Family entertainment in America is sadly characterized by a “bigger is better” mentality. Road trip as a family? Nah, how about a Disney World extravaganza!
We are constantly bombarded with commercials advertising happy, smiling faces doing amazing things with their *cough, cough, borrowed* money. From waterparks to world-famous resorts, jet-set vacations to journeys abroad, we’re inundated with marketing that is designed to keep us constantly discontent and continually purchasing the “next big thing”.
This mindset reaches even into our more “mundane” entertainment choices as we are taught to forego borrowed for new (even in the case of books)Â and to keep our families up to date with current movie trivia.
We wouldn’t want anyone accusing little Jimmy of not being familiar with the latest and greatest action-thriller đ
Time to step off the wheel, people.
Life can be so much better!
You can’t keep up with the neighbors… and shouldn’t want to.
There are two issues here: 1) the idea that we have to be constantly consuming and keeping up with society, and 2) the simple fact that no budget can take on your neighbors’ whirlwind adventures and win. No budget can take on your neighbors' whirlwind adventures and win. Click To Tweet
I’ve previously written about teaching kids to eschew materialism, how to view people as more important than stuff, and how to be content.
This time, I’m tackling one simple idea for keeping your entertainment budget intact while still having lots of fun as a family.
Have a blast and keep your savings safe.
Did you know that thousands of theaters across the country offer deeply discounted movie tickets on movies that are only a couple of months old?
I didn’t, until a lazy Saturday date in a nearby town led us to a cheap movie theater that was playing The Martian. Having read the book we were excited to watch the movie.
**Side Note: if you enjoyed the on-screen flick, but haven’t read the novel, I highly recommend giving it a go. You’ll thank me, I promise.
After purchasing the tickets, we sat down in front of a huge screen (old school seating, not stadium-style, I love it!) and proceeded to watch the movie.
New projector with a decent screen? Check.
One other couple in the nearly deserted theater? Check.
I was sold.
Last weekend we ventured back with our entire family. For $33 our family of 7 watched a movie and had unlimited popcorn. At our theater the large popcorn is refillable. We had planned on buying two for sharing, but the staff gave us plastic trays and encouraged us to share the single tub.
My little ‘ol frugal heart was on cloud nine! đ
How to Find a Cheap Movie Theater Near You
With a wide variety of companies running discount theaters all across the country, the best way to find a cheap movie theater near you is with a quick Google search. “Cheap Movie Theaters near <<insert the name of your town here>>” typed into the search engine will provide helpful results.
Have fun and enjoy your inexpensive night out!
How do you save money on family entertainment?
This blog post is a part of our ongoing Money Monday series. Visit every Monday for useful tips, helpful hints, and encouragement to keep you racing toward your financial goals.
*FYI, the links on this page may contain an affiliate kickback (if you buy at these great prices I’ll get a small cut at no cost to you). Thank you!
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