Saving money is a common goal for Filipinos, especially at the start of the year. Many set aside money for everyday priorities like home improvements, a car downpayment, or building an emergency fund, while some save up for other big-ticket goals like trips abroad or gadget upgrades. However, as weeks go by, the motivation can quickly fade. An article by Yahoo Finance notes that some people often struggle with saving challenges because of unrealistic goals and lack of instant gratification – making it harder to stay committed over time.
One creative way to address this challenge is through gamification, or the use of simple game elements like challenges, goals, and rewards in everyday activities. When applied to saving, gamification makes the experience more engaging, motivating, and easier to sustain.
Gamification works by breaking down large financial goals into small, achievable wins. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by long-term targets, savers focus on completing manageable steps. Each milestone creates a sense of progress and activates the brain’s reward system, releasing dopamine that helps reinforce habits and keep motivations high.
Here are some simple money saving challenges you can try:
The financial milestone card
Inspired by loyalty stamp cards used by coffee shops, this challenge involves creating your own milestone card with a fixed amount per step. For example, you can start simple and set 10 steps worth PHP 1,000 each. Every time you complete a step, you mark it off. To keep motivation high, you can reward yourself at the halfway points – perhaps a movie ticket or a meal at your favorite cafe – before pushing through to your final goal.
The 52-week challenge
This classic saving challenge remains popular because it is simple, structured, and time-bound. You decide on a weekly amount to save and consistently set it aside for all 52 weeks of the year. For a more advanced version, you can try the descending amount version, where you’ll save a higher amount at the start of the year and gradually decrease it over time. For example, saving PHP 5,200 in the first week, PHP 5,100 the following week, and so on can help you build PHP 137,800 by year-end.
Money bingo
For those who prefer variety, money bingo offers a fun and flexible approach. Create a bingo card filled with financial tasks and milestones, such as depositing random amounts into your savings account, completing your emergency fund, or automating a bill payment. Each completed task earns you a mark on the card. You can reward yourself with a small treat every time you complete an entire row or column to keep the challenge enjoyable.
Digital tools can also help these good money habits stick. High interest savings accounts like CIMB Bank Philippines’ UpSave account supports these challenges by allowing Filipinos to keep their savings separate from daily spending while growing their money securely. Even with small and irregular deposits, this account offers competitive interest rates – up to 5.6% interest per annum until January 31, 2026 – and can be opened in less than 10 minutes through a fully digital process. (Terms and conditions apply.)
Another useful digital tool is CIMB Bank PH’s Own My Goals (OMG) feature, which can also be found in the CIMB Bank PH mobile app. With OMG, account holders can create multiple savings goals that can be easily tracked. Each goal can be linked to the desired CIMB savings account with an auto-save feature that can help build up the discipline needed to achieve any financial goal. To make saving even more fun, the name and design theme per goal can be customized as well. Customers will also be encouraged to stick to their goals with regular prompts and a convenient built-in milestone tracker.
By making saving interactive rather than intimidating, gamified challenges help Filipinos build confidence and control over their finances. This year, saving money doesn’t have to feel overwhelming – it can instead feel achievable, empowering, and even fun.
To know more about CIMB Bank PH’s suite of savings products, visit cimbbank.com.ph