Save $500 in 30 Days Challenge (2024)

Maybe you want to go on a last-minute vacation next month or you just anticipate more expenses than usual.

Saving an extra $500 in a month may sound easy to some, or impossible to others. But the fact is, saving money is more than being thrifty and not spending the money you already have. Whether $500 is chump-change to you or a large portion of your take-home pay, it's possible for almost anyone to save that much in just 30 days.

Sometimes you need that extra boost to get you started on your short-term goals, including saving, so here are some tips and tricks to get you there.

Cut back spending on food and entertainment

Depending on your particular financial circ*mstance, you may have to make some big cuts to your budget in order to save $500 in one month. Start by looking for potential savings in areas of discretionary spending like your food, entertainment, and incidental budget items. These are budget categories where you have a significant amount of control over how much you spend. For example, you can save by:

  • Giving up takeout for a month. If you regularly buy lunch or a coffee on your way to work, you could save as much as $25 to $50 per week by packing a lunch instead and bringing your own coffee.
  • Staying in and watching movies instead of going to the theatre with your friends or partner (if you don’t have a Netflix subscription already, you must know someone else who does nowadays).
  • Having your friends over for a potluck instead of going out to a restaurant or bar.
  • Using up things that you already have in your pantry or freezer.
  • Buying cheap staples like rice, beans, oatmeal, and things that are on sale. You can easily check for sale items by using flyer apps like Flipp or Reebee.

Simple solutions like these will help you save small amounts of money that add up in the end.

Sell things you no longer need

Aside from cutting back, you can save extra money by finding ways to make more money. Search around the house for things you can potentially sell. Chances are, you can find at least $100 worth of items you don’t use.

If a good ol’ fashioned garage sale isn’t your thing, try posting your items on Craigslist or Kijiji. You’ll probably get more value for your items online anyway. Facebook groups are also a good place to post furniture or gently-used clothing for sale. Just ensure you join groups in your city, take pictures and write detailed descriptions of your items, and use discretion before giving anyone your address or meeting them to exchange items.

Take on extra work

For some people, fidning ways to make extra money may mean taking extra shifts or working overtime. Or if you have a salaried position, you may want to look into doing some freelance gigs this month.

You could also consider doing odd jobs like babysitting, tutoring, dog walking, snow shoveling or lawn mowing. Get the word out by posting on local community bulletin boards, physically or online.

Other possible options include driving for Uber, or looking for quick freelance opportunities listed on sites like Fiverr.

Make daily goals

For something as short-term as this, it may be easier to set smaller, daily goals in order to make saving a part of your daily routine. In order to save $500 in 30 days, you would roughly need to save $17 per day, and this can be a combination of cutting back on spending and making extra money. If you can comfortably make small deposits to your savings account everyday, you can even try out this daily deposit schedule for 30 days, accumulating to a total of $465.

Save $500 in 30 Days Challenge (2024)

FAQs

How to save $500 in 30 days? ›

For something as short-term as this, it may be easier to set smaller, daily goals in order to make saving a part of your daily routine. In order to save $500 in 30 days, you would roughly need to save $17 per day, and this can be a combination of cutting back on spending and making extra money.

What is the $100 in 30 days challenge? ›

The goal of the Challenge is simple: save $100 in a 30-day time period through a series of gradually increasing deposits. November has 30 days so every day is a savings day. As shown in the picture below, daily savings deposits start at $1 a day for five days followed by $2, $3, and $4 each for five days.

Is $500 a month good to save? ›

The short answer to what happens if you invest $500 a month is that you'll almost certainly build wealth over time. In fact, if you keep investing that $500 every month for 40 years, you could become a millionaire. More than a millionaire, in fact. Investing is about buying assets you believe will increase in value.

How much money will I save if I do the 100 day challenge? ›

After completing the 100 envelope challenge, you'll have saved $5,050. Each envelope will have a certain amount of cash, from 1 to 100. When you add all the envelopes together — $100 + $99 + 98 + $97, and so on, all the way down to $1 — the total amount comes out to $5,050.

How can I save $500 quickly? ›

8 ways to save money quickly
  1. Change bank accounts. ...
  2. Be strategic with your eating habits. ...
  3. Change up your insurance. ...
  4. Ask for a raise—or start job hunting. ...
  5. Consider a side hustle. ...
  6. Take advantage of a credit card that offers rewards. ...
  7. Switch up your transportation habits. ...
  8. Cancel subscriptions you don't really need or use.

How to save $1,000 ASAP? ›

Financial expert Dave Ramsey has a lot of ideas on the subject, and here are some of the most practical ways to save your first $1,000 quickly.
  1. Cancel Subscriptions. ...
  2. Bring Your Own Lunch. ...
  3. Avoid Coffee Out. ...
  4. Re-Sell Old Items. ...
  5. Shop at Cheaper Grocery Stores With Rewards Programs. ...
  6. Buy Generic. ...
  7. Join a Carpool.
Dec 28, 2023

What is $10 K in 30 days challenge? ›

The $10k in 30 Days Challenge is a self-paced coaching program designed to help anyone build a $10,000 per month email marketing business from scratch in just 30 days. This 3-step email blueprint is surprisingly simple: Build a list of email subscribers in a hot market using little-known but timeless lead sources.

What is the $20 challenge? ›

Recently, I created a fun printable for all of you called the $20 Savings Challenge so that everyone can learn how to save money. The $20 Savings Challenge is a great way to easily save $1,040 this year without noticing! All you have to do is save $20 each week for a year, and then you'll easily have $1,040.

How to save $5000 in 100 days? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

What if I save $1000 a month? ›

Investing $1,000 a month for 20 years would leave you with around $687,306. The specific amount you end up with depends on your returns -- the S&P 500 has averaged 10% returns over the last 50 years. The more you invest (and the earlier), the more you can take advantage of compound growth.

Is saving $600 a month good? ›

But when it comes to what they need to be saving, it depends. So, if we're starting with a 30-year-old, they should be probably saving close to $580, $600, at least, a month. And that's if they're going to earn a high rate of return. So it depends on how aggressive and risky that they're looking to be.

Is saving $300 a month good? ›

Putting aside $300 per month by the age of 39 could set you up to be a millionaire by the time you retire. Investing in exchange-traded funds is a good way to minimize risk and simplify your overall investing strategy.

What is the envelope savings method? ›

The idea is to split up your money according to how much you want to spend in each category—and then only let yourself spend until the cash in each envelope is gone. Envelope budgeting works best for variable expenses, like groceries and dining out, which change slightly every month depending on your spending habits.

How to save $500 in 3 months? ›

How to Save $500 in 3 Months
  1. Open a savings account. My entire deposits went straight into my checking account. ...
  2. Create a budget plan. Line up all of your monthly expenses, including the average cost spent on gas and groceries. ...
  3. Get rid of one frivolous expense. ...
  4. Set a savings goal.
Jun 15, 2017

How to save $10,000 in 6 months challenge? ›

How To Save $10,000 in 6 Months:
  1. Get Serious About Money Management. Benjamin Franklin undoubtedly was an expert on money management. ...
  2. Do Some Calculations. ...
  3. Never Pay Interest or Fees. ...
  4. Create Multiple Streams of Income. ...
  5. Cut Down Expenses. ...
  6. Open An Online Savings Account. ...
  7. Don't Be Tight Fisted. ...
  8. Treat Yo Self!

What's the 30-day rule with money? ›

Here's how it works: When you have the urge to make an impulse purchase, wait for 30 days and give yourself time to think about it. While considering the purchase, deposit the money you need for it into a savings account. If you still want to buy that item after the 30-day period is up, go for it.

How to save an extra $500 a month? ›

15 Ways To Save An Extra $500 Per Month
  1. Use A Cash Back Reward Credit Card For All Spending. ...
  2. Use Spending Tricks To Boost Savings. ...
  3. Use Online Saving Tricks For Stuff You Already Do. ...
  4. Get Rebates For All Online Shopping. ...
  5. Drop The Gym Membership. ...
  6. Get Organized. ...
  7. Buy Used And Sell Used. ...
  8. Compare Prices On Everything.
Nov 9, 2023

How to save $300 in 1 month? ›

10 Tips for Saving $300 in 30 Days
  1. Skip drive-thru coffee and fast-food lunches. ...
  2. Do an audit of all your bills. ...
  3. Cut the cord(s). ...
  4. Cancel memberships and subscriptions you don't need. ...
  5. Set up an automatic transfer from checking to savings. ...
  6. Sell stuff.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Domingo Moore

Last Updated:

Views: 5461

Rating: 4.2 / 5 (53 voted)

Reviews: 84% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Domingo Moore

Birthday: 1997-05-20

Address: 6485 Kohler Route, Antonioton, VT 77375-0299

Phone: +3213869077934

Job: Sales Analyst

Hobby: Kayaking, Roller skating, Cabaret, Rugby, Homebrewing, Creative writing, amateur radio

Introduction: My name is Domingo Moore, I am a attractive, gorgeous, funny, jolly, spotless, nice, fantastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.