Save £1,000 in 3 months: a 13-week schedule with weekly targets

£1,000 over 13 weeks is £76.92 a week. Saving exactly that every week works, but most people find the first fortnight easiest: motivation is high and there are one-off sources of cash lying around. Banking £240 early takes pressure off the later weeks, which drop to £70.

Before you start, check that £70 a week (roughly £300 a month) is possible. List your take-home pay and fixed costs in the budget planner. If the gap is smaller than £300 a month, either extend the deadline to four or five months or plan for more one-off income. The savings goal calculator shows the weekly figure for any deadline.

Each week has a savings target and one main task that helps you hit it. Move the target amount to a separate savings account on the same day each week, ideally payday or the day after, so it is gone before you can spend it.

The first two weeks are about money you can release once. Walk round your home and list anything you have not used in a year: clothes, gadgets, games, baby equipment, furniture, sports kit. Facebook Marketplace and Vinted suit everyday items; eBay is better for collectables and electronics. Our guide to which selling platforms pay the most compares them.

In week 2, go through three months of bank and card statements and highlight every recurring payment. Cancel anything you would not sign up for again today, and pause streaming services you can rejoin later. See our subscription audit for a checklist.

From week 3 the money has to come from your normal spending, so the tasks target the categories that usually have the most slack: food, bills and impulse spending.

Food is often the quickest win. Planning meals for the week before you shop, writing a list and cooking in batches commonly trims a sizeable amount off a household shop. Our meal planning guide has a simple template. A no-spend weekend in week 4 resets your sense of what is necessary.

In week 5, ring your broadband, mobile or insurance provider if you are out of contract. Ask for their best retention price, or switch. A saving made here keeps paying long after the three months end.

The later weeks are where plans usually stall, so the tasks get a little more intense. A full no-spend week in week 9 (essentials like rent, bills, food and travel to work only) can save well over the £70 target. The No-Spend Challenge tracker helps you see the days add up.

Week 10 is a second selling round, as most people find more to sell once the first batch has gone. Week 11 is about eating what you already have, and week 12 about free plans: walks, library visits, friends round instead of meals out. In week 13 you make the final £60 transfer and you have £1,000.

Missing a week is normal. Do not try to double up the next week if that means leaving yourself short for essentials. Instead, spread the shortfall over the remaining weeks or add a week or two to the end. A plan that takes 15 weeks still gets you £1,000.

Logging each deposit helps you notice early when you are slipping. The SYM app shows how much to put aside each day and keeps a streak going with one tap per deposit, which many people find easier than a spreadsheet.

Keep the pot in an easy-access savings account or Cash ISA separate from your current account, so it is out of sight but available in a real emergency. Compare rates with our savings accounts guide; over just three months the interest will be small, so access and convenience matter more than squeezing out the top rate.

Once you reach £1,000, you have a starter emergency fund. The natural next step is to keep the £70 a week going towards a full fund of three to six months of essential costs, as explained in our emergency fund guide.