Catching a Movie Without the Cost
Can you believe how much it costs to go see a movie these days? Even if you don't take the whole family and just have a date night, you are looking at $20+ just for the movie. And don't get me started on the $8 popcorn and $5 small drinks!
So yeah...going to the movies is not the most budget friendly proposition. But, that doesn't mean that you will never get to see the blockbusters. Obviously renting is always going to be cheaper than going to the movies...even if you just walk into a rental store and pay full price. But there ways to do even better than that!
Netflix. If you have never tried out Netflix, I highly recommend it. Right now you can get a 1 month free trial by signing up on their website. And after that the cheapest plan is just $9.99/month. Not only does that get you movies mailed directly to your home, but they also have movies that you can watch online for free with your membership. And, if you have a Wii, you can get a ton of movies free through your Wii, as well.
Blockbuster has a similar plan that does not stream through the Wii, but it does include "trades" in a Blockbuster store, so instead of having to mail in your DVD and wait for the new one, you can take it to your local Blockbuster and trade it for a new movie.
Amazon. Amazon has a large selection of movies that are available for purchase that you can watch online. They also offer a selection of FREE movies to Prime members. If you are interested in new releases, the beauty of Amazon is that you don't have to wait for them to become available...just purchase and watch instantly. (New Realeases start around $3.99 for a 24 "rental"). If you have the right kind of TV, you can even download these movies to your TV and watch them on the big screen.
RedBox. Rentals from the Redbox are just $1/night. So that's a great deal...as long as you actually take the movie back and don't keep it for 5 days (like I have in the past). But more Redboxes are popping up all over the metro, so it's getting easier to return them without hassle. Sign up for emails from Redbox and you will more than likely get an email with a code for a FREE rental in your inbox, too!
Library. Can't get much better than free! Visit your local library for their selection of DVDs that you can check out for free. Will you get to see a new realease the week it comes out? Probably not. But, you can usually get on a waiting list for the movies you are interested in and be notified when it comes in. I personally like the library for kids DVDs...we always check out a few before a long car ride!
We use a combo of all of the above and we've been able to keep up with most of the movies we want to see. What is your favorite way to watch movies on the cheap?