Sneaking Candy into Movies: Frugal or Cheap?

[saint tim]

Originally Posted by Gootsy

Next time you guys go out for dinner, don't forget to sneak in some Mcdonalds fries or a pack of Mcnuggets to munch on for your appetizer. Beats paying those outrageous appie fees amirite? The restaurant gets most of their money from the drinks/main course you buy so screw them! (although in the movie theater case it's the opposite, since you're taking away their primariy source of revenue.)

You will get kicked out if caught most likely, so keep teaching this sort of behavoir to your children.

Stay classless San Diego

You just solved the problem: eat at home.

[Gootsy]

Originally Posted by saint tim

You just solved the problem: eat at home.

And watch a movie from the library .

[GearMaven]

Unless I have a coupon for discount or free refreshments, I never buy the overpriced candy, popcorn or sodas at theatres. There are too many theatre membership programs with free popcorn or soda offers to warrant my spending my hard-earned dollars on inflated items.

And the analogy is all wrong when referring to bringing McDonalds to a restaurant. That would apply if I brought my home DVD portable player to the theatre and watched my own movie...like brought to like. To be comparable, you should have said I brought a DVD player to the restaurant to watch a movie while eating!

My purpose in going to a theatre is to see a movie. Whether they *want* me to buy food there is irrelevant. So I bring affordable treats of a quiet nature and enjoy along with the many others here in San Francisco who also do the same!

The best thing is never paying for the movies either. I've seen over 50 free movie screenings or used free movie coupons this year so far. At screenings EVERYONE brings their own food...including pizzas, Subway sandwiches, Panda Express and every other form of fast food, drinks and candy. The theatres and movie companies want our positive referrals for new films so they welcome us and our accompanying food!

Not cheap...frugal and skillful.

[amandajane]

/\ my thoughts exactly /\

[Heisenberg]

I did this today and felt really guilty. I love the theater, and know how dependent they are on food sales, but the candy I got was three times cheaper in the supermarket. After I went in, I felt so bad, I bought a $3 bottled water.

[Gootsy]

Unless I have a coupon for discount or free refreshments, I never buy the overpriced candy, popcorn or sodas at theatres. There are too many theatre membership programs with free popcorn or soda offers to warrant my spending my hard-earned dollars on inflated items.

Yeah getting memberships and promotions for discounted/free tickets/popcorn/drinks is definitely what this thread is about >.>. BTW I have no problem with these.

And the analogy is all wrong when referring to bringing McDonalds to a restaurant. That would apply if I brought my home DVD portable player to the theatre and watched my own movie...like brought to like.

How can bringing your own movie to the theater to watch be viewed as frugal or cheap... Yeah you pay for the ticket and watch a movie you could've watched at home? Talk about being a penny pincher.

To be comparable, you should have said I brought a DVD player to the restaurant to watch a movie while eating!

Right cause then you'll be watching a movie at the restaurant that you could've otherwise purchased/rented from the restaurant...

Theater's make the majority of their revenue from the food sales. Restaurants make most of their money from... drum roll please... food and drink sales! Do you go to a restaurant for the appetizers? I'm sure some people go because of the amazing appies, just like ssome people go to the theater to eat dinner (I have a friend that considers his large popcorn his dinner sometimes when we go catchc a flick).

By sneaking food into the theater that you might've otherwise bought from the establishment, you are hurting them more than had you snuck into the theatre to watch a movie!

Whether they *want* me to buy food there is irrelevant.

Yeah it's irrelevant . If bringing your own food to the theater was ok, do you really think people would have to sneak it in? How bout you take it 1 step further and start selling candy during the previews! This way you can pay for your ticket and food you've snuck in to eat!

Sure they don't *want* you to sell the food you've brought there, but that's irrelevant.

At screenings EVERYONE brings their own food...including pizzas, Subway sandwiches, Panda Express and every other form of fast food, drinks and candy. The theatres and movie companies want our positive referrals for new films so they welcome us and our accompanying food!

Yikes! What does this prove exactly? That screenings are nothing like when everyone else goes to the movie theater? Screenings are done for feedback and 'positive referrals' NOT FOR MONEY, so obviously they don't care if you bring food with you. Yeesh. --- and FYI I've never been to a screening. Sadly I, like 99 percent of the population, don't have that option.

You've seen over 50 free movie screenings/free movie tickets this year so far. Yeah you represent the average movie watcher lolololololololololololololol Sounds more like a job to me.

[GearMaven]

Originally Posted by Gootsy

How can bringing your own movie to the theater to watch be viewed as frugal or cheap... Yeah you pay for the ticket and watch a movie you could've watched at home? Talk about being a penny pincher.

Geez. I wasn't being literal; I was trying to explain that the comparison made was an "apples to oranges" mistake! I think others "got it." You didn't honestly believe I was saying to do that, did you? Wow!

Still don't agree that it is my concern which product provides a cinema's greatest revenue when it is selling me a movie viewing. I go to the cinema to see a movie. If their primary purpose to the consumer was food sales, I may attend to buy food primarily and it would be renamed a food concession. And I understand perfectly where most businesses generate their revenue. That still does not dictate what a consumer is required to purchase from that business.

FYI, everyone has the option to attend screenings if they live in major cities throughout the U.S. They are incredibly easy to attend and widely available! Try viewing some of the prime movie screening threads on the deal sites and you will realize how widely available they are and how large the numbers of attendees are these days. With the growing number of screenings offered, an increasing percentage of the population enjoys screenings. It's very enjoyable for those on limited incomes or those who chose to spend their money on other items.

[jdp]

Just had to pipe in - our local hoity toity steak house doesn't care when a pack of us are out with kids and we bring their happy meals to keep them happy while we visit and eat great steaks. I'm so sure their overpriced kids meals were meant to make them some $ but still they don't care.

I think people making such HUGE issues out of non-issues is nuts. Why borrow trouble.

Take food, don't take food into the theatre, your choice why beat someone else up for their choice? It'll be them that has to or not deal with managment's subsequent decision to act/not act.... blah blah blah.

[Gootsy]

Geez. I wasn't being literal; I was trying to explain that the comparison made was an "apples to oranges" mistake! I think others "got it." You didn't honestly believe I was saying to do that, did you? Wow!

Hey the rest of your post was pretty brutal, so I couldn't assume you're playing with a full deck.

In several of the big theatres in my area (and yours I'd imagine), there's a Pizza hut, taco bell, Subway, and a few others in the theatre OTHER than simply popcorn, pop, nachos, hotdogs, candy, and other junk food you'd typically find at the smaller theatres. The tables and chairs, knives and forks, napkins and condoments, aren't there for eating either >.>.

You're right, I'm not comparing apples to apples

I'm not suggesting people are required to buy food at the theater when they go, just like I wasn't suggesting people are required to buy appetizers at restaurants. You pick an appie to munch on while waiting for the real deal, or you don't eat at all.

Still don't agree that it is my concern which product provides a cinema's greatest revenue when it is selling me a movie viewing.

Whether you agree or not doesn't change the fact that I'm right and you're wrong lol. :P

Sadly the movie theater's rarely are they able to catch these scumbags who sneak food into the movie. They're forced to rely on people's honorableness(heh). Those who sneak the food in, are clearly lacking in that department.

JDP said:

I think people making such HUGE issues out of non-issues is nuts.

People are making a huge issue out of this? Is it in the news? People talking about it around the water cooler? You're right though it isn't a big deal. But a little wrong is still wrong, whether you believe it's fair that the theater's don't allow people to bring food in or not. And a little wrong is a lot not frugal, but many can consider this example to be frugal, which no doubt helps give 'frugal' a negative connotation.

It probably would become a bigger issue if parents saw/knew how many people snuck in alcohol to the cinema's.

[purplefdu]

My "local" theater is a huge 15 screen just remodeled. They took out all the fancy mini-concessions when they remodeled from a 10 to a 12 about 5-7 years ago (around that I think). Having rented movie reels in college I can quote you the prices from a decade ago if I dig out my paperwork, but I assure you that even after they pay for the rental they make money on ticket sales. Its the reason they often use 2-3 screens for new hot opening movies and one or one shared for older less popular movies.

Our theater may have a posted thing about outside food, I'm not really sure. I don't go unless I have a free/discounted ticket through the Lodge and we usually buy popcorn and soda and bring in candy. We have ushers and I've never been bothered about my boxed candy.

As for screenings there are normally less than a dozen cities available nationwide, with one viewing and limited seats on a first come first served basis. I've tried to get into several for the Boston showings (which are a full hour from me) with no luck. Now National treasure 2 had the right idea. The car dealer gave out free movie money tickets good at numerous theaters. So I'm going to have to side with at least 80% of the population never having a decent chance at screenings.