I was advised to save up and do a big chunk together, and I did that inadvertently. I've posted in another thread the reason why I took a year off lessons while I was pre-solo. In that year's break I saved some money up.
Ultimately it took me just over two years and around 12 1/2 hours to go solo, and the full PPL took 4 years and 46 hours, but I wouldn't recommend it as the way to do things. Save up some money, do it with as much continuity as you can manage. But don't worry if if takes you longer than you wanted to.
Don't fret about how many hours it takes, within reason. A ticket is a ticket. The only time to worry is if you're spending money unnecessarily. In which case make sure that you get the most from every minute you spend in the aeroplane.
The glider / microlight suggestion is well worth investigating, as are "stickandrudder" skills. These can open the way to flying that costs considerably less, and are even more fun.