The average price of a movie ticket in most cities is close to $10. Add in some popcorn/candy and a drink and you’re talking $20 per person to check out the latest flick. Yes you could stay home and rent a movie but there’s something to be said about the watching a movie with a big screen. Here are my top seven tips for saving money.
1. Get discount movie tickets. You can find these for almost any major theater chain like National Amusements, Regal, AMC and more. These can be purchased through the
Entertainment Book or if you belong to trip AAA. Why pay $9.75 for a ticket when you can get them for $7. They are good for any movie and don’t expire for a few years.
2. Frequent Movie Card – Many Theaters like National Amusement offer frequent movie cards where you pay for 5 movies and the 6th is free. When I combine the frequent movie card with discount movie tickets, the cost of each movie tickets goes from $9.75 down to $5.60. Not all locations offer the Movie Card so ask around and then stay with the location that offers it.
3. Avoid high candy prices. It’s $3.25 for a package of Nestle Sno-Caps, then to add insult to injury the tax brings the total to $3.41. The grocery store near me sells the same exact package for 79 cents (sometimes it’s on sale for as low as 50 cents). Don’t spend $3 on bottle water when you can use the water fountain. Many places will also offer a courtesy cup where they will give you a small bottle of water for free.
4. Bargain Night – Most movies theaters are not as busy during the week so they usually offer a bargain night. For example, the theater by me only charges $5 for all shows on Tuesday night. Also, most theaters charge a reduced rate before 6pm. Don’t use a discount movie ticket on a bargain night if the admission (i.e. $5) is less than the price of the discount ticket night (i.e. $7).
5. Sneak Previews – When you go see a sneak preview you are allowed to stay and watch the regular movie for free. Most sneak previews are on Saturdays around 7pm. You can check the paper or online movie guides.
6. Free Advanced Screenings – Similar to the Sneak Preview except you don’t pay to get in and it’s usually a few weeks before the movie is widely available. There are many web sites that list free screenings such as
Wild About Movies.
7. Unlimited DVD Rentals – When you do decide to watch a movie at home, you’re much better off using a service like
NetFlix which offers DVD movie rentals with no due dates or late fees for less than $5 per month.
What other ways can you save money at the movies? Let us know.