Save on a Night Out at the Movies
My son went to the movie theater a few weeks ago and I gave him a $20 thinking that would be more than enough. Well, he had just enough to get ticket and get some popcorn.
Going to the movies is crazy expensive nowadays, just like anything. But with some planning prior to the night out, you can spend a little less and enjoy the evening much more.
Movie Rewards Card
Sign up for participating loyalty clubs and programs. Theaters near us have great rewards cards including AMC 24 Stubs, Regal Crown Club, Rave Movie Theaters, Cinebistro Cobb Rewards and many other theaters offer loyalty programs. We have gotten free snacks just by purchasing tickets!
Sign up for as many of those programs to get coupons and rewards emailed to you. Many times they offer exclusive offers or priority ticket purchases just for their loyalty program email subscribers.
Fandango Movie Theaters
We purchase the majority of our tickets through the Fandango App. I am a Fandango FAN GIRL! Buying tickets in advance, and even choosing our seats depending on the theater, is my favorite way to go to the movies now! Yes, there is a service fee but I am totally fine with that! It is nominal compared to my time to ensure we get to the theater early enough to get tickets for our large group as we usually go with at least 5-10 people.
I also love the Fandango loyalty rewards program too! We received a code for a free movie premier poster as one of the Insider Perks they offer. The other nice benefit is that you can also attach your movie theater's loyalty reward number inside the app so you can get those reward points too!
Cheap Movie Theaters
There are few dollar theaters near me. The drawback is that they show older movies. However, this sometimes works out to our advantage since we are so busy and can't always see movies before they leave our preferred theaters. Yay for business and procrastination?! :-)
Also, don't forget the Regal cinema Tuesday deals where you can see a limited selection of movies for just $5. While it's not considered one of the cheap movie theaters, it is still a great cheap deal! During these showtimes, they also offer great snack deals so it can be an affordable way to have a movie theater day. Bundle those great deals with the other potential savings mentioned throughout and you can have a frugal day of fun!
Purchase Gift Cards
Costco, Sam's Club and many grocery stores sell gift cards for AMC Theatres and Fandango. Costco and Sam's Club offer a small discount on the face value. Kroger's discount comes in the fuel rewards you earn on the purchase of the gift cards. You can also purchase discounted gift cards at Gift Card Granny. There is one on there now for AMC saving you 13%.
Entertainment Book Coupons
Our local area offers coupons in the Entertainment Coupon Book. The Entertainment Book is always on sale. It's a great deal with lots of coupons, but our local book has coupons for the local theaters too! It pays for itself with just a few uses!
Eat Before You Go
Dine out before you go. Pick up discounted gift cards at Gift Card Granny. Save 10% on cards from TGI Friday's, Benihana and Applebees. Check your Entertainment Book for coupons to use too! You may also want to search your local Groupon deals for restaurant discounts.
As you can see, there are lots of different ways you can save on the grub so you don't spend a fortune on food at the movie theater!
Snack and Save
OK, so even if you do eat before you go, who can resist the movie theatre butter popcorn?! Get the massively ginormous popcorn and split it with everyone in your group. Bring paper bags from home so each person has their own bag. Grab some of the snack caddies from the Dollar Tree or on Amazon so everyone can stay ultra organized too.
Matinee Movie Prices
One final way we save is buying tickets for the matinee viewings. With our family of 5, this savings can add up substantially! Plus, it's not as crowded when you go during the day. Bonus: we are old fogies and like to go to bed early so we can actually stay awake and watch the entire movie during the matinee showtimes! No shame in our early-to-bed game!
How do you save money at the movies?
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