosing your pace
The pace you choose changes how hard the challenge feels. Filling one envelope a day finishes in 100 days but averages about $50 a day, which is too much for many budgets. Filling seven a week takes about 14 weeks at an average of roughly $354 a week. Two envelopes a week stretches it over a year at about $97 a week, which fits most regular paychecks better.
If even that is too much, halve the amounts, putting 50 cents per envelope number, for a total of $2,525. Or double them for $10,100 if you are saving for something specific and have room in your budget. The 52-week challenge calculator offers a gentler alternative that builds up over a year.
Common questions
How do I do the 100 envelope challenge in a year?
Fill about two envelopes a week. That finishes in 50 weeks and averages about $100 a week.
How much is the 100 envelope challenge?
$5,050 in total.
How long does the 100 envelope challenge take?
100 days if you do one envelope a day, or longer at a slower pace.
Is there a smaller version?
Yes. Try 50 envelopes ($1,275) or halve each envelope amount for $2,525.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.