How much do you save with the penny challenge?

$667.95 in 1 year: 365 deposits climbing from $0.01 to $3.65. Held in cash that is 11 bills and $0.95 in change.

How much cash is $667.95 in bills?

11 bills: 6 × $100, 1 × $50, 1 × $10, 1 × $5, 2 × $1, plus $0.95 in change no bill can make. A chart gives you the total and stops there.

Which deposit is the hard one?

The last 46 deposits ask for $157.55 between them, against $10.81 for the first 46. That is where people stop, because the plan gets more expensive exactly as it gets less novel.

365 day penny challenge

A penny on day one, two on day two, and so on to $3.65 on the last day of the year.

365 day penny challenge saves $667.95 across 365 deposits, daily. They run $0.01 up to $3.65, averaging $1.83, and the whole thing takes 1 year.

Total: $667.95
Deposits run: $0.01–$3.65
Deposits: 365
Takes: 1 year

$667 of it is 11 bills

US bills stop at $1, so $0.95 of this plan is change no combination of them can produce.

$100 bills: 6
$50 bills: 1
$10 bills: 1
$5 bills: 1
$1 bills: 2

Every deposit

#1$0.01
#2$0.02
#3$0.03
#4$0.04
#5$0.05
#6$0.06
#7$0.07
#8$0.08
#9$0.09
#10$0.10
#11$0.11
#12$0.12
#13$0.13
#14$0.14
#15$0.15
#16$0.16
#17$0.17
#18$0.18
#19$0.19
#20$0.20
#21$0.21
#22$0.22
#23$0.23
#24$0.24
#25$0.25
#26$0.26
#27$0.27
#28$0.28
#29$0.29
#30$0.30
#31$0.31
#32$0.32
#33$0.33
#34$0.34
#35$0.35
#36$0.36
#37$0.37
#38$0.38
#39$0.39
#40$0.40
#41$0.41
#42$0.42
#43$0.43
#44$0.44
#45$0.45
#46$0.46
#47$0.47
#48$0.48
#49$0.49
#50$0.50
#51$0.51
#52$0.52
#53$0.53
#54$0.54
#55$0.55
#56$0.56
#57$0.57
#58$0.58
#59$0.59
#60$0.60
#61$0.61
#62$0.62
#63$0.63
#64$0.64
#65$0.65
#66$0.66
#67$0.67
#68$0.68
#69$0.69
#70$0.70
#71$0.71
#72$0.72
#73$0.73
#74$0.74
#75$0.75
#76$0.76
#77$0.77
#78$0.78
#79$0.79
#80$0.80
#81$0.81
#82$0.82
#83$0.83
#84$0.84
#85$0.85
#86$0.86
#87$0.87
#88$0.88
#89$0.89
#90$0.90
#91$0.91
#92$0.92
#93$0.93
#94$0.94
#95$0.95
#96$0.96
#97$0.97
#98$0.98
#99$0.99
#100$1
#101$1.01
#102$1.02
#103$1.03
#104$1.04
#105$1.05
#106$1.06
#107$1.07
#108$1.08
#109$1.09
#110$1.10
#111$1.11
#112$1.12
#113$1.13
#114$1.14
#115$1.15
#116$1.16
#117$1.17
#118$1.18
#119$1.19
#120$1.20
#121$1.21
#122$1.22
#123$1.23
#124$1.24
#125$1.25
#126$1.26
#127$1.27
#128$1.28
#129$1.29
#130$1.30
#131$1.31
#132$1.32
#133$1.33
#134$1.34
#135$1.35
#136$1.36
#137$1.37
#138$1.38
#139$1.39
#140$1.40
#141$1.41
#142$1.42
#143$1.43
#144$1.44
#145$1.45
#146$1.46
#147$1.47
#148$1.48
#149$1.49
#150$1.50
#151$1.51
#152$1.52
#153$1.53
#154$1.54
#155$1.55
#156$1.56
#157$1.57
#158$1.58
#159$1.59
#160$1.60
#161$1.61
#162$1.62
#163$1.63
#164$1.64
#165$1.65
#166$1.66
#167$1.67
#168$1.68
#169$1.69
#170$1.70
#171$1.71
#172$1.72
#173$1.73
#174$1.74
#175$1.75
#176$1.76
#177$1.77
#178$1.78
#179$1.79
#180$1.80
#181$1.81
#182$1.82
#183$1.83
#184$1.84
#185$1.85
#186$1.86
#187$1.87
#188$1.88
#189$1.89
#190$1.90
#191$1.91
#192$1.92
#193$1.93
#194$1.94
#195$1.95
#196$1.96
#197$1.97
#198$1.98
#199$1.99
#200$2
#201$2.01
#202$2.02
#203$2.03
#204$2.04
#205$2.05
#206$2.06
#207$2.07
#208$2.08
#209$2.09
#210$2.10
#211$2.11
#212$2.12
#213$2.13
#214$2.14
#215$2.15
#216$2.16
#217$2.17
#218$2.18
#219$2.19
#220$2.20
#221$2.21
#222$2.22
#223$2.23
#224$2.24
#225$2.25
#226$2.26
#227$2.27
#228$2.28
#229$2.29
#230$2.30
#231$2.31
#232$2.32
#233$2.33
#234$2.34
#235$2.35
#236$2.36
#237$2.37
#238$2.38
#239$2.39
#240$2.40
#241$2.41
#242$2.42
#243$2.43
#244$2.44
#245$2.45
#246$2.46
#247$2.47
#248$2.48
#249$2.49
#250$2.50
#251$2.51
#252$2.52
#253$2.53
#254$2.54
#255$2.55
#256$2.56
#257$2.57
#258$2.58
#259$2.59
#260$2.60
#261$2.61
#262$2.62
#263$2.63
#264$2.64
#265$2.65
#266$2.66
#267$2.67
#268$2.68
#269$2.69
#270$2.70
#271$2.71
#272$2.72
#273$2.73
#274$2.74
#275$2.75
#276$2.76
#277$2.77
#278$2.78
#279$2.79
#280$2.80
#281$2.81
#282$2.82
#283$2.83
#284$2.84
#285$2.85
#286$2.86
#287$2.87
#288$2.88
#289$2.89
#290$2.90
#291$2.91
#292$2.92
#293$2.93
#294$2.94
#295$2.95
#296$2.96
#297$2.97
#298$2.98
#299$2.99
#300$3
#301$3.01
#302$3.02
#303$3.03
#304$3.04
#305$3.05
#306$3.06
#307$3.07
#308$3.08
#309$3.09
#310$3.10
#311$3.11
#312$3.12
#313$3.13
#314$3.14
#315$3.15
#316$3.16
#317$3.17
#318$3.18
#319$3.19
#320$3.20
#321$3.21
#322$3.22
#323$3.23
#324$3.24
#325$3.25
#326$3.26
#327$3.27
#328$3.28
#329$3.29
#330$3.30
#331$3.31
#332$3.32
#333$3.33
#334$3.34
#335$3.35
#336$3.36
#337$3.37
#338$3.38
#339$3.39
#340$3.40
#341$3.41
#342$3.42
#343$3.43
#344$3.44
#345$3.45
#346$3.46
#347$3.47
#348$3.48
#349$3.49
#350$3.50
#351$3.51
#352$3.52
#353$3.53
#354$3.54
#355$3.55
#356$3.56
#357$3.57
#358$3.58
#359$3.59
#360$3.60
#361$3.61
#362$3.62
#363$3.63
#364$3.64
#365$3.65

Want to tick them off as you go? The tracker keeps the checkmarks.

What people ask

How much do you save with the penny challenge?: $667.95 in 1 year: 365 deposits climbing from $0.01 to $3.65. Held in cash that is 11 bills and $0.95 in change.
How much cash is $667.95 in bills?: 11 bills: 6 × $100, 1 × $50, 1 × $10, 1 × $5, 2 × $1, plus $0.95 in change no bill can make. A chart gives you the total and stops there.
Which deposit is the hard one?: The last 46 deposits ask for $157.55 between them, against $10.81 for the first 46. That is where people stop, because the plan gets more expensive exactly as it gets less novel.

Other challenges, with their real numbers

A challenge is easy. Twelve months of them is the hard part.

Larder keeps the envelope going after the novelty wears off, on the same paycheck the deposits come out of.

Get Larder on the App Store

All amounts are computed in integer cents and rounded up when splitting a bill across paychecks, so a plan never funds a bill short. Pay-period counts follow the calendar: 52 weekly, 26 biweekly, 24 semi-monthly, 12 monthly. Every figure on this page is computed from the challenge itself, not typed in. Built by Larder, makers of an envelope budgeting app for iPhone. Last reviewed August 22, 2026.