How to Save Money on Movies

If you’re like me you probably watch a LOT of movies. I know I love a good western or mystery. But buying movie tickets, even at a discounted price, is expensive. There are, in fact, alternatives to watching movies at the theater. I do enjoy taking my family to the theater once in a while, but if I can enjoy my favorite films at home, I would often prefer to do that. Here are ways I know to watch movies for a lot less than at the theater.

Rent a DvD from Redbox If you wait until about 90 days after a movie opens in theaters you should be able to rent it at RedBox. You can even reserve your disk from their Website.

Rent the Movie on Cable If you have On Demand cable service you probably have access to all sorts of recent releases, usually coming out around the same time as the Redbox releases. The cable network I use charges anywhere from $3.99 to $5.99 for these rentals. That’s more expensive than the Redbox but it’s still a pretty good price. Also, you can watch the movies for 1-2 days after renting them.

Join Blockbuster Even though all company-owned Blockbuster stores have now been closed, Blockbuster now operates an online streaming service. They claim they have an inventory of 30,000 movies.

Join Google Play Although developed for mobile users, Google Play works with desktop and laptop computers just fine. I have not tried the service but it looks like it works the same way as Hulu and Netflix.

Join Hulu Hulu was the first major online streaming service. If you live anywhere in the United States and have high-speed Internet access, Hulu+ offers a pretty good selection of movies. It only costs about $10 a month. The downside to Hulu is that they still run commercials on a lot of paid programming.

Join Netflix Netflix is my favorite service. They have a great selection of movies and the price is affordable. For less than $10 a month Netflix allows you to watch movies and original programming.

Search YouTube Believe it or not, there are a lot of public domain movies on YouTube. Also, you’ll find a ton of original programming set in all sorts of genres. Many of these original shows are made by fans of popular TV and movie franchises including Star Wars, Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and more. Some of these films are spoofs but many of them are fan fiction. A lot of professional film-makers and actors get involved in these projects. You can also find a lot of “lost archive” films, and movies made 100 years ago, and even some recent productions. I don’t believe in infringing on intellectual property rights but I have seen some recent movies offered for low-cost rental by YouTube itself.

If you use an HDMI-capable TV you can connect your computer to the television and watch the movies in the comfort of your living room or family room. A great home entertainment system makes the experience even more enjoyable. You can invite friends over, eat healthier snacks than they’ll sell you at the theater, and you don’t have to wait in line to go to the bathroom.

While I will always enjoy a great theater experience with friends and family, I am so glad I live in the age of the home entertainment system. I can watch movies I love on a large screen TV with high quality sound and sit as comfortably as I need to without people blocking my way. And I can do it all for a lot less than paying full price at the theater.