Have you always had a wanderlust craving, desiring to see the world, and take in new experiences and culture? Being able to feel the Hawaii beach sand between your toes, swim with the dolphins, or see the beautiful structure of the Taj Mahal in person. If this sounds like you, but finances are holding you back, then it may feel like a lost cause or a distant dream that will never happen. 

But the truth is that no matter what circumstance you are in, with some meticulous planning and travel goal setting, you really can check off your travel bucket list.

Where Do You Want to Go?

First and foremost, where is your heart telling you that it wants to go? Do you want to go to tropical places, dry locations, or everything in-between to experience it all? Perhaps your family has roots in another country and you’ve always felt called to visit.

Nail down the exact places you want to travel to, so you can formulate a plan on how to get there. Too many options? Try Googling places to see if any really spark your interest. Though your list can be longer, try starting with your top 10 for now, eventually narrowing it down to the #1 being the first place you want to visit.

Set Your Goals to Get There – Top Tips

For most people, money is the main driving factor for why they are not traveling. If this is you, then there are several things you can do. For instance, track your spending and see if there are things you can cut back on. Do you really need to go out every weekend? Do you really need to spend money on scratch tickets every time you go to the gas station? That money adds up over time, and if you take that and store it away instead of spending it on trivial things you don’t need, you will have round trip funds over time. Other things you can do include:

• How many of the locations you listed are close to one another? For example, if you said you wanted to see London and Paris, or Denmark and Sweden, why not group them into one big trip? This will eliminate the need for two separate plane tickets, and you can not only save money, but cross off more than one place at a time. 

• If you want to save money, visit your places during off-seasons. This is when plane tickets and hotels are the cheapest. 

• Start a side hustle or work towards a promotion at work to increase your cash flow. By doing this and setting that money aside in an account specifically for traveling, it will add up without interfering with your daily living costs.

• Consider going with a group of friends and sharing a suite hotel room. This not only reduces your nightly costs, as you will be splitting it with others, but it can also make it more fun with the extra company!

• Don’t expect to cross off every place in one or two summers. Going to 10  locations, if you cannot group them, can be 10 or 20 different years. There is no race, so just save up and go when you are able to.

Add Your Top Choice to Your Annual Vision Board

You’ve narrowed down your top choice, now make sure to include your travel goal on your vision board. Include photos of the location, steps on how you’ll get there, and be sure to include the special stops you’ll make once you arrive. Hanging your vision board in a space you see daily reinforces your goals and keeps your travel aspirations top of mind.

Next Steps

Being able to travel and see other places outside of your own community is a privilege. It can really open your eyes to how beautiful the world really is and cultivate personal growth, unlike ever before. If you want to begin your traveling journey, start with making a list, and make a solid plan to get there and celebrate a goal accomplished once you arrive.

And make sure your passport is up to date!