Sneaking Candy into Movies: Frugal or Cheap?

[PrivateITGuys]

Originally Posted by Gootsy

Well, like 90+ percent of the money made from ticket sales of new movies, goes directly to the companies that financed it. So without the popcorn/pop sales, they'd(theatre showing movie) struggle or close down.

I respectfully disagree. We have lived in two towns where the movie theater would show new releases and charge $3-4 for adults, $1-2 for children, depending on day week and time of day. Their sodas would be between $1 - $2 and popcorn $2 - 5. I could take my family of 4 to the Saturday Matinee for $8, buy 4 drinks and a large tub of popcorn for $11. For $19, we'd have a great day out. These theaters would stay packed, the concessions were packed, they employee a dozen teens and made money for the owner.

Where we live now, there are many more people. The theaters charge 2 - 3 times as much for tickets and snacks. They are typically 5% to 25% full, maybe more on opening night for major shows. And I see many more people sneek in food. I think they would make more money if they charged less. I know we go less, buy few if any snacks and only sneek in an occassional bag of M&Ms.

Simply my observation.

[hermione]

Originally Posted by PrivateITGuys

Where we live now, there are many more people. The theaters charge 2 - 3 times as much for tickets and snacks.

It's probably because theaters in cities with more people have to pay more lease/rent on the theater space so they have to charge more. In a rural area, lease would be lower so they could charge less.

But where I live now, we don't even have theaters.

[Gootsy]

Originally Posted by PrivateITGuys

I respectfully disagree.

What you quoted wasn't an opinion though, so I don't quite get how you can disagree with it...

Of course there're theatre's that're the exception. I live 1 block away from one that charges 2 bucks during week for matinee's, doesn't mean what I said wasn't true. Not all theatre's play the same 'type' of new movie. Often the cheap local theatres only get the new movies after they've been out for several weeks/months. In these cases, they get to keep more of the ticket sales, and often still have to charge less to bring the butts into the seats during prime times.

So where you live now has many more people, but I'd be surprised if it also didn't also have many more theatre's. So even though there's more people, the total # of movie-goers gets spread pretty thin with such a large # of options.

Honestly people, if these business owners thought they could make more money (or simply survive for many cases) by charging less and changing their policies, don't you think they would've already? Not like lowering prices is a wild new revolutionary marketing concept .

[hermione]

Originally Posted by Gootsy

Honestly people, if these business owners thought they could make more money (or simply survive for many cases) by charging less and changing their policies, don't you think they would've already? Not like lowering prices is a wild new revolutionary marketing concept .

So say we all!

My sister and I own a small business and we hate raising prices because we know it could potentially drive away sales, but with increasing supply and shipping costs we have no choice or we'd just be wasting our time and money.

Businesses don't exist for the purpose of making other people happy.

[starshard0]

Originally Posted by hermione

So say we all!

My sister and I own a small business and we hate raising prices because we know it could potentially drive away sales, but with increasing supply and shipping costs we have no choice or we'd just be wasting our time and money.

Businesses don't exist for the purpose of making other people happy.

I thought that was exactly what the purpose of the entertainment industry was.

[Gootsy]

Originally Posted by starshard0

I thought that was exactly what the purpose of the entertainment industry was.

That's because you're young and naive. They exist to make MONEY bwahahaha aahahaha mwahahahahahahah bwahahahahaha ha.

[SimplyMe]

I used to bring my own snacks, as the popcorn in the cinema is disgusting.

They've clamped down now and check bags so I'll have to wait until after the movie.

I remember going to the cinema last year, and saw a couple sitting below me take out sandwiches and then a whole cheesecake!
I laughed quietly to myself.

[WithWings]

A whole cheesecake??? ROTFL Theater snacks were always expensive so I try to sneak food in too or just eat before or after the movie. I don't remember the last time I went to the movies because the tickets are expensive too. $10 yikes! We just borrow movies and all-you-can-eat at home.

[Money Beagle]

I've found that a strategy that works for us is to meet them halfway. By that, we will often bring in our own candy, but we'll buy a drink. Or we'll bring our own drinks but buy a bucket of popcorn.

[bizcash]

Hmm if you want to really be frugal don't go to the movies, see movies online for FREE!
Or rent a next day movie from Blockbuster for $1.99 must be returned next day.
OR rent from the REDBOX, I beleive they have a free day which is monday, check them out!
That way you can buy popcorn when its on sale at the grocery store, use a coupon to pay even less and buy candy at CVS or Walgreens , sometimes using the right strategy the candy will be free.

So is it being frugal or cheap? You decide