365 Day 1p Challenge for 2026

enthusiasticsaver

This challenge has been running for a number of years and is so popular I have agreed to run it again in 2026. If you wish to join please post on this thread and I will allocate you a number which should be quoted when you update on your progress. You can do this either using cash in a jar or virtually by transferring to a savings space or account. 

Here is a link to the 2026 blog explaining how the challenge works. 

How to save £667.95 in 2026 with the 1p Savings Challenge

It is up to you when you update but most people do it monthly or weekly. I will be giving preference to savers who have posted regularly during 2025 and allocating the lower numbers to them.  There was a fairly high drop out rate this year and whilst sometimes this is unavoidable please do consider whether you intend to stay the course before signing up.  Anyone who does not post for 3 months or longer will be removed. I will be putting a link up for the spreadsheet which will monitor our progress at the beginning of 2026 so please keep an eye out for this. 

Over the four or five years I have been doing it I have used the lump sum conveniently available in January to fund either Christmas by paying off the credit card bill (IN FULL of course), pay for a deposit for a holiday or splurge in the sales or simply save towards a new car or kitchen.  It is a relatively painless way of saving and rewarding to see the money there at the end of the year. 

The aim is to save £667.95 by the end of 2026 by saving 1p on 1st January, 2p on 2nd January and so on all the way up to £3.65 on 31 December.   You do not have to do it in a set order. Please see the blog to find out how the Challenge works.  The link is further up this post. 

I look forward to seeing some of the regulars from the last few years and maybe some new recruits. 

enthusiasticsaver

Dear Challengers

Having finished the 2025 challenge like many others I am kicking off the Challenge for 2026.  My savings this year have gone towards Christmas.  

I am therefore signing up with #1.  Please quote your number when you update to help me find you on the spreadsheet. 

I have saved many different ways over the four or five years I have been doing this challenge from doing it erratically to sticking to the conventional method of  the 1p on 1st January etc etc. 2026 I need to be budgeting carefully as I have two large trips to pay for so I will be signing up to do it at £55 per month and top up near the end of 2026.  I will be using a regular saver to save and hopefully the interest in December 2026 will cover the last payment. I will open it in the first week of January. I do not use cash much these days so a jar does not really work for me. 

Feel free to elaborate on how you will save. 

Dizzycap

Whoo-hoo another 1p a day savings challenge for 2026! AWESEOME! I'd love to join in as #2 and will add to my sig now xxxxxxx

As the YTD total for the 365 Day 1p Challenge is £667.95 - I intend to put away £55.66 in a 4.98% interest easy access account at the beginning (ish) of each month for 12 months and allowing the monthly interest to accrue to add a little more sparkle to the achievement of both saving and completing this challenge 

As I'm also involved in other MSE Money Saving Challenges in 2026, the funds of the 52 Week Envelope, £2 a Day & £2 Club Challenges will also be added into the same easy access account in their allocated monthly amounts so that I can keep track that I've paid in the correct amounts for each challenge each month. However, to avoid confusion for myself, the Make £2026 in 2026 & Save 12K in 2026 will go into seperate 4.98% interest accounts along with the accrued monthly interest. That certainly doesn't mean to say that I won't utilise the saved monthly funds and interest of any or all the MSE challenges into higher interest paying accounts i.e Regular Savers which often helps as a barrier / preventer to spending saved funds etc, but I just needed a basic starter plan of saving certain set amounts each month to complete all of the MSE challenges with 2 new one's added for 2026 & which I also love 

ThriftyPrincess40

Can I join please? I joined late this year so put what would have been Decembers in a coin tin and ready for 2026 💪🏻

BeyondDirect981

Yes! I am coming back for my second year. May do a slower course for 2026, so not the £50 I was usually doing but may also hop around not sure yet. I was in different challenge which I do in cash but this one is strictly digital only. Looking at a different savings account for 2026. I'll be number 3 this time if that's okay @enthusiasticsaver ? 

ThriftyPrincess40

Can I be # no 13 please? 

claremylove

Can I join again please enthusiasticsaver.  Love this challenge 

ThriftyPrincess40

I’ve put my 26p in for today👍

enthusiasticsaver

Dizzycap said:

Whoo-hoo another 1p a day savings challenge for 2026! AWESEOME! I'd love to join in as #2 and will add to my sig now xxxxxxx

As the YTD total for the 365 Day 1p Challenge is £667.95 - I intend to put away £55.66 in a 4.98% interest easy access account at the beginning (ish) of each month for 12 months and allowing the monthly interest to accrue to add a little more sparkle to the achievement of both saving and completing this challenge 

As I'm also involved in other MSE Money Saving Challenges in 2026, the funds of the 52 Week Envelope, £2 a Day & £2 Club Challenges will also be added into the same easy access account in their allocated monthly amounts so that I can keep track that I've paid in the correct amounts for each challenge each month. However, to avoid confusion for myself, the Make £2026 in 2026 & Save 12K in 2026 will go into seperate 4.98% interest accounts along with the accrued monthly interest. That certainly doesn't mean to say that I won't utilise the saved monthly funds and interest of any or all the MSE challenges into higher interest paying accounts i.e Regular Savers which often helps as a barrier / preventer to spending saved funds etc, but I just needed a basic starter plan of saving certain set amounts each month to complete all of the MSE challenges with 2 new one's added for 2026 & which I also love 

Sounds like a great plan and you are #2 as requested. Hope you have had a lovely Christmas.

enthusiasticsaver

BeyondDirect981 said:

Yes! I am coming back for my second year. May do a slower course for 2026, so not the £50 I was usually doing but may also hop around not sure yet. I was in different challenge which I do in cash but this one is strictly digital only. Looking at a different savings account for 2026. I'll be number 3 this time if that's okay @enthusiasticsaver ? 

Welcome back for the second year then and you are #3 as requested.  

enthusiasticsaver

ThriftyPrincess40 said:

I’ve put my 26p in for today👍

I have allotted #13 to you as requested.  Technically the challenge does not start until January 1 so I have put the 0.26 in to the January total.