Biweekly savings challenge: printable charts for 26 paychecks
If you are paid every two weeks, a weekly challenge does not fit your pay. Pick one of three charts — the 52-week challenge paid two weeks at a time, a 26-step challenge that adds a little more at each paycheck, or one flat amount for a target — and print it on one page.
Download the PDF 26-step chart (PDF) Blank chart (PDF) Free to download · one page · US Letter
Paid every two weeks, you get 26 paychecks in most years and 27 in some. The 52-week challenge becomes 26 deposits when each paycheck covers two weeks: with a $1 start the deposits are $3, $7, $11 … $103, and the year still adds up to $1,378. A 26-step version — $1 more at each paycheck — adds up to $351, and with $5 steps to $1,755.
Make your paycheck chart
The 52-week challenge in 26 deposits
Two weeks of the 52-week challenge at each paycheck, smallest first: $3, $7, $11 … $103. Total $1,378.
First paycheck: Friday, January 8, 2027 · 26th: Friday, December 24, 2027 · every second Friday
| Pay | Date | Deposit | Total | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3 | $3 | ||
| 2 | $7 | $10 | ||
| 3 | $11 | $21 | ||
| 4 | $15 | $36 | ||
| 5 | $19 | $55 | ||
| 6 | $23 | $78 | ||
| 7 | $27 | $105 | ||
| 8 | $31 | $136 | ||
| 9 | $35 | $171 | ||
| 10 | $39 | $210 | ||
| 11 | $43 | $253 | ||
| 12 | $47 | $300 | ||
| 13 | $51 | $351 |
| Pay | Date | Deposit | Total | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | $55 | $406 | ||
| 15 | $59 | $465 | ||
| 16 | $63 | $528 | ||
| 17 | $67 | $595 | ||
| 18 | $71 | $666 | ||
| 19 | $75 | $741 | ||
| 20 | $79 | $820 | ||
| 21 | $83 | $903 | ||
| 22 | $87 | $990 | ||
| 23 | $91 | $1,081 | ||
| 24 | $95 | $1,176 | ||
| 25 | $99 | $1,275 | ||
| 26 | $103 | $1,378 |
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Download a PDF
Three one-page charts with a real empty square to tick for every paycheck and a blank column to write the date you saved. They are US Letter; on A4 paper choose “fit” or “scale to fit” in the print dialog — or use the Print button above, which prints on whatever paper your printer is set to and also fills in the dates.
Why 26 and not 52
With pay every two weeks the money arrives 26 times in most years, so a challenge with 52 weekly deposits cannot follow your pay. There are two ways to adapt it. Keep the 52-week total and make each deposit larger, or keep the deposits small and accept a smaller total. The three charts above cover both, plus a flat amount.
The 52-week challenge in 26 deposits
Each paycheck covers two weeks of the classic challenge: weeks 1 and 2 at the first paycheck, weeks 3 and 4 at the second, and so on. Paycheck k is therefore (4k − 1) times the starting amount. With a $1 start that is $3 at the first paycheck, $7 at the second and $103 at the 26th. The year adds up to $1,378, exactly the 52-week total. Start with $5 and the last paycheck is $515, so check the final deposits before you commit.
Choose “Largest first” for the reverse: the big deposits come first and the last paycheck is the smallest, 3 times the starting amount.
The 26-step challenge
A lighter version: put aside one step at the first paycheck, two steps at the second, and so on up to 26 steps at the last. A $1 step gives $1, $2 … $26. Together they add up to 351 steps, which is 26 × 27 ÷ 2.
| Step | First paycheck | 26th paycheck | The year adds up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1 | $1 | $26 | $351 |
| $2 | $2 | $52 | $702 |
| $5 | $5 | $130 | $1,755 |
| $10 | $10 | $260 | $3,510 |
| $20 | $20 | $520 | $7,020 |
The same amount every paycheck
If your budget is steady, divide the target by 26 and round up to the next cent. For $5,000 that is $192.31 a paycheck, and 26 of them add up to $5,000.06.
| To end the year with | Save every paycheck | Adds up to |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $38.47 | $1,000.22 |
| $2,500 | $96.16 | $2,500.16 |
| $5,000 | $192.31 | $5,000.06 |
| $10,000 | $384.62 | $10,000.12 |
Which one to pick
- Two weeks at once if you want the full 52-week total. The later paychecks are large, so it suits a starting amount you can multiply by 103 without strain.
- 26 steps if you want a gentle ramp and a smaller total. The last paycheck is 26 times the step.
- The same every paycheck if your pay and bills are steady. It is the easiest to keep going.
In a year with 27 paydays the charts still have 26 deposits: treat the extra paycheck as a bonus, or start the chart on your second payday of the year.
Biweekly pay and Pennyjar
The Challenges tab of Pennyjar counts in weeks: the 52-week and the 100-envelope challenge, and custom challenges of 2 to 156 weeks. It has no every-two-weeks schedule, and its reminder is weekly. With biweekly pay you can run the 52-week challenge and, at every paycheck, tap the two weeks it covers; the app does not track paychecks, so between them it may show weeks to catch up.
For the other charts on this page, a custom challenge is the nearest fit: for the 26-step challenge, 26 weeks with a first amount of 1 and an increase of 1. Free Pennyjar runs one challenge at a time; Pennyjar Pro, one payment for the whole app, lets several run together and adds custom challenges of 2 to 156 weeks with your own amounts. Pennyjar is a record of what you set aside: it never holds or moves your money, and it is not financial advice.
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Last reviewed 8 October 2026