It’s no surprise that we all want to save money this summer. The job market hasn’t improved enough and May was a tough month for our investment portfolios. That said, we still want to enjoy the summer, considering there’s some pent up demand for traveling and eating out. The good news is there are lots of ways to do your favorite summer activities on a budget. On the Today Show this morning I shared some of my favorite summer savings tricks and tips with Hoda and Kathie Lee.

SAVE: DINNER AND A MOVIE 

 Your secret weapon here is the almighty coupon!

For eating out, print out coupons from valpak.com. I found lots of buy one get one free meal offers the other day. You can search by your zipcode. And at restaurant.com you can buy $10 restaurant e-gift certificates that are actually worth $25.

For movie deals, head to Costco or AAA and buy discounted movie tickets. My mom, who loves the Costco, buys the family discounted tickets for $7.50 a piece. And Regal Theatres has free family movie days during the summer, from Shrek to Charlotte’s Web. Check out regmovies.com to find the free schedule in your town.

SAVE: CONCERTS

 Target is sponsoring free concerts, and other cultural events around the country.
Check out target.com to find free events in your town.

SAVE: BEACH FUN

 Head to the dollar store for beach toys and gear. Next, get all your beach towels, beach chairs, coolers in your home town – away from the beach where stores jack up their prices. And for bathing suits -the best day to find the biggest discounts on the web are SUNDAYS.  I used the site Shop It To Me - a free personal online shopper – and found several bathing suits from J.Crew, Macy’s and Gap for 50% off.

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SAVE: BACKYARD ENTERTAINING

Save on alcohol by getting help from your guests. Make it a BYOB (for booze) and BYOM (meat). Buy snacks and drinks in bulk to get more bang for your buck. And as for plates, forks and knives – again, the dollar store is the cheapest route. And stick to plain plates and cups. Skip the ones with the stars and stripes or summer themes..they’re usually pricier.

SAVE: TRAVELING

For airline tickets – experts say on average airlines post their cheapest deals on Wednesdays.

For hotel deals – call the hotel manager on Sunday night when business has slowed down after the weekend and ask for deals.

For drivers – AAA says the best time to fill up is the middle of the week. That’s when gas prices are lowest. Also check out fuelcostcalculator.com to see how much gas your trip will probably take – you can budget ahead of time.

SAVE: WEDDING 

As guests, some people are giving the gift of service. Turn your talents into a valuable gift. My friend’s getting married  this fall and a close friend of the family is making her wedding invitations. Another example: use your flip camera to create a candid video of the wedding, as an alternative to the professional filming of the wedding.  If you’re a baker or a chef, offer to create the wedding cake. (only if you’re good!)