A night on the town is no cheap proposition. Happily, the solution to spending less isn't staying home or smuggling soda cans and home-popped popcorn into the movie theater. Before planning your next big night out, check out these resources.
Economical Solutions to Dinner-and-a-Movie
If doing the traditional dinner-and-a-movie night out, go to the movie first, THEN dinner. The reason is that one can usually save a few bucks on movies if one catches a matinee show – or any movie before 6 p.m. Then have dinner at 8 p.m. It's backward from the usual pattern, but worth it to save a few dollars.
Before making a restaurant reservation, be sure to check in with free services such as DinnerBroker.com, Restaurant.com and Open Table.com . Dinnerbroker.com has tips on how to save money on reservations at fine restaurants; Restaurant.com sells gift certificates for restaurants (but not chains) across the country for much less than face value; and Open Table.com makes reservations online.
Movie tickets can run $10 or more per person. Add a tub of popcorn and a soda, and it can easily double that amount. Below are some tips from the Web site Smartmoney.com for ways to see movies for less.
Drive-ins are retro in more ways than one: They hearken back to the days of milkshakes and hoopskirts, and their prices are lower than conventional movie theatres. The theatres might charge by the person (usually about $6 for adults, $4 or less for kids), or a flat rate per car. One can save even more by bringing his or her own treats. Listings can be found through the United Drive-In Theater Owners Association or DriveInTheater.com.
Many theaters offer free showings of long-out-of-theater movies and timeless classics. Usually, these are tied to some sort of theme, such as AMC's Summer Movie Camp, which are free morning movies shown once a week during June and July. Check the theater chains' Web sites for current local information.
Coupons & Other Tips to Save on Fun
Coupons, coupons, coupons. Clip 'em for anything from dinners out, to event tickets. Coupons are all over the place. Some venues like museums have once-a-month free admission. Watch for those days and hit the museums then. Public libraries in some cities offer free family passes to local museums.
Enjoy the plethora of free outdoor entertainment options, walk around some nature trails that you may have in your area, attend free concerts in the parks, enjoy the goods and people watching at an art fair. If headed to the bars, go before the cover charge starts. Head out early to a place offering live music, and eat dinner before the music. This plan can not only get one past a pesky cover charge, but also provide a highly coveted spot once the show starts.
For more information on how to save on dinner and a movie, along with tips on your best deals on concerts, sporting events and even Broadway shows, go to SmartMoney.com.
 |
