1. Try A Saving Spree

You know what a spending spree is. But have you ever tried a saving spree? It’s when you make a deliberate effort to spend very little money over a defined period of time, and save it instead. Saving sprees are easier than long-term budget-cutting, because they are limited in duration. You know you can live without new clothes for a month, though maybe not for a year, so it's easy enough to stick to the plan. To move towards your goal during your saving spree, you need to find cheaper alternatives to your current spending patterns, or simply refuse to buy things you don’t need right now. We'll cover strategies to save up funds quickly for smaller ticket items, as well as larger upcoming costs, like a new car or a house.

Tell your loved ones and friends about your saving spree, so they’ll understand why you can’t fly home for Thanksgiving, or join them for the Taylor Swift concert. The idea is to question every single expenditure before you make it, and only go through with the ones that are absolutely necessary.

For example, before you go to the grocery store, take stock of what you already have in your cupboards and your fridge. See how many meals you can make from what you have, and figure out what ingredients you need to create a few more. Got beans and salsa? Supplement them with tortillas, eggs and cheese and you’ve got breakfast burritos (they’re just as good for dinner). Got pasta and sauce? Buy some ground meat for meatballs or throw in some veggies. Got tuna? Make a salad, sandwiches or casserole. Use up those old boxes of instant potatoes and easy mac ‘n cheese. Clear out all the frozen mysteries hiding behind your ice cube trays and heat them up for dinner. If this doesn’t sound so appetizing, remind yourself of the goal of all this saving, and that that you can restock all your favorites when you've reached it. This can be a quick source of funds for smaller ticket items given how much we spend on eating.

Take the same approach if you run out of a beauty product or household item during your saving spree. Use the hotel soaps and shampoo samples tucked away in your closet. Live without eyeliner for a few weeks. If you empty your last bottle of window cleaner or scouring powder, see if you can hand-mix a substitute using common ingredients like vinegar, lemon juice and baking soda.

Some other ideas: Pack your lunch. Replace happy hour with a six-pack at home with a buddy. Have your best friend, or significant other, cut your hair.

Besides tackling all the little ways your cash tends to slip through your fingers, also take a look at your biggest expenditures. For most people, these are housing, transportation, utilities and food. Finding ways to lower these big monthly costs can get you to your savings goal even faster. If the amount you need to save is enormous, like for a down payment and closing costs for a home purchase, consider drastic measures, like moving in with relatives so you can put your rent payment into your savings. Only slightly less disruptively, you could take in a roommate for a few months to halve your housing costs. Or rent your home on Airbnb for a couple weekends while you crash on a friend’s couch. Can you carpool to work or telecommute a few days a week to save on gas and tolls? Cut cable? Cook at home instead of going through the drive-thru?

Take the money you’re saving and funnel it into an out-of-reach savings account. Keep it at a different bank from your regular checking, so you'll have to go out of your way to withdraw the money. Currently, some online options are paying a small amount of interest, which will help you get to your goal that much quicker. You can earn about 1% per year as of late-2015, at a place like Ally Bank, CIT Bank or Synchrony Bank. Just make sure they are not charging any banking fees that will eat away at your principal.

Another savings option is a site like SmartyPig, which allows you to set up an account for a specific savings goal, and make automatic and other deposits into it. Whether its a vacation or a car, you'll see your savings grow for that goal. You can even earn a smidge of interest, and if you can spend the money at a particular retailer—for example, you have your eye on a couch at Macy's—you can trade your savings for a gift card that offers a bonus amount. Your $1,500 in savings would translate to a $1,665 Macy's gift card (other retailers currently offer smaller bonus percentages).