It’s been a long and bleak winter – but, with sunnier climes on the horizon, our minds have turned to the summer holidays. Where will we go to fuel our wanderlust this time, we wonder, as we stare at the plethora of beautiful and picturesque beaches on offer. Who will we travel with? And what will we take with us?

Yes, these questions are all well and good. But, as it turns out, the most important one we should be asking ourselves is when we plan to fly – because the date we choose could seriously impact our budget, for the better.

Read more: The weird and wonderful hidden gems to seek out on your travels

Fortunately, cheapair.com have analysed hundreds of thousands of summer airfares in a bid to track down the cheapest flights from June through to September.

Or in other words…

via GIPHY

Jeff Klee – the CEO of cheapair – explained to CN Traveller: “The data clearly shows the best value for summer travel can be found the first half of June.”

However, there was one day that proved far cheaper than the rest to jet off: 6 June.

Get thee to the travel agents, stat.

Read more: This genius hack gets you 18 days off work in a row (using just 9 days of annual leave)

If you prefer to take your summer holiday later in the season, then don’t despair: there are still plenty of purse-friendly options available, with the 4 July, the 22 August, and the 12 September touted as the cheapest days to fly in their individual months.

By contrast, the 9 July is the most expensive travel day of the entire summer.

There is, of course, a chance that none of these days will work for you: schedules are increasingly busy, lives are painstakingly planned to detail, and, if you’re anything like us, you most likely have a steady influx of wedding invitations pouring through the letterbox.

Don’t despair: there’s still a way to use clever timings to make your money go further.

Read more: Top 100 books to read on holiday

To save you approximately £49 (about the cost of a tasty paella, wine, and dessert on a sun-soaked terrace), experts advise that you jet out on a Tuesday or Wednesday, rather than the classic Saturday or Sunday.

Klee explained: “August airfares are, on average, about 7% less expensive than July. You can really save money by avoiding July travel. Tuesday and Wednesday flights are the best value all summer long, while weekend days are at a premium.”

Happy (and thrifty) holidays, everyone.

Images: iStock