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.
Common questions
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.