Cheap Entertainment at Home - Get a Free DVD from Redbox.Com

In these tough economic times, we're all looking for ways to scale back our spending, and entertainment is usually one of the first things to get cut out of the budget.

Still, a little fun helps a lot, so how can you save on fun?

How about a free DVD to watch at home? A bowl of popcorn and some sodas, and you're set for an inexpensive evening.

You can get that free DVD from Redbox.com. All you have to do is give them your cell phone number. On the first Monday of each month, you'll get a text message with a code in it. That code lets you pick out a DVD from any Redbox location at no cost to you.

Note that you can't reserve a movie online first; you have to go to a location and select from what's available in the machine. However, on Monday nights, the choices are much greater than during the weekend.

You will need to swipe your credit card before you get your movie, but don't worry; you won't be charged as long as you selected "Rent with a code" first.

You have until 9:00 p.m. the following day to return your DVD. There aren't late fees, either. You're just charged the normal $1.00 per day rental fee for each day you keep the DVD. After 25 days, the fees stop and you can keep the DVD. But you won't do that, because that would be silly. Just take it back!

Everyone in your family who has their own cell phone can sign up, so you can get multiple movies. If you have four cell phone owners in your household, you can get four free DVD rentals.

Even though it's a Monday night, the text message comes early enough in the day that you can pick up your movies after work, watch several of them, and still get to bed at a decent hour.

Even if it's not the free night, a $1 DVD rental is pretty inexpensive entertainment. If you pay for the DVD, you can rent one any time, even on the weekends, and you can reserve it online rather than having to choose from what's in the box. This makes it fast and easy at the location--swipe your card, get your DVDs, and go home.