Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean that you have to cut out all of the fun stuff! Who says entertainment has to be expensive? One of my favorite cost-effective ways to relax on the weekends is to catch a movie, whether it’s in the comfort of my living room or at the local theater. Too many trips out can get expensive, though – movie theater tickets are just about $10 each in our area now, a far cry from what it was when I was younger. Check out some of these cheaper alternatives to still get your movie fix without breaking the bank:
1. Movies in the park. Many cities, both big and small, have started to offer free screenings of movies in local parks. Most of the time, they’re pretty recent releases, and I’ve seen a few classics on the lists, as well. You can almost always find something to suit your tastes, too – action, comedy, family-friendly, etc.
2. Share a Netflix account. You can get a Netflix plan starting for around $8 per month. Share it with a few friends and have them chip in for the cost and you can bring that down to as little as $1. If you’re only looking for occasional use, you might even be able to just “borrow” the account from a friend.
3. Borrow from the library. This one is great for saving money! You don’t have to pay to buy or rent a movie that you’ll probably end up watching only once anyway. Just be sure to return it on time.
4. Use a Redbox code. If you have an account with Redbox, they occasionally send out codes for a free rental, or sometimes for 50 cents off. It’s pretty easy to do a Google search for these, since there doesn’t seem to be a single-use restriction on them. You might have to try a few before you find one that works, since they expire.
5. Internet video services. Websites like Hulu and Amazon have tons of movies and tv shows for free or for a small cost, sometimes due to having to watch advertising/commercials or standard definition instead of HD. Explore both the free subscriptions and what’s available to you with a paid account to figure out what works best for your needs.
Have even more ideas for saving? Feel free to share them with us!
