3. Line up a Side Job

If you’ve cut your spending to the bone and you’re still not coming anywhere near your saving target, it may be time to address the other important factor in the equation: your income.

Consider ways you could boost your pay, like picking up more hours at your current job. Or get a side gig which could enable you to save faster since that income is almost pure excess. While you might need to spend more on things like transportation to get to and from your second job, or on services that allow you to work more (like childcare, food preparation, or dry cleaning), for the most part, you can put all of your new earnings towards your goal.

Side gigs that many people can do include: babysitting, cleaning houses, picking up a bartending or waitressing shift, walking dogs or doing other odd jobs. New job platforms like TaskRabbit, eLance, and Uber might have opportunities for you. If you have specialized skills -- you can design websites, or tutor an academic subject, or teach a foreign language -- you may be able to find clients who’ll pay you well to do them.