When dreaming of far off places, it can seem so far away in the future you might never get there. Luckily, there is a clear way to make this happen. I have a similar goal, and I want to share my process with you! Hopefully, by sharing my process I can help you to create your own goal list and make your travel dreams come true. We all know that money seems to rule when it comes to planning anything, this is why we have to budget and plan for our goals and dreams. Don’t let money discourage you or keep you from realising your goals, take a look at how I am going to make mine a reality!

The Biggest Battle of All: Me vs. Money

I don’t generally have a problem staying on top of my finances. But, as a recent university graduate I have set some pretty big travel goals. I grew up in the United States and never traveled out of the country, until recently. I could hardly wait to leave! Now I am interning in New Zealand (it’s such an amazing place!), and there are so many opportunities. I would love to extend my stay. As I see my account balance sinking day after day, I realize that I need to come up with a plan fast! Also, I have been planning a trip to France for this upcoming September. Further into the future, I would love to work/study in France. I guess you could say that my current “life-goal“ would be to become an experienced international traveler/worker. Having such aspirations come with great obstacles, the greatest (as you could imagine) would be to have the money to support this goal. The rest would be obtaining visa’s, learning languages, and finding cheap flights.

Luckily, there are many ways to find travel opportunities. There are many programs for working or studying abroad, similar to my current internship program. I used the International Education Program (IEP) to arrange my internship in New Zealand. STA Travel is a similar program, and you can get certified to teach English as a foreign language through the TEFL Institute. These programs can help you to work, study, or volunteer internationally. If you are a student you have more opportunity to get scholarships or grants through your school. Because these programs offer so much support, and discounts, I think they are the best way to plan your adventures abroad.

But how is it possible for me to do the traveling that I really want to do, and not break the bank?
When setting a goal it is important to list your priorities: in detail to keep you motivated. This is my list:

1. Find cheap flights
2. Learn French
3. Get some valuable work experience
4. Research all of my options

Find cheap flights
Flights may be one thing that you have little to zero control of. But, when you use one of the programs that I listed you can get really good deals. With my internship in New Zealand, my University helped me to fund my flights through scholarships and grants. So, I plan to book flights through a similar program to get to France. I may be able to apply for scholarships and grants again, as long as I am registered as a student.

Also keep in mind that airlines will offer special promotions; for example, Air NewZealand often has sales and auctions like “grabaseat.” You can get outrageous deals on flights when you stay tuned to these special offers! Cheap flights don’t have to be hard to come by, I have used Priceline.com to get amazing deals! (Try naming your own price). The trick is to keep your eye’s and ears open, you never know when you might get lucky!

Learn French
Learning French will definitely be a challenge, but it doesn’t have to cost a lot (or anything at all). There are tons of free language tools online, as well as at the library or your local bookstore. If you use iTunes you can stream free language lessons from a podcast. You can also rent foreign films from your local library with subtitles. One thing that I have learned while learning a foreign language is to use it as much as you can. (Try translating every thought, idea, or action you have in that language).

Get some valuable experience
Getting valuable experience is a really important idea. Be aware of the work opportunities that are realistic for you. In my case, it is likely that I could work in a coffee shop, or restaurant. While I am trying to save I can earn more money by working a second job, and get barista experience at the same time. You should also be open to any opportunity. If you can only find work herding sheep or scrubbing toilets, take it as an opportunity to learn and work your way up. Realize that the work you are doing is helping you to achieve your goal!

Research all the options
When you are trying to plan your adventure, be sure to research all of your options. If you want to specifically work, make sure you look into the other opportunities of studying, interning, or volunteering. You may just come across a great opportunity that you would have otherwise missed out on.

Making a plan

Now that I know and understand my priorities, I need to get to work and make a plan. I can create a list of mini-goals, or tasks that will lead me to my ultimate goal. Be sure your goals are specific, and then break them down further into steps. Also, be aware that your plans will change many times during the process. So here is my plan:

1) Select a program that will help me get to France.

• Look at all possible alternatives (select a couple in case my plans change).
• Keep track of all the alternatives I have (don’t get stuck on just one).
• Contact my University to see if there is scholarship or grant funding available.
• Contact the program advisers (ask any and every question possible).

2) Learn to speak French.

• Set 1 hour aside to study every evening (use free tools).
• Label things at home with the “French” translation.
• Translate throughout my day.
• Rent a French film, with English sub-scripts, every weekend.

3) Save $5,000.

• Work a second job as a waitress or barista (20 or more hours per week).
• Put all of the money earned from my second job in savings.
• Sell things that I don’t need.
• use heaps! to create a budget then cut back on luxuries like eating out, and shopping for lesuire (it will be worth it! France, France, France!)

4) Go to France from December 2010, until May 2011.

• Buy plane tickets.
• Arrange living accommodations.
• Pack (reasonably).
• Be sure to have all the proper documentation (passport, visa, resume, etc.).

5) Find a paying job in France.

• Research opportunities.
• Acquire Certification (if needed).
• Apply, submit resume & cover letter.
• Set up interviews.

With all of my priorities, goals, and steps listed out, I should create a check-off list. I would put my list somewhere that I see it everyday, (hang it on my mirror, refrigerator, etc.) in order to remind me and motivate me. Though money is still a part of the overall goal, it does not seem to rule the entire process.

Now, rather than constantly stressing about the financial aspects I can move my focus to other area’s and give myself a break. My process will continue and I will have to work hard, but now I can concentrate on one aspect at a time. With the “saving” goal, I will be using a personal finance budgeting tool (heaps!) to keep me motivated and remind me of my financial goal. heaps! will tell me how much I need to save per month to meet my goal, this helps to make the end amount more achievable.

What financial pressures do you have? Would breaking your goal down like this help you to achieve it?