1. Start Saving Now

That shopping spree you had planned for this weekend? Cancel it! The longer you wait to start saving, the longer you’ll have to wait to travel around the world. And is this trip really something you want to postpone? Definitely not! It’s a simple equation: spend less, save more, travel sooner! If you follow that, you’ll be on a plane before you know it!

2. Choose a Travel Buddy to Motivate One Another

It will be hard trying to convince yourself of saving rather than shopping all on your lonesome. But if you replace your shopping buddy with a saving buddy-ah, now we’re talking! Having an accountability partner who shares your travel ambitions will help immensely with saving. Plus you can share the trip of a lifetime together!

3. Consider All Your of Your Options

Your dream vacation may not turn out to be your real vacation, but it’s still better than nothing. You may not get to see fifteen countries, or fly first class, or stay in five-star hotels, but that doesn’t mean your vacation won’t still be memorable! You can cut out a few countries, take buses from city to city or even country to country, and stay in youth hostels or Airbnb's. Most of the time, you’ll be out in the city anyway, so how you travel and where you stay won’t matter as much as enjoying where you are!

4. Buy Student Tickets

If you’re a college student, this is actually the best time for you to travel! Sure you’re a starving college student, but by the time you can financially afford this trip, your job probably won’t afford you the luxury of taking off summers for vacationing and soul-searching. Since this is such a critical time to travel, and companies generally understand that students aren’t the most well-off, there are many travel companies who will accommodate your financial situation! Check out studentuniverse.com to see how to save money as a student abroad!

5. Settle Everything Early

Once you have saved enough money to fund your trip, don’t hesitate to buy tickets and book hotels. Generally, the closer you get to your travel date, the higher prices climb. So buy your plane tickets at least six weeks in advance, and start looking for hotel deals immediately after. If you can, buy train tickets online, too!

6. Credit Card Rewards

If you’re eligible to receive credit cards-and trust yourself not to go into huge debt on your trip!-apply for a credit card with a hotel rewards system. Use the card to buy your plane ticket, pay it off immediately, but then use your rewards for a hotel! It will be a welcome break from hostels and basically free!

7. Don’t Give up

The final and most important component to making any dream come true: commitment. No matter how tempting giving up is, it won’t be worth it. Keep saving, working extra hours, and refraining from shopping. Once you have had the trip you’ve awaited your entire life, it will all be worth it!

Whether you dream of traveling across the U.S., Europe, Asia, South America, or a number of other amazing destinations, you have the power to make it happen! What corner of the world are you most eager to see? How will you make your dream a reality?