Now that you’ve successfully made it through the holidays, it’s time to look forward to the bright future. That’s right: spring break. It’s never too early to start planning — and surely you don’t want to put it off until the last minute and end up at home watching reruns of Friends again.

The first step in the planning process is writing up a budget that details how much money you are able to spend on spring break. This will help you determine what kind of vacation you’ll have. If you’re willing to spend the big bucks, then now is the time to book your flights and hotels. Trust me, the longer you wait, the less availability there will be and the higher the prices will rise. If your budget isn’t so generous, then read on for budget friendly spring breaks.

Staycations
With gas prices on the rise and many pinching pennies, more and more people have been embracing the staycation trend. A staycation is exactly what it sounds like: You take a vacation off work/school, but stay in your hometown and visit local sights. That’s right, people are spending their vacations at home. This may sound boring at first, but when was the last time you truly enjoyed being home? Or you took time to explore the restaurants and culture your town has to offer? With work, school, and families it’s hard to really appreciate what’s around you. With staycations becoming so popular, it’s easy to find things to do. Just google a quick search or (your area) + staycations and see what you find. Local festivals, small museums, hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and more await you. Another key to the staycation is making your home fun too. Plan a movie marathon. Read all the books you haven’t had time for in the last year. Find some new recipes and cook up a storm. Enjoy the time with your family or invite friends over.

Road Trips
Get a group and a car, make some music playlists, and go! You never know where you might find adventure. If you’re going with kids, pack them each a car surprise and fill a backpack with travel-sized games, books, snacks, crayons, coloring books, and anything else that will keep them entertained in the backseat. Don’t have a specific destination in mind? Try doing some geocaching. If you do have an end destination, make sure you have a plan once you get there.

Nature
Enjoy nature. Find somewhere nearby to hike, rock climb, have a picnic, go fishing, etc. Visit a national park. If the weather is right, take a weekend camping trip. This kind of trip can be affordable, educational, and rejuvenating. Go soak in all that the world’s beauty has to offer.

Whether you’re staying close to home or flying across the country, it’s important to have a plan, and starting early is the best way to be sure you don’t forget any part. You have about three months to get the details figured out. And before you head out, check out this packing checklist. You don’t want to wait until you get somewhere to discover you’re missing your camera or essential travel toiletries.

Whatever you plan to do, I hope that you have a great time and make memories that will last a lifetime.