With the spring and summer months right around the corner and summer break right on its heels, most people’s thoughts turn toward vacation! My family is no different. In fact, we’ve been planning all of our vacation time for the past twelve months.

Our goal is to take three trips a year. Two short ones; maybe a weekend trip to another city in our state or a bordering state. And one nice, relaxing, long trip that we have to pack our bags and head for the airport for that lasts seven to ten indulgent days!

For example, about the time our son’s April birthday rolls around, we plan a weekend trip somewhere in our state. His favorite is always San Antonio because he likes to visit the theme parks and gorgeous Riverwalk that they have there. Since we live in Dallas, it’s less than a four hour drive; and it’s usually the precursor to kicking off our year of getting away.

This year, the longer trip will be in the summertime, a week after school is out. We are planning a vacation to Florida to visit Walt Disney World. We will be gone for ten glorious days for fun in the sun.

And then, in October, my husband and I are planning a three to four day getaway to celebrate our anniversary in beautiful Mexico. And that will give us our three getaways for the year! It’s as simple as that.

Now, we haven’t always been able to do this. Why? Because of poor planning on our part. But, that is no longer the case. We’ve wised up, and if you haven’t been getting away for a little rest and relaxation because of the same problem, here’s how you can guarantee that will not be the case next year…or the year after that – forever!

My husband, Muri, and I have created what we call a "Battery Recharge" account, or in regular terms, a travel account. All monies that go into it ensure that we’ll be able to get away with our ten-year old son, Jordan, or for a romantic weekend on our own!

Have a family discussion and decide where each of you would like to go. Narrow it down, and vote on three locations. One that’s far away and two that are within a reasonable driving distance.

Once you’ve done that, do your research. There are a number of online resources. Thanks to technology, finding attractions in the city of your destination is no more than a click away! You can build an itinerary of what your family will do, as well as get the costs of each show or attraction you’d like to attend.

Then, one-by-one, you begin to fund your "Batter Recharge" account until you have the money to do each trip! What’s so great about the two short trips, most can be done for less than five hundred dollars. The key is not extravagance. It’s just getting away with your family to bond and reenergize yourself.

You work hard, everyday. Take some time to enjoy the fruits of your labor with the ones you love and cherish. Your mental, physical and relational well-being will be all the better for it!

Happy vacationing!