I get this one, A LOT! First off, if you save appropriately, you can make sure that you have enough money for your trip. The main way that I do it to keep stuff cheap. I have a few articles on how I do that, but frugality and discipline, that's the short answer.
America does have a lot going on and I try to get around American also; however, I have a deep love for other languages. Walking around somewhere where no one can understand you and you can understand no one is a very enlightening experience. It's a unique and humbling feeling.
I believe that you should always learn at least a little bit of a local language and customs before you venture there. I typically spend a couple of weeks reviewing some of the basic greetings and phrases in a language commonly spoken where I am going and I typically carry a phrase book of some kind. When all else fails, pointing and looking lost can help.