Ten Ways to Save Money on Movies

Big screen, small screen - no matter where you view them, we love movies! They inspire us, entertain us, and offer us momentary escape from our day to day stressors. But, now-a-days with new DVD's ranging from $13 to $25 a pop, and a trip to the movie theatre averaging $8 per ticket, this form of media may be daunting to our inner frugal diva.

Don't throw up your remote control in despair just yet. Use the following ideas to save money on movies, and you'll be able to indulge your cinematic passions even on the most stringent of budgets.

Visit your local library. More and more libraries are stocking up on children, family, and popular movie titles. You'll be able to check them out for free and while they may have a shorter check out period than books, the savings and your family enjoyment will be long lasting!

Try swapping your DVD's. Involve your friends and family in a movie exchange pool. Get together once a week or once per month to swap titles. Just be sure to develop some type of tracking system so that everyone gets their original titles back to avoid problems.

To expand your resources, you may also wish to consider online movie trading sites like Title Trader http://www.titletrader.com
Consider movie mailing services. If you are an avid movie watcher, services like Netflix http://www.netflix.com or BlockBuster Online http://www.blockbuster.com may have the program for you. You'll save gas and drive time by having movie rentals delivered to your door (via the postal service.) You may also save money depending upon how many movies you rent each month.

Shop at your local thrift store. Thrift stores are a great place to find new and gently used DVD and VHS titles at extremely low prices. While many of the titles may be older ones, chances are you'll find some great choices available to suit your taste.

Stock up on sales. If you must have new releases, be sure to watch for the best sales prices on the day or week of the release. After the release date, the price of the movie tends to trend upward for a few months. Also, watch for seasonal specials and stock up on the back titles you've been wanting while the sales are hot.

Check out garage sales and auctions. Auction websites often have a wealth of popular movie titles available for a low price. Just be sure to check out the buyer ratings and purchase from quality companies. Garage sales are another hot spot to find a plethora of cinema options. Watch your local paper for listings and get there early while the pickings are good.

Sign up for movie theatre programs. Visit your local movie theatre website and find out if they have a frequent movie-goer program available. Often you'll find coupons for free popcorn or reward card signup offers where you can accumulate points towards free tickets.

Third party programs, such as Working Advantage www.workingadvantage.com and Entertainment www.entertainment.com offer dollars off on advance ticket purchases and other money-saving coupons too.

Stock up on sales. If you must have new releases, be sure to watch for the best sales prices on the day or week of the release. After the release date, the price of the movie tends to trend upward for a few months. Also, watch for seasonal specials and stock up on the back titles you've been wanting while the sales are hot.

Check out garage sales and auctions. Auction websites often have a wealth of popular movie titles available for a low price. Just be sure to check out the buyer ratings and purchase from quality companies. Garage sales are another hot spot to find a plethora of cinema options. Watch your local paper for listings and get there early while the pickings are good.

Sign up for movie theatre programs. Visit your local movie theatre website and find out if they have a frequent movie-goer program available. Often you'll find coupons for free popcorn or reward card signup offers where you can accumulate points towards free tickets.

Attend matinees. Consider attending an afternoon show instead of an evening show. Most theatres offer discount pricing prior to 5 p.m. shows. Another bonus, some of these showings are less crowded too.

Watch for free ticket offers, movies, and coupons. Check your Sunday paper for product offers. Many companies offer movies or free movie tickets as incentives to use their products. Scan local news supplements for offers for your nearby theatre. Also, be sure to check watch for coupons enclosed with your DVD purchases. Retailers often enclose coupons for future movie purchases, and when combined with store sales, you'll be privy to some deep discounts.

© 2006 by Barb Webb. All Rights Reserved.