I'm sure I can't be alone in noticing that as soon as the sun comes out, so do the drinks. Maybe it's the extra hours of daylight in the evenings coupled with extra space to drink in, as pubs open their beer gardens, effectively doubling in size. And then there's all the events: for many people barbecues, picnics, festivals and even Wimbledon fortnight are all just convenient excuses for an al fresco booze fest.

Christmas may be seen as the traditional time for a tipple, but I find that it's during this more protracted and generally unrecognised 'summer drinking period' that my liver and my wallet really begin to feel the effects. And my suspicion that we're all hitting the bottle hard at this time of year is borne out by a recent survey that shows that not only are we prone to a spot of summer drinking as a nation; we're also a bit more adventurous in our tastes at this time of year, ditching our usual wine and beer staples for a variety of summer-themed drinks that are marketed heavily throughout the season.

Read on to find out where our beer money's going, and how to avoid paying above the odds. The recent Harris Interactive Survey revealed that 26% of us are partial to a Pimms during the summer months, making it our most popular sunny-weather drink. Coming in second place are beer, lager and cider, which 14% reported as their favourite drink for hot days. These are followed by soft drinks (12%), rose or white wine (5%), prosecco (4%) gin and tonic (3%), cocktails (3%) champagne (1%) and vodka and tonic (1%).

Looking at that list, it's easy to see why our booze budget can expand during the summer months, as few of the top choices are cheaper options. A glass of Pimms with all the 'trimmings', for example, can result in little change from a tenner when sold at public events, and prosecco, champagne and cocktails are never going to be cheap options.

So how can you avoid getting ripped off?

At private parties and picnics, a great way to economise is to make your own cocktails. Buy up a few large, budget-brand cartons of fruit juices in various flavours and get mixing. This way, you'll not only be saving cash on the amount of booze per drink (watering it down in a way, but your guests don't need to see it that way!) you'll also be showing your creative flair by creating delicious cocktails.

A happy side-effect, provided that you keep the drinks on the weak side, is that you'll also be reducing the strength of the alcohol. This can be a very sensible precaution, especially on very hot days when drinkers have a tendency to dehydrate, which enhances and intensifies the effects of the alcohol - often with unpleasant consequences! There are loads of cocktail recipes to choose from online, but I find this list particularly helpful.

At festivals and public events you'll have to have your wits about you a bit more. Most will ban you from bringing alcohol on to the site, forcing you to buy drinks from their own concessions. These can be fiendishly expensive, so it's often a good idea to enjoy a drink outside the ground itself and plan to drink mostly soft drinks once you're in. If you're camping, you can usually have your own drinks in the camping area, so why not share a few supermarket-bought tins around the campfire before heading in to see the bands? If you do want to buy drinks when you're in, buy a bottle of lemonade or another soft drink that works as a mixer, and add it to your beer or spirit to make it go further.

At the pub, try not to get seduced into buying too many drinks that are being promoted as summer drinks if you wouldn't normally drink them. If you really fancy a Pimms or prosecco, get your friends to chip in and buy a pitcher or bottle rather than buying single glasses.