Taking the family out to the movie theater is no longer an affordable activity the whole family can enjoy. The cost of movie tickets is high and the concession costs are even higher. It can be costly experience even for a family of four once you factor in food and drinks for everyone in addition to the admission fee for the movie. You can easily rack up $100 worth of expenses for a two hour night out on the town.
Here are some ways you can cut costs at the theater and still treat your entire family with a flick:
Go for the Matinees
If you have several theaters in your area, scan the newspaper for their matinee rates or discounted movie days. You can often score $5 admission tickets during the afternoons, even on weekends. If you only have access to one theater, plan your movie day and time around the deals and matinee or discount pricing days. Some theaters will even offer coupons for certain movie showings.
Sign Up for Deals
Websites like Groupon and Living Social offer location-specific deals. Register for your area and you’ll receive special deals from different restaurants, movie theaters, and other business. There is no guarantee you can score something for the local theater but it’s a good way to get a heads up about who is offering special deals and discounted rates.
Opt for Discount Theaters
There are movie theaters that offer discount prices because they show movies several weeks after they have been released. You can still get the movie theater experience for films you want to see but will pay less of a ticket fee since you could hold out until well after opening weekend. Discount theaters often offer discount concession prices and may not be as accessible as the big named chain theaters in all areas. Drive-thru movie theaters , though seasonal, will often offer popular movies at great prices and many still charge by the car load.
Stick with Old-Fashioned Experience
You can save a lot of money by opting to see movies in regular dimension rather than the pricier 3D. Many films in 3D are not worth the price of admission and even big-time filmmakers like Stephen Spielberg agree that the special effects aren’t really that special.
Eat At Home
It’s natural to get the popcorn cravings as soon as you sit down in a theater that smells like melted butter but you can save a bundle by eating before you go to the movies. With a full belly, you’ll be better prepared to resist the junk food for two hours. Your family would save more cash by opting for ice cream elsewhere after the movie rather than stocking up on costly concessions at the theater.
How to Save on a Family Movie Theater Excursion was created by and is property of American Consumer News.
