Find out how much to put aside each week, each paycheck or each month so next Christmas is paid for in cash before December arrives.
By TanLabs Editorial Team · Reviewed: page results cross-checked against the free spreadsheet · Last updated · Runs in your browser – nothing you type is sent anywhere
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With christmas spending goal $1,200, already saved $100, weeks left to save 52, how you are paid: every two weeks:
Save $21.15 a week ($42.31 per biweekly paycheck)
$1,100.00 still to save in 52 weeks · 8% of the goal already saved
Change any number above – the result, chart and table update instantly. Use Copy link to save or share your exact scenario.
Still to save = goal − already saved. Weekly amount = still to save ÷ weeks left. Biweekly = weekly × 2; monthly = weekly × 52 ÷ 12.
Formula source: Remaining goal ÷ weeks left, converted to paycheck frequency (52 weeks ÷ 12 months). CFPB – Start Small, Save Up · NRF – winter holidays data and trends
Written and checked by the TanLabs Editorial Team · Last updated
Starting from zero, the weekly amount for common Christmas budgets:
| Christmas goal | 8 weeks left: per week | 26 weeks: per week | 52 weeks: per week |
|---|---|---|---|
| $600 | $75.00 | $23.08 | $11.54 |
| $1,000 | $125.00 | $38.46 | $19.23 |
| $1,500 | $187.50 | $57.69 | $28.85 |
| $2,000 | $250.00 | $76.92 | $38.46 |
Starting in January turns a $1,500 Christmas into about $29 a week. Starting in late October means about $188 a week for the same holiday – which is why so many people end up on a credit card.
Add up last year's gifts, food, travel and decorations from your bank statements. That real number is a better goal than a guess.
The first week of January gives you 51 weeks, which makes even a $1,500 Christmas about $29 a week.
A separate savings account, ideally one you cannot spend from with a debit card, so the fund is not used for other things.
Some banks and credit unions offer them, but many pay little interest. A regular high-yield savings account you leave alone does the same job.
Lower the goal, start earlier or cut the list. The table shows how much a few extra weeks reduce the weekly amount.
The classic challenge saves $1,378 a year with rising weekly amounts. A fixed weekly amount is easier to automate; both work.
Sources: NRF – winter holidays data and trends · FDIC – deposit insurance