Hollywood is going strong right now. Ticket sales for movies are up 11% on a year earlier, and the summer season has not even begun. Jack Kyser, an economist in Los Angeles, writes, “The bottom line is that consumers still want to be entertained. A movie date, even with popcorn and a soda, is still a relatively cheap night out.” While this might be true, the fact remains that one can easily spend more than 100% of their ticket price on a variety of snacks and drinks that kill the idea that it is really a cheap night out. But can’t someone with major financial concerns trim down their trip-to-the-theater costs intelligently?
Costs on a night out to catch a flick can be managed. One might even buy the proposition that everything but the admission pass can be cut from the entertainment bill for the evening. But the movie ticket itself, despite the decline of the “student discount” era, can also be strategized. Research the matinee time restrictions at a particular theater in advance and plan on catching a film at that lower price point. Like attending early, consider going very late – around midnight. Some theaters offer discounted tickets for older films screened near the end of the night. Call theaters in advance and ask about ticket deals for large groups, as well as special promotion nights. Skip the ticket preorder websites that add on a service charge. Swing by a grocery store to pick up snacks, and enjoy them immediately before watching the movie. Many metro areas have designated “second-pass” theaters, sometimes called the “dollar movies” that build a business model around charging a fraction of the price to see a movie in exchange for only showing flicks that have been in release for many months. Opt for a film that is several months old. Choose the movie theater that has easier parking if you drive your car, and specifically avoid the venues that have all but mandatory pay-for-parking. Finally, get online. Sometimes theaters do ticket promotions on their websites.
Raj Patel writes for DebtGoal.com, a do-it-yourself system for getting out of debt and lowering your interest costs. DebtGoal.com incorporates all of the techniques discussed in this post and can help users understand and get visibility to and manage their debt finances.
Tags: film and debt, films and debt, frugal movie tips, frugal tips for watching flicks, frugality at the cinema, going to the movies with debt, movies and debt, movies theater night and debt
