Your browser may not support display of this image. Going to the cinema with your family is always fun for everyone, not to mention it gives the kids something to talk about at school. However nights out at the cinema have become a rarity for many families, thanks to the combination of rising ticket prices and snacks, coupled with more families having to stick to a tighter budget. Whether your family is now on a strict budget or whether you simply want to make going to the cinemas an affordable and a fun night, out consider these six simple tips before you look up listing times.
1 Use your credit card wisely
There is nothing wrong with paying for a family trip to the cinema on your credit card, however make sure you use your card wisely to save you money at the cinema. Therefore before you get your credit card out at the cinemas, remember:
· Going to the cinema is a luxury. Luxuries like going to the movies are for when there is room in the budget, so if you are planning to pay for a family night at the cinema on your credit card make sure you can repay it because you can easily blow the budget if you end up paying interest on your cinema purchases, not to mention fees.
· Use an affordable credit card. To make sure your cinema purchases on your credit card are affordable luxuries, use a credit card with no annual fee and a long interest-free period to make sure you are making a responsible purchase by saving hundreds of dollars in annual fees and repaying your purchases within the interest-free period.
· Plan your purchase. If you are using your credit card for luxuries you need to make sure you are making a wise purchase with your card so choose the movie wisely and consider whether it is a good movie, suitable for your family and the ages of your children; and you can do this by reading reviews, and asking friends and family, to make a good investment in your entertainment.
· Remain aware of how much you’re spending. When you pay with your credit card at the cinema it is easier to ignore how much you are spending, than if you were handing over cash. It is easy to brush off the price of tickets, drinks and snacks and before you know it you could have spent over $100 on your credit card for a simple family trip to the movies.
2 Limit or share snacks
We all know that the snacks can be one of the most expensive parts of a family trip to the cinema, however you don’t necessarily have to go without. Instead you can:
· Put a budget on snack purchases. If you give each child just a couple of dollars to spend at the candy bar then they enjoy the excitement of a sweet treat without blowing the budget.
· Buy a bigger snack to share. When you look at the prices of the smaller chips and popcorn packets they are actually more expensive per quantity than the larger packets. Therefore consider buying bigger bags to share.
· Choose water not soft drink. At the cinemas bottles of water are often cheaper to buy than soft drinks, not to mention they are better for you and water will not go through you as quickly as a soft drink and so you won’t have to miss any of the movie for a bathroom break.
3 Go without snacks
Just because you are making a trip to the cinema doesn’t mean you need to splurge on snacks, after all you don’t eat non-stop in front of the TV home so why should you do it when you’re out? Plus sitting and eating for over two hours, especially eating junk food, at the cinemas is unhealthy for you and your family so don’t waste the opportunity of getting everyone up off the couch and out of the house, just to make for unhealthy habits outside of the house is well.
Instead eat before you leave so you are not peckish before the movie, you may even choose to have a family dinner at a nearby restaurant and walk to the cinema and back so you have a chance to discuss the movie.
4 Look for cheaper movie times
Many cinemas will have a day during the week where tickets are cheaper and this can be the perfect opportunity to choose that night as family movie night. You may also want to look into matinee showings which can be cheaper, as well as opportunities during the school holidays as some cinemas have free screenings of children’s movies during the day.
5 Discounts and loyalty clubs
Looking for discount and family entertainment at the cinema doesn’t mean looking very hard as there are many ways you can find discounts for tickets such as:
· Look for coupons. You can look in your local newspaper, on the back of your shopping docket or even in all of that junk mail you get stuffed in your letterbox because your local cinemas often run discounted movie ticket offers or two-for-one deals which you can take advantage of if you’re organised.
· Join the loyalty club. Many cinemas will have a loyalty club which you can join and you may be able to enjoy discounted movie tickets each time you go, or you may get free movie tickets after you have been to the movies a certain number of times. Loyalty clubs sometimes require you to book your tickets online, so check for a surcharge before you book.
· Buying in bulk. Other cinemas will give you the opportunity to make a bulk purchase of movie tickets at a discounted price, you can then make an investment at the beginning of the year and have all of your family cinema trips planned, more cheaply, for the rest of the year.
· Student and pensioner discounts. Don’t forget to show any concession cards you have when you buy movie tickets as there often generous discounts. If you don’t have a pension card, why not send the kids to the movies with grandma and grandpa?
6 Cinema alternatives
Going out with your family to see a movie does not always have to mean going to a big chain cinema. Sometimes local independent cinemas can be much cheaper, not to mention you can enjoy a more traditional atmosphere, even if you have to wait a couple of extra weeks for the new releases to arrive. Also drive-in cinemas are often much cheaper as well as you pay per car not per person and you don’t have to worry about sneaking in food and drinks because you can easily make a picnic out of dinner on the tailgate before the movie starts.
As with many purchases, if you do your research and come prepared you can enjoy an affordable trip to the cinemas with your family, and not have to worry about blowing your budget, and if you follow these tips you may even be able to budget for more family trips to the movies throughout the year.
This article was written by Timothy Ng who is a regular personal finance writer and part of the team at Credit Card Finder, a 100% free Australian credit card comparison and application service. Visit the Credit Card Finder website for more information on family finance tips.
