One of the truly fun things to do in vacation planning is to imagine places you might go in the future. It’s even more fun if you do it with friends or family.

Perhaps each person can think about three places they’d like to go in the U.S. and three places outside the U.S. Then you can each share your lists. If you have shared destinations, you can prioritize those trips.

Identifying a variety of destinations to choose from will help with your vacation planning:

• You can alternate less expensive trips with more extravagant vacations, allowing you to budget more effectively.
• You can casually research some future destinations to determine good prices, the right season to travel, and to decide what you’d like to do there.
• You can keep your eyes open for special deals to places you’d like to visit. Tapping into special deals can help your vacation dollars go farther.

I do want to offer one caution: Don’t let your dream list limit your travel options. Sometimes, you will see an ad or an article that introduces an option you’ve never considered before. That’s how I ended up in Vietnam and Fiji. Plan ahead, but keep an open mind!