Given the addictive nature of flying for pleasure, don't get into debt over it
this is a slippery road to hell
Regarding long term break in training - I had the misfortune to have a 9-month break away, between solo flights and XC. Reading upon my previous training logs (debriefs, issues, things to focus on), 3 more hours circuit practice put me back to where I left. I was fearing more, but if your learning was fundamentally solid up to your departure, you won't forget what your learnt.
But again, the addictive side of flying is the real problem. I suffered from withdrawal effects and this problem is present even after the training. I also run out of funds often, and I face similar dilemmas - a longer route much later, or a couple of quick circuits to get into the air more frequently. So if you see withdrawal effects on yourself, get into the plane and do some solo/instructor supervised circuits to maintain your regular dose of aviation. Flying is supposed to make you happy, and withdrawal effects work against this, so don't try to optimize funds for "cheapest way to obtain PPL", obey your desires with the little funds you have.
If you are completely out of funds, just visit the hangar and and sit into the plane, or join someone else's training flight as an observer from the back seat. This smooths the "pain"