We all know that we need time away from work, but most Americans do not use about nineteen days of their vacation time each year, which suggests that there is either an under appreciation of vacation days, an inability to plan a fulfilling trip, or maybe a bit of both.

If you fall into that latter category, and you just cannot seem to put together a good vacation plan, here are five steps to help make it happen.

Select a Destination

This step often creates more questions than answers, so before you move on to the rest of the list (especially step #2), the destination needs to be tentative, so don’t book any travel arrangements just yet.

There may be other parameters as well, particularly if you’re travelling as a family. For example, if there are young children, older adults, or other people in your group who do not travel very well, consider a closer destination that either doesn’t require flying or at least doesn’t require as much flying. Or, if you’re travelling with older kids who are easily bored, keep that in mind, because bored children will probably ruin everyone’s holiday.

Establish a Budget

This step usually requires quite a bit of preparation. First, you must have an idea of how much you can realistically afford to spend. Part of this assessment may involve some cutbacks in other areas, so if you really want to go to Hawaii, that may mean putting off a planned home remodeling project.

Once you’ve set the budget, do some research as to the cost. Calculate big ticket items like airfare and hotel, along with smaller expenses, like souvenirs and snacks. Once again, there may be some give and take. If the budget doesn’t allow for a certain expense, either eliminate it or find something to cut somewhere else.

Stretch your Budget

The internet is laden with travel deals, from things like transportation to amusement park tickets, so find the ones that matter to you and use them. If there are time, date, or other restrictions, they are usually worthwhile.

Another good way to stretch your travel budget is to maximize reward points. It may seem silly to pay for groceries with a credit card, but if it’s a travel rewards card, that may be a good idea.

Fund the Budget

Now we’re really getting to the hard part. It’s much easier to put everything on a credit card and worry about it tomorrow, but that is not a lesson that you want to teach your children.

Find ways to motivate yourself while you work extra hours or take some freelance gigs on the side. One idea is to color in bits of a palm tree, ocean beach, or other destination every time you reach a savings goal.

Enjoy the Trip

Don’t wear yourself out so much in the planning and preparation stage that you’re too tired to enjoy the trip, and do not feel guilty about spending the money. You’ve worked for this vacation and you deserve it, so live it up while you have the chance.

Thanks to these basic vacation planning tips, your getaway is much closer than you think.