The Amateur Financier

[Once again, I'm pleased to share an interesting and well written guest post here on the Amateur Financier.  This time, a young lady (and apparent movie buff) shares some ways to make your next night at the movies less expensive.  Given that there are plenty of movies coming out that I'd like to see, I'm sure that these tips will help me save, and hopefully will help you, as well.]

Watching movies can be a great experience, but if you go to the movie theatres every weekend, you will be spending well over $40 a month! I myself am a film major, so I understand the joy of watching a movie on the big screen, but if you make it a habit it can put a huge dent in your bank account. There are plenty of ways to enjoy movies without splurging all of your money.

Be frugal at the theatres.

• When you do go out to the movie theatres, don’t go and see every movie that comes out. Read reviews and ask your friends to see what they have to say. If you’re not going to love it, it’s probably not worth seeing in theatres.
• Limit how many midnight showings you go to. Even if it is a movie you’re dying to see, go to the first showing in the morning instead. Theatres tend to overcharge for midnight showings just because they can.
• Go during off times. Theatres often have much cheaper prices in the morning or during the weekday.
• Bring your own snacks. You can buy the same exact snacks elsewhere for about three times less. Carry all your food in a purse or backpack. Theatres frown upon bringing in outside food, but they will rarely check your bags, so just don’t make it obvious that you are bringing in your own little picnic.
• Skip out on 3D. 3D movies charge anywhere from $2-$8 more to see your film in three dimensions. 3D hasn’t evolved enough yet for it to create a major difference in most movies. You can still get the same storyline and graphics by watching it in 2D.

Take advantage of deals and freebies

• Sign up for websites like MovieTickets.com that will send you offers for free movies in your area. These movies are usually big name movies that will be released at a later time. The only catch is that you will likely have to participate in a survey afterwards and you have to go early because you are not guaranteed a seat even if you RSVP.
• Many theatres offer student discounts on certain days or at certain times. Just show your school ID to get your discount!  [Roger's Note: Look into other discounts as well, from AAA to military; you never know what affiliation could get you some savings until you ask.]
• Check out dollar theatres. Visit them to catch old movies that you missed in theatres or see an independent film that you may not have ever heard of.

Watch movies at home

• Netflix is my personal favorite movie watching source. You can get plans as cheaply as $8 a month. You can’t even see one movie in theatres for that! With Netflix, you can order DVDs, BluRays, or stream right from online.
• Places like Amazon and iTunes have movies that you can download and watch. These are usually cheaper than buying DVDs or BluRays because there is no physical packing, taxes, or shipping fees.
• Check out movies from your public library. It may not be the best selection, but it’s completely free!  [Roger's Note: If you are a student, check your school library as well; my college added a nice selection of classic movies shortly after I started attending.]

About the Author: Kiley Theiring is currently a film student at Chapman University who also loves to write. She writes blogs for Coupon Mountain as well as her own personal blog.