Movie night done right - the bargain-hunter’s way

Movie nights are wonderful.  I love heading to the multiplex to see a summer blockbuster ... but I hate the ticket price.  I remember days when a matinee ticket cost less than renting a movie, but now you’re looking at almost $10—just for one ticket!  So my advice is to ditch the theater ... and stay home.  My friends and I have come up with a few ways to make it a night to remember!

Redbox

I never thought I’d see a movie rental DVD machine!  But now they’re all over the place—especially at Walmarts and even some drug stores like Walgreen’s.  I haven’t tested this one out myself, but I’m about to give it a try.  According to the website, rentals are $1 per day.  Several people have told me they love it because of the cost; however, I’ve also had several other friends say the availabilty isn’t great.  More than likely, it would be difficult to get a brand-new release.  I’ve also been told to sign up on the website, and you’ll get codes for free rentals on Mondays.  I signed up while I was researching this blog, and I got a promo code for a free rental, just for signing up.  I’m planning on checking it out for myself very soon.

Netflix

It seems like services like Netflix are hurting the traditional movie rental locations.  Call me old-fashioned, but I haven’t signed up yet.  I have had several friends do so, and they love it.  For now, the reason I haven’t is because it’s another monthly payment; and my husband and I don’t necessarily even rent ONE movie per month.  So since I’m not familiar with it, I went to the official website to read about it.  I’m not promoting it or telling you not to do it.  I’m just giving you the information on it.  You sign up and tell Netflix what DVDs you want, they mail them to you (no shipping charges) or you can have them streamed to your computer or TV, watch what you want and keep it as long as you want, then send it back (in a prepaid envelope).  Then the process starts over.  Netflix has several plans that range in price from $4.99 per month (for 1 DVD at a time and a limit of 2 per month) to $16.99 per month (for 3 DVDs at a time with no limit of exchanges per month).  They also offer Blu-rays, but there is an additional charge that ranges in an extra $1-$4 per month.  If you’re not sure if you’d like it, you can go to the website for a free trial.  Just make sure to read the fine print it you sign up for the free trial because it states you have to cancel before the end of the trial or you WILL be charged for another month.

Traditional Movie Rental Stores

Call me crazy, but I still love the experience of going to Blockbuster or Movie Gallery to rent a movie.  Yes, I still have memberships at both.  I just love being able to browse through the aisles because I’m bound to find an old favorite I haven’t seen in a long time ... or notice a new release I thought hadn’t made it to DVD yet.  But there’s another perk to making sure you hold onto those memberships:  at Movie Gallery, for example, they’ll offer you a free rental every so often.  I think it’s every 30 days.  A friend also told me if you don’t like a movie you rented, make sure you tell the workers because they may offer you another free rental.  I haven’t tried this myself, so I can’t guarantee it works, though.  However, you know if you don’t say anything at all, you definitely won’t get the free rental, so why not try it?  I surely will!

Skip the Rental and Buy!

Yes, I know it costs more to buy a brand new movie as opposed to renting it once.  The ONLY time I advise this is if you know for sure you’re going to watch it more than once—or if it’s DEEPLY discounted.  This is another time I love going to the traditional rental stores.  They’ll sell their used DVDs (what they call Pre-viewed).  Many times, they’ll also have sales on these when you can sometimes buy 2, get 2 free.  Usually that sale ends up costing about $30—but you walk out with 4 movies.

DVD Clubs

I’ll go ahead and admit this one too.  I am a member of Columbia House DVD Club AND the Disney Movie Club.  The ONLY reason I’m in these is for the sales and introductory offers.  I will HIGHLY advise you do NOT buy anything that isn’t on sale—it’s NOT a good deal.  However, the introductory offers are great—and I love specials when you buy one at regular price—then get all additional DVDs at 50% off.  Remember: you have to pay shipping too.  Any offer that makes you pay more than that is NOT worth it.  Also keep in mind when you sign up for one of these clubs, you also have to agree to by a set number of DVDs AT FULL PRICE in a set time frame (usually about 2 years).  It won’t pay off in the short term, but it usually does in the long run… if work with the monthly sales.

Make Your Movie Night a Night to Remember

After you decide HOW you’re going to get your movies, here are a few additional tips to make the night memorable:
Have a theme night.  If you’re watching an old favorite, eat food that shows up in the movie.  Maybe even dress up (would be an interesting night to invite some friends over and get some great pictures).
Also, my favorite: ditch the microwave popcorn and head to the stove.  Make popcorn the old fashioned way.  Yes, it takes longer, but it’s SO much better than the microwave stuff!  I rarely ever eat the microwave popcorn anymore if I’m at home.  Plus, the stove-popped popcorn is cheaper.  All you need is a big pot, coat the bottom with a thin layer of oil, put in the butter and let it melt (keep it on medium heat or it’ll get too hot) and sprinkle salt on top.  Once the butter is melted, pour in enough popcorn kernels to cover the bottom of the pan, then cover with a splatter guard.  Occasionally shake the pan while the kernels are heating, then constantly shake while the kernels are popping.  Remove from stove immediately when you no longer hear popping kernels.

I hope all of this helps!  Don’t forget, if all else fails, you can always swap movies you own with your friends and it won’t cost a dime!  Happy movie watching!