Presidents Day: What You Can Do With Each Dead Guy In Your Wallet

The long-term figures below assume you save that amount every day for one year, then leave the total invested for 30 years at a 6% average annual return. Real returns vary, and they can be negative in any given year.

Can you eat lunch with $1?

$1: Washington

• Save a dollar a day, and at the end of the year you'll have $365. Invest that for retirement, and in 30 years that one year of dollars could be worth about $2,096.
• Give away a dollar a day. Give $365 to a charity at the start of the year and save it back over the year. Starting with 2026 tax returns, US filers who take the standard deduction can deduct up to $1,000 in cash gifts to charity ($2,000 for married couples filing jointly).
• Commit to giving a dollar a day to someone who needs it.
• Put it toward a holiday fund. It will make the holiday season less stressful so you can actually enjoy your family.
• Try keeping breakfast to about a dollar. A piece of fruit, an egg or a slice of toast can get you there. Get creative, and save money.

Double the good you're doing

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$2: Jefferson

• Double up the savings. You'll put away $730 for retirement, which could grow to about $4,193 in 30 years.
• If a charity can do good with a dollar a day, double it. Animal shelters and food banks can stretch small daily gifts a long way.
• Cut back on monthly bills. Shop around on your phone, streaming, internet and power bills, and use free Wi-Fi when you're out.
• Raise the deductibles on your auto and home insurance, and save the premium difference. Keep enough cash on hand to cover the higher deductible.
• Kick the soda or energy-drink habit. For some folks, this one is worth a lot more than $2 a day.
• Got kids? Add to the holiday fund or set money aside for birthday gifts, including gifts for all your kids' friends. It makes the parties much more enjoyable.

College fund? Christmas fund?

$5: Lincoln

• Saving $5 a day gets you $1,825 a year. At retirement in 30 years, that could be about $10,482.
• Limit your commuting costs to no more than $5 a day. Taking the bus can save on car payments, gas, insurance and parking.
• Limit dinner for two to $5. Cook at home and see what you can make with $5 worth of groceries. I'll bet you'll be surprised.
• Donate $5 a day to one or more charities. That's $1,825 a year, which would cut your federal tax bill by about $400 if you itemize and are in the 22% bracket.
• Skip the morning coffee run and pocket the money.
• Started a college fund for the newborn yet? Saving $5 a day for 18 years at 6% gets you over $56,000 for school.

Give $10 a day to charity

$10: Hamilton (Not A President, I Know)

• Saving $10 a day nets you $3,650 a year. That could be almost $21,000 at retirement.
• Keep your family's total food bill under $10 a person per day.
• Put $10 a day toward your debt. That's more than $300 a month in extra payments.
• $10 a day for charities will do a lot of good for people who need it.

Turn a 30-year mortgage into a 15.

$20: Jackson

• Saving a Jackson each day gets you $7,300 a year, or almost $42,000 at retirement.
• The 2026 IRA limit is $7,500, so a Jackson a day plus about 55 cents maxes out a Traditional or Roth IRA.
• Put an extra $20 a day, about $608 a month, toward the mortgage. On a $250,000, 30-year mortgage at 5%, that pays the loan off in about 15 years and saves about $125,000 in interest.
• Can you earn $20 a day in side income? Make that your goal for the rest of the year.

You need this to max your IRA

$50: Grant

• Saving $50 a day adds up to $18,250 a year, which could grow to about $105,000 at retirement. That gets you about three-quarters of the way to the 2026 401(k) limit of $24,500, which takes about $67 a day.
• Keep your total housing costs below $50 a day, about $1,520 a month. Count the mortgage or rent, property taxes, a maintenance fund, electricity and heating. It might be harder than you think in many parts of the country.

Pro Blogger? If you make this, you sure are.

$100: Franklin

• Save $100 a day and you'll have $36,500 at the end of the year. That could be almost $210,000 for retirement. Just think what happens if you can put that much away every year.
• Have you tried to vacation for less than $100 a day, counting the hotel, car, food and entertainment? You'll have to plan ahead, but I'd wager you could do it in many cities if you tried.
• Blog "professionally." Personally, this is the level where I would consider a blogger a pro. If you can bring home $100 a day in online bacon, you've got what it takes.

Photos: US Bureau of Engraving and Printing

Readers, what would you do with some of these presidents in your wallet? What could you do to save each of these amounts?

Update: What Has Changed Since This Was First Published

This post first ran in 2014, and some of the numbers have moved since:

• Retirement limits are higher. The IRA limit has risen from $5,500 to $7,500 for 2026, and the 401(k) limit from $17,500 to $24,500, according to the IRS.
• Tax brackets changed. The 28% bracket the original used no longer exists. Since 2018, the middle federal brackets have been 22% and 24%.
• Non-itemizers get a charity break again. A 2025 tax law lets people who take the standard deduction deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers) of cash gifts to charity starting in 2026.
• The penny is gone from production. The US Mint stopped making pennies for circulation in 2025, though the Treasury says existing pennies remain legal tender.
• Small daily amounts can go further than cash. Many apps now allow automatic daily or weekly investing in small amounts, including in crypto. Crypto is far more volatile than the 6% return used above, so don't count on it for money you need. Read our page on whether your asset allocation should include crypto.

FAQ

How Much Is $1 A Day Worth If You Invest It?

Saving $1 a day for a year gives you $365. Left invested for 30 years at a 6% average annual return, that grows to about $2,096. Saving $1 every day for all 30 years at 6% would grow to roughly $29,000.

How Much Do You Need To Save Each Day To Max Out An IRA In 2026?

The 2026 IRA limit is $7,500 for people under 50, which works out to about $20.55 a day. People 50 and older can add a $1,100 catch-up contribution, for a total of $8,600.

How Much Do You Need To Save Each Day To Max Out A 401(k) In 2026?

The 2026 employee limit is $24,500, or about $67 a day. Workers 50 and older can add $8,000, and workers aged 60 to 63 can add $11,250.

Which Presidents Are On US Bills?

Washington is on the $1, Jefferson on the $2, Lincoln on the $5, Jackson on the $20, Grant on the $50 and Benjamin Franklin on the $100. Alexander Hamilton on the $10 and Franklin were never presidents.

Is Presidents Day A Federal Holiday?

Yes. The federal holiday falls on the third Monday in February, and its official name is still Washington's Birthday. Federal offices, banks and US stock markets close for the day.