I’ve been meaning to write this for ages but finally got my
act into gear after reading this by comedian Cal Wilson in The Age. It’d been a while
between drinks for Cal and she was shocked to learn that a movie ticket these
days is $19. A trip to the movies can be a bloody expensive outing!
I’ve gathered up some tips to do it
on the cheap and in a break from my usual style of posts, I thought I’d share
them. They’re not rocket science and you’ll be familiar with many of them but can’t
hurt to have them all here in the same place as a handy reminder...
- If you’re a Telstra customer you can get $10 movie tickets! Check with your own carrier to see if they have a deal or if you’re keen you could just buy a cheap Telstra SIM – a small investment for long term savings if you see a few movies.
- You know those member reward brochures they give you when you renew your health insurance, car insurance etc? They actually contain genuine discounts! For example, Bupa members can get 25% off movie ticket prices at Village and Hoyts and other companies are bound to have offers too so have a dig around on their website if you’re not sure.
- Cinemas usually have a cheap day where tickets are considerably discounted. For the big chains it’s Tuesday but some of the smaller joints do their own thing so check out their website. Go to the movies on cheap day!
- More and more movies are 3D these days and the cost of buying the stupid glasses every time is ridiculous so take them with you when you leave the cinema and leave them in your glove box or something for next time.
- Cinema Nova in Carlton have the best cheap day offer - $6 for sessions before 4pm and $9 for evening sessions.
- For the love of God, do not buy anything from the candy bar. If you do need to snack during the movie, swing by the supermarket on your way & boldly ignore the ‘request’ signs in the cinema asking you not to bring in food purchased outside. If you’re particularly nervous or self-conscious about it, bring along a bag of some kind to conceal it.
- Lots of workplaces, especially big ones with large numbers of employees, have special offers for staff including cheap movie tickets. If you hear someone mention getting cheap movie tickets through their work, ask them if they can buy them for friends... ie YOU.
- If you can afford a bigger initial outlay or have a bit of time to arrange going to the movies with a group, buy tickets in bulk. Chains often have deals such as this one from Village Cinemas where adult tickets are $13.90 if you buy a book of five and slightly less again if you buy a book of 10.
So there's my tips to save a few pennies... Happy movie-going,
folks!