By Meredith Jones & Phil Zeltzman

You can easily have $2,756 in just one year, by saving it.

The concept is so simple that the only way to miss the mark is a lack of self discipline. Here is your supplies checklist: a dedicated savings account, a calendar, some discipline, and a few extra bucks.

Step 1: Pick a Day Each Week

Write down the amount you need to put away, and set up a recurring reminder, whether that's your smartphone, a paper calendar, a sticky note, or email.

The method itself is simple: each week, save $2 multiplied by that week's number. That's $2 in week 1, $4 in week 2, $6 in week 3, and so on up through $104 in week 52. Keep it up for all 52 weeks and you will have saved exactly $2,756, in a separate account you don't touch.

Step 2: Decide What to Do With It

You've got a lot of options: donating to a non-profit, investing in your retirement plan, taking a well-deserved vacation, paying down debt, funding your emergency or rainy-day fund, investing in your own education, or saving for a child's education.

Here are five specific examples of what you could do with $2,756:

  1. Invest in yourself and obtain licensure in six or more additional states
  2. Purchase two round-trip tickets to Nairobi, Kenya
  3. Cover two months of rent, or even mortgage
  4. Cover six months of car payments
  5. Finally buy that new living room furniture

We don't know who invented this concept, but it is both absurdly simple and ridiculously brilliant. Have fun setting it up and dreaming about what you will do with the money.

A Few Other Easy Hacks to Save Cash

  • The coin jar: collect all the change you receive throughout the year. Add it to a piggy bank or a dedicated container. Bonus: the cooler the container, the better.
  • The $5 bill box: similar idea. Every time you have a $5 bill, save it in a box.
  • The automatic deposit: this is a classic. Have your bank deduct a set amount of money from your checking account each week or month, and deposit it in your savings or retirement account. Set it and forget it.

Of course, all the above ideas can be combined for greater, and faster, savings.

Meredith Jones is a veterinarian and financial expert. She co-founded the Veterinary Financial Summit and started a Facebook group that helps thousands of vets combat student debt. Learn more at drmeredithjones.com. Dr. Phil Zeltzman co-authored this article.