America Saves Week 2025
America Saves Week 2025
America Saves Week is April 7 to April 11, 2025
Since 2007, America Saves Week has been an annual celebration, as well as a call to action for everyday Americans to prioritize successful savings habits and reducing debt responsibly. Each year, thousands of participating organizations join together to encourage our local communities to check in on their financial mindset and behaviors – focusing on a new topic each day of the week.
Zeal Credit Union is a proud participant of America Saves Week, bringing financial education front-and-center for the Hardworking Americans who bank on us. Last year, America Saves Week reached more than 3.9 million Americans, with savers depositing over $353 million dollars as a direct result of their efforts. This year, let’s aim even higher!
If you’re ready to start (or continue) your journey, we encourage you to identify your financial path with America Saves for encouragement, accountability, and support along the way! Click the “Pledge Now” button below to visit the America Saves website and pledge your savings goal now or select one of the topics below to go directly to that day’s topic.
Day 1: Saving Automatically
Day 2: Saving for the Unexpected
Day 3: Saving for Major Milestones
Day 4: Paying Down Debt is Saving
Day 5: Saving at Any Age
Other Resources
Day 1: Saving Automatically
Monday, April 7th
To launch 2025’s America Saves Week, we’re kicking off Day One by focusing on the easiest and most effective way to save: Automatically!
Sometimes the smallest things have the greatest impact and saving is no different. Building the habit of saving, even if it’s just a little bit at a time, can change your financial situation for the better. When you think of saving as a habit, you’ll understand that savings is the journey – not the destination!
Establishing your savings habit can be as easy as splitting your direct deposit between two accounts, or setting up an automatic transfer through your financial institution to move a set amount of money to a separate savings share. By automatically putting money aside each month (or weekly, bi-weekly, or with each paycheck), you can save without the hassle.
Once you’ve set up automatic savings transfers, you can begin setting yourself attainable milestones that can be incredibly useful as you save for unexpected bills, the rising costs of living, or those “big moments” like a wedding, vacation, or new addition to the family.
What to Do Next
Today, we encourage you to do the following (if you haven’t already!):
- Set up an automatic savings, either through your financial institution or employer.
- Revisit the amount you’re contributing if you already have automatic transfers set up (should you increase the amount to match inflation or an increase in salary?) and decide if you need to increase, decrease, or keep the amount steady.
- Assess the account you’re using to hold your savings and consider ways to boost your savings even more. Consider switching to a High-Yield Savings account to get the best bang for your buck or invest in a Certificate of Deposit (CD) if you don’t anticipate using all of the funds for a certain amount of time.
Resources to Help Your Journey
Day 2: Saving for the Unexpected
Tuesday, April 8th
It happens to us all: you’re on track with your savings goal and then an unexpected expense comes your way, disrupting your plans and turning your financials inside out.
Every day, Americans face unplanned costs or unexpected hurdles – whether it’s car repair, loss of a job, medical bills, or emergency home expenses.
For Day Two, we’re focusing on the importance of Saving for the Unexpected. When was the last time you built up your emergency fund? Life has a tendency to throw curveballs when you’re least prepared – building an emergency fund can help mitigate the uncertainty and stress of out-of-the-blue financial hits.
What to Do Next
Today, we encourage you to do the following:
- Use automatic savings opportunities to begin (or grow) your emergency savings accounts. Creating a separate savings share can help you to organize your emergency funds from your general savings. Some people even find it easier to create a whole new account so their emergency savings stay out of sight, out of mind – until they’re needed.
- Review the various types of unexpected expenses that may impact you and your family (the flyer below is a great starting point!) and create an approximate dollar amount that you may need if any of them were to occur.
- Begin to understand your financial limits by reviewing your emergency fund and comparing it to the list you made to see if your fund will cover you in an emergency. If your safety net won’t realistically support you for at least three to six months during financial hardship due to the unexpected, (such as a job loss) it’s time to get saving!
Resources to Help Your Journey
Day 3: Saving for Major Milestones
Wednesday, April 9th
How do you save for major milestones? Buying a home, planning for retirement, or funding education can feel overwhelming when everyday expenses demand so much of your resources. Saving for competing priorities can be daunting, but breaking big goals down into manageable, achievable steps can make all the difference!
After all, it’s not about perfection. It’s about progress.
For Day Three of America Saves Week, we’re shining a light on Saving for Major Milestones, emphasizing that it’s possible to work toward significant financial goals – while still meeting your everyday needs.
What to Do Next
Today, we encourage you to do the following:
- Get a clear view of your financial landscape using the Goal Setting Worksheet below.
- Establish (or revisit) your Spending and Savings Plan. How much are you currently setting aside for your emergency fund? How much of your income is already spoken for (for housing, food, and other essentials). Find the difference between what’s already being saved/spent and the amount of money your paycheck is bringing in. Once you know how much you can realistically set aside for major expenses, you’ve got a good place to start! Zeal’s Home Budget Analysis Calculator can help you figure out if you’re on the right path.
- Learn how to practically approach saving for short, mid, and long-term financial goals with America Saves Week’s FREE, On-Demand Virtual Workshop (follow the “Free Webinar” link under “Resources to Help Your Journey” to access).
- And, most importantly, make sure you have a savings account that puts your money to work! Check out Zeal’s great savings options and choose the one that makes sense for you and your financial situation.
Resources to Help Your Journey
Day 4: Paying Down Debt Is Saving
Thursday, April 10th
In 2025, the financial landscape continues to challenge many Americans, as credit card usage remains high due to persistent inflation, rising living costs, and the reinstatement of student loan payments. Coupled with elevated interest rates, these pressures make it even harder for households of all ages to pay off debt while also saving for emergencies or achieving financial confidence.
In fact, Bankrate reported in January of 2025 that nearly HALF of credit cardholders carry debt from month to month, with an additional 36% of U.S. adults carrying more credit card debt than emergency savings, and 47% of adults reporting that money troubles negatively affect their mental health. The Education Data Initiative even reported that the average student loan debt is approximately $38,000 per borrower as of the end of 2024.
We could go on and on, but the bottom line is this: Paying Down Debt IS Saving. For Day Four of America Saves Week, we encourage you to take a hard look at your debt, your income, and what your options are for tackling it head-on.
What to Do Next
Today, we encourage you to do the following:
- To make sure you know all of your debts and their impact on your financial bottom line, check your Credit Report by visiting your local credit union branch. This will not only give you an accurate look at the current state of your credit score, but will also let you know if there’s any fraud reporting to the credit bureaus.
- Take the America Saves pledge and choose “Debt Repayment” as your goal to start creating a budget plan to pay down debt and free up more of your money to save for future goals or emergencies. Use Zeal’s Debt Consolidation Calculator to get a good look at whether or not a consolidation loan would help you get out of debt faster.
- Sit down with a financial expert to create a plan personalized to you and your finances. Visit your local Zeal Credit Union branch, or reach out to our financial education partners at GreenPath for assistance. When you’re ready to start building your nest egg back up, make sure you have a Savings Account that works for you.
Resources to Help Your Journey
Day 5: Saving at Any Age
Friday, April 11th
The original intention of America Saves Week is to pause and do a financial check-in, allowing you to get a clear view of where your finances are, where you want them to be, and what small steps you can take now to put you on the right path. But what happens next?
For Day Five, break the money-talk taboo and make sure everyone in your life has the resources and knowledge necessary to become financially fit. We know breaking the silence on “hushed” topics, like money, can be difficult – but financial conversations are more important than ever – especially across generational gaps!
Making sure to share your generation’s knowledge on financial practices can help the next generation gain valuable insight, bolstering every generation to come. Whether you’re speaking with a friend, a parent, or a child, open dialogue can only strengthen your own financial confidence, but also create a supportive environment where everyone is encouraged to achieve their goals.
What to Do Next
Today, we encourage you to do the following:
- If you haven’t already, open up a savings account that will correlate with what savings goal matters to you most right now, whether that’s a long-term savings option (like a Money Market or Certificate of Deposit) or an account with flexible access (like a High-Yield Savings account).
- Talk to your family members (whether it be your kids, parents, siblings, or extended family) about your money goals, including retirement plans, the importance of saving, and how to responsibly use credit. By opening up a dialogue, you can start breaking down the societal taboo around financial conversations.
- Sit down with your family and go over the “Setting Savings Goals as a Family” handout to make sure the whole family is on the same page for goals – then make a plan to reach them!
Resources to Help Your Journey
