Many people dream of Christmas is Paris. Or summer Holiday in the Caribbean. But a common excuse is "I can't afford it yet" and "but travel is so expensive."

Is traveling truly a dream of yours? Do you picture yourself in your destination, happy and content? If travel is something you want to do, money cannot stop you.

If you choose to make traveling a priority, it will become a reality.

I grew up traveling. It's true- you don't remember what you got for your 9th birthday but you will never forget any of the summer holidays your family took you on!

When I got out on my own I followed the typical American Dream- get a degree, get a job, turn it into a career, get married, buy a house, have children, grow them on Elm St. with 2 cars and a dog and a white picket fence. Mortgage. Credit Cards. Debt. Traffic.

But as I lived that lifestyle, I felt there was something missing. I had the wanderlust but didn't realize it for a while.

I love to travel! I live for experiencing new places and immersing myself in cultures different from mine. I firmly believe travel is the best education, hands down.

Travel is the highball for my soul.

So I took at my life and made a plan to take back my life and live how I would be happy.

Follow this advice and soon you'll be on a cruise to Jamaica mon ;)

Look at Your Life

You have to start with becoming financially aware.

We have all heard how to, but have you actually ever tracked your every expense? Money management and financial awareness- I choose this word over "responsibility" because it makes you feel more empowered. Responsibility feels like you are being preached at.

You have chosen to make a serious long term commitment. You will find that sometimes it's going to be hard to stick to. Saving money for travel, or anything really, is tough at times and demands sacrifice. That is the main reason people do not succeed. The correct mindset is important.

When you see that pair of shoes that would look so good with your favorite outfit, think- you have a pair of shoes that match already. You won't remember those shoes in a few years- but the memories of your trip will last your lifetime.

This is your dream, how much do you want it?

Managing money is a learned skill. It takes time and effort. But your dreams are worth it! Plus, this is a skill you will use your entire life.

Get To it Already!

Alright, you are ready! This weekend, get a bottle of wine (you're gonna need it) and sit down and really get to know your finances. You're going to examine deep down to the dollar. We all have been told time and again how important this is, but have you ever actually done it? Regularly- every month? Writing down your expenses is important. Tracking will help you know what you can cut back on and even eliminate.

You will be amazed at how much money you throw away every month on junk you don't even need! (or remember-which brings me back to the point- you will remember your vacation!)

Write it all down-

Food, groceries, restaurants, snacks, bottled water, coffees, alcohol, cigarettes.

Entertainment- movies, books, magazines, video games, sports fees and events, dates, music, netflix.

Bills- Rent, mortgage, car lease and insurance, gas, parking, student loans, phone, cable, medical/life insurance, gym membership...

Misc- Pet food and toys, clothes, etc.

Now have a sip of your wine, and step back without judgement and take an objective look at your spending. You will be surprised. The little things really add up. This is not the easiest thing to do, so be gentle on yourself. This is why you leave your emotions out of it- this is simply about awareness. Acknowledge where you are at and realize where you need to be.

Budget

Now don't go all crazy and eliminate everything but the absolute bare necessities yet. It'll be too much of a shock on your system, and a recipe for failure.

This is the fun part to reward yourself for the difficult task you just tackled. Decide where your first trip will be, look at the hotel costs, food prices in the area, tours and fun outings costs, etc, and determine how much you will be spending on your holiday. Keep in mind that depending on where you go and what you do you can travel on less than $50 a day. I will be covering budget travel tips in future posts, including how to find super inexpensive flights, killer deals on rooms, etc.

Now, create a budget and assign strict numbers- and stick to it! Post photos of your favorite travel destinations around your house to keep reminding your subconscious. And wrap your credit and debit card in a laminated photo of your vacation spot- it helps! Every time you reach for those digits you'll have to consider if it's worth trading your vacation for!

Some expenses are flexible- like food and entertainment, but some are rigid- like rent (however you may consider a cheaper apartment.) Budgeting may seem scary. On the contrary- once you know where every dollar is going and you have complete control of your earnings- it's actually quite freeing and liberating. In turn- your confidence will strengthen and you will find it easier to save even more for your goal.

Reduce Unnecessary Spending

On a sheet of paper write NEEDS on the left and WANTS on the right, with a line down the middle. Every thing you spend money on will go in one of these columns.

Be honest- do you really need that latte you always stop for before work? How about getting a keurig specialty coffee pot? It'll pay for itself in a month. How about that monthly trip to the mall with your friends- do you really need new clothes that often?

Using the numbers you wrote down earlier, write down the cost of each item beside it in the Wants section. Add that up and that's how much you can start saving every month for your dream vacation!

I'm not going to lie, it's harder than it sounds to eliminate everything, so that's why you are going to remove a few at a time, so you can get used to it. Take control of your finances! You control your money, not the other way around.

You got this!

Money Saving Habits

Think of little things you can do, such as taking a bus to work instead of your car. Take cooking classes so you can enjoy gourmet meals and socialize too! Then you can cook for your friends at home sometimes ($6-$9 as opposed to $50 a plate at a diner)- they bring the refreshments and you save even more!

Consider purchases carefully- buy well made, good quality items that are made to last. Therefore you do not have to replace often. Choose clothing that packs well, and has more than one purpose- convertible pants for instance, just unzip near the knee and you have shorts!

The first thing they did was decide they would never buy a house. Instead, they chose to be lifelong renters. They chose a meager but quaint two bedroom apartment (the second bedroom is for guests when they are stateside) in a decent neighborhood. This would eliminated the high costs of home ownership- mortgage rates, repairs, etc, and it would not tie them down in case they found a more desirable place to call home-base during their travels.

Sell Unnecessaries

Determined to be a lifelong traveler? Sell your house and car and get an apartment near the bus line. You'll save on car lease, gas, repairs, insurance, homeowners insurance, etc.

Sell the stuff you don't need. You probably have acquired a lot of useless junk! Why not get rid of it to fund your travels?

Make More Dollars!

Keep building your Steemit blog. Yes, it takes time, but if you keep at it it eventually will help support your wanderlust!

Do you have any other skills? Web development, dog walking, teaching ESL, music lessons, personal organizing, housecleaning, home repair? Put them to use and make them make you money!

You can also use Steemit, and any of those things I mentioned (and more) to fund your travels while you travel! Depending on how your vacation looks, and how long you wish to travel, you could set yourself up for a lifetime of wandering the world :)

Now that you know what to do, just stay on the path. Live below your means and save. Yes, there will be roadblocks, but there's roadblocks on trips, too. Being able to not stress and just find a way around them is the key to saving money, traveling, and living life in general.

Enjoy the journey, keep your eyes on the destination, but enjoy the scenery on the way :)