My strategy is:
1) Pick an event that is hosted fairly regularly
2) Get really good at it. Practice it however you can and be there whenever it's hosted
3) Start winning it all the time
Chances are the event you picked will be hosted 2, if not 3, times a day. Depending on what you're saving for...its about a month for anything besides a saber (using the above estimations 2x30=60 EC)