Because of the high cost of babysitters, my husband and I rarely go out to the movies (although when we are given a chance to go...oftentimes it's hard to find much worth watching these days). When we do go, it's easy to spend a lot of money with the cost of the movie tickets and any snacks/drinks that we want to eat during the movie. However, it is possible to save money on movies:
- Go to matinees or a weeknight movies - at my local theater, tickets are over $10/ person for weekend movies and about $7 per ticket for earlier movies. So, if I'm willing to go to a matinee, I can save money.
- Use your Entertainment Book for movie coupons - In my local entertainment book, I can get discounted movie tickets (for the matinee price), plus there are coupons for free drinks, etc.
- Check your local warehouse club for discount movie tickets - My local Costco also sells 10-packs of movie tickets to AMC, Regal, and Cinemark Theaters for $84.99. So, if I'm going to a weekend evening show, I'll save a lot of money if I buy ahead in bulk.
- Join any free loyalty clubs - For example, I'm signed up for the AMC text offers, and I frequently receive texts for discounted food items.
- Eat before or after your see the movie to avoid purchasing snacks - Even if you don't have the time/money to go out to eat before or after the show, you can still fill up at home before you leave. Since it's against most (if not all) theater policies to allow outside food and drinks, I can't suggest that as a solution to saving on snacks. However, if you visit a drive-in movie theater, you are often free to bring in your own snacks.
- Wait until the movie comes out on DVD and rent it, buy it, or check it out from your library - this idea's not quite as much fun as going to the movie theater, but it's definitely much cheaper. If you do purchase the movie, many times retailers such as Amazon and Walmart have the movie deeply discounted the first week of release.
Do you go to the movies? If so, how do you save money when you go to the movies?
niki
My hubby was just showing me the Swagbucks tix price the other day. He is "saving up".
I love the tip about buying them in bulk from Cosco. I wonder if Sam's does this too?
🙂
Great post! Thanks for sharing.
Toni @ Debt Free Divas
I usually wait on movies to come on TV. However, we have a gift card and have supposed to be seeing Selma for the last 3 weeks. I hope we make it before we have to see that at RedBox. LOL!
Brittany at Equipping Godly Women
Good tips. We don't go to the movies often either. We usually get a Red Box and watch it at home.