Savings Challenges and Budget Habits
100 envelope challenge.
Envelope 1 holds one step, envelope 2 holds two steps, up to envelope 100. Enter the step or a total goal to see the amount in your biggest envelope, the grand total and how much to put aside each week. Change the count for the 50 envelope version. Runs in your browser; nothing is sent or stored.
Your envelopes
Your challenge
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Worked example
With a $1 step and 100 envelopes the total is $5,050.00 (1 + 2 + ... + 100), and the biggest envelope holds $100.00. A $10,000 goal gives a step of $1.98 (1.9802 before rounding to cents), which totals $9,999.00 at whole cents. A $2 step totals $10,100.00; over 52 weeks that is $194.23 a week or $388.46 every two weeks, opening 2 envelopes a week. A 50 envelope challenge at $1 totals $1,275.00.
How it works
total = step x count x (count + 1) / 2. For 100 envelopes the sum of 1 to 100 is 5,050, so the total is 5,050 x the step. From a goal: step = goal / 5,050. Weekly pace = total / weeks to finish. Envelopes per week = envelope count / weeks, rounded up.
Which envelope you open next is up to you; the total does not depend on order.
Sources and basis (opened 2026-10-08): arithmetic on the numbers you enter. No prices, rates or national averages are assumed.
FAQ
How much is the 100 envelope challenge?
At $1 per step it is $5,050.00 in total. Each envelope n holds n dollars, so the last envelope holds $100.
How do I do the challenge for a bigger goal?
Raise the step. For a $10,000 goal use about $1.98 per step, which totals $9,999.00 at whole cents.
How fast should I fill the envelopes?
It depends on how many weeks you give yourself. Over 52 weeks at $1 a step you would put aside $97.12 a week.
Is there a 50 envelope version?
Yes, set the count to 50. At $1 a step the total is $1,275.00.
Does the order matter?
No. The total is the same whichever envelope you pick; only the timing of when you put in the bigger amounts changes.