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 Resolve to make travel dreams a realityBy Marnie Hunter  YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- Have you had enough of dieting resolutions and decided that 2006 is the year you'll finally treat yourself to the vacation you've been daydreaming about? With some smart planning you may find yourself sipping a Mai Thai in Maui without returning home with a mountain of debt. These tips from financial and travel experts may help make your travel resolutions a reality. Shop aroundDon't assume the trip your neighbors took last year is the trip for you. Comparison shop for options that you can afford and choose accordingly, advises Rick Munarriz, a senior analyst for the financial education company The Motley Fool. "The last thing you want to do is charge this summer's trip on a credit card, and then by next summer it winds up that you're still owing more for the trip than it originally cost you the first time around," he said. Munarriz urges travelers to surf the Internet to price trips and learn more about desired destinations. Travel sites like Orbitz, Travelocity, Priceline, Travelzoo and Hotwire are good places to compare prices. Sites like Weather.com, Google maps and epionions.com offer valuable information about what to expect when you get to your destination. "The No. 1 resolution I think would be to get smarter about using the Internet as a tool to make your trips better," Munarriz said. Budget and save in advanceStart planning six to nine months in advance so that you'll have enough time to save for the trip, advises Shashin Shah, owner of SGS Wealth Management in Dallas, Texas. Shah suggests setting up a separate savings or checking account for big trips and having money automatically debited from each paycheck and deposited into the account. "By having a separate account [clients] are able to see the money grow and keep track of those assets and make sure they're not commingled or used for something else," Shah said. Figure out how much the trip will cost, including spending money, and have a portion of that amount set aside until you reach your goal. "The easier it is not to think about the money coming out, the easier it is to save that money," Shah said. He also suggests travelers inquire with their local banks about special discounts on travelers' checks. He finds people are less likely to spend them than to put them aside for the trip. Shah also advises travelers to read cancellation policies carefully and to consider trip insurance to protect the money spent for the vacation. Make the most of frequent flier milesWith some flexibility and strategic planning, your frequent flier miles can reduce travel expenses substantially. Book early or late, advises Tim Winship, publisher of FrequentFlier.com. "Early meaning 330 days out when award seats first are fed into the airlines' computers and are first available for booking." If that's too far in advance and you have some leeway late in the game, booking a couple of weeks before the desired flight departs may yield some award seats that have just been added to the system. Early or late booking is particularly important for flights where few award seats are likely to be offered. In the winter, for example, high demand for warm-weather destinations usually means fewer award seats are available to those spots, Winship said. Overall, the busy summer travel season is the most difficult time to book award travel, he said. Heading to a popular vacation destination a little before or a little after the high season should yield more options for award travel. Shoulder-season travel often also means lower rates for accommodations and amenities on site. If you're having trouble finding the flight you want, Winship advises contacting a reservations agent. Most airlines now charge a small fee for this service, but speaking with someone who can easily navigate all the options may mean the difference between traveling and staying home. 
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