Went to a movie

[Texas Proud]

I really like movie popcorn but not so much what I make at home. I have tried every method with the exception of one of those dedicated floor standing industrial poppers. Home popcorn and various brands of microwave popcorn just don't even come close. Since I haven't been to a theater in a few years and don't plan anytime soon AND since I quit buying movie popcorn since the days of $.25 a box I will try one more time at home and use some Flavocol. Just placed an order with Amazon. We will see.

LOL, a small today cost $6.50...


I do like movie popcorn but not willing to part with my hard earned money at that price..

 

[F.I.R.E User]

What is the need to eat and drink at the movies? The prices aren’t worth it.

 

[rk911]

AMC theater


We haven't had any independent theaters in this part of the world for decades.

thanks

 

[Texas Proud]

What is the need to eat and drink at the movies? The prices aren’t worth it.

Our movie grill has some higher than normal prices but not that far out of line... I get a good plate of fries for $5... and on Tuesday get the margarita at half price for $6...


You can buy a burger or a chicken sandwich with fries for $16... and it is good...


However, I do miss when we went when one of my DWs friends daughter was a manager and we got in free with a free soda and popcorn... we did pay for anything else...

 

[disneysteve]

What is the need to eat and drink at the movies? The prices aren’t worth it.

LOL. I’ve often said that. Why are we all trained to eat at the movies? Like couldn’t we possibly go 2 hours without a snack? Whoever started that trend was brilliant.

 

[obsessed]

LOL. I’ve often said that. Why are we all trained to eat at the movies? Like couldn’t we possibly go 2 hours without a snack? Whoever started that trend was brilliant.

I’m surprised that they don’t pump the smell of popcorn into the auditoriums themselves. Count me in the no food or drink camp also, even when free.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

[-][/-]

Our movie grill has some higher than normal prices but not that far out of line... I get a good plate of fries for $5... and on Tuesday get the margarita at half price for $6...


You can buy a burger or a chicken sandwich with fries for $16... and it is good...


However, I do miss when we went when one of my DWs friends daughter was a manager and we got in free with a free soda and popcorn... we did pay for anything else...

If I am going to eat like a lunch or dinner I am going to eat at a restaurant and pay there. I don’t drink so I am good there. Unless the theatre has a built in restaurant that has high ratings not some McDonald style food.

 

[W2R]

What is the need to eat and drink at the movies? The prices aren’t worth it.

Frank and I have found that we don't have that desire to eat or drink while watching movies at home. At home we can multitask with something simple on the computer (like sudoku, a jigsaw puzzle, or whatever) so we don't so easily become slightly bored and crave food to feed our boredom.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

LOL. I’ve often said that. Why are we all trained to eat at the movies? Like couldn’t we possibly go 2 hours without a snack? Whoever started that trend was brilliant.

Same concept we need vs want when it comes to being frugal. Look at all that money people spend on holidays but complain about not having enough to invest. Food will always be there at most social events.

Frank and I have found that we don't have that desire to eat or drink while watching movies at home. At home we can multitask with something simple on the computer (like sudoku, a jigsaw puzzle, or whatever) so we don't so easily become slightly bored and crave food to feed our boredom.

I have a budget for food spending as well as how much I eat. I do have 1 cheat meal per week.

 

[Texas Proud]

If I am going to eat like a lunch or dinner I am going to eat at a restaurant and pay there. I don’t drink so I am good there. Unless the theatre has a built in restaurant that has high ratings not some McDonald style food.

It actually is good food... not sure about this as I have not been here in a long time but it is in the quality of a Red Robin which had expensive burgers... or a Chili's... which you can get a good one cheaper with their $10.99 special..

 

[More Cowbell]

I remember in the before days I sometimes went to the movies on Christmas Day. Less crowded! But haven't been back since. Too many other home entertainment options.

I did briefly consider Miyazaki's The Boy and The Heron. If it played locally in Imax, that'd be neat!

 

[disneysteve]

I remember in the before days I sometimes went to the movies on Christmas Day.

We don't celebrate Christmas so our "traditional" Christmas has always been a movie and Chinese food. Since we just went to the movies yesterday, we're not going tomorrow (though we may get Chinese food). We might stream a movie at home instead. We haven't decided yet.

 

[Badger]

LOL, a small today cost $6.50...

I do like movie popcorn but not willing to part with my hard earned money at that price..

Same concept we need vs want when it comes to being frugal. Look at all that money people spend on holidays but complain about not having enough to invest. Food will always be there at most social events.

The stock market is doing well. Unemployment is down. Inflation is actually better than most years and improving. Yet people complain that they don't have enough money while they spend like a drunken sailor (no offense to sailors drunken or otherwise). You have identified the bulk of the problem as well as high expectations for very little effort. I don't think many of those people are old enough or had enough challenges in life from which to learn. Complaining is easier than taking assessment of your skills and spending habits and doing something to improve them.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

It actually is good food... not sure about this as I have not been here in a long time but it is in the quality of a Red Robin which had expensive burgers... or a Chili's... which you can get a good one cheaper with their $10.99 special..

I would then prefer to eat at a dining table after they cook it fresh after the movie.

The stock market is doing well. Unemployment is down. Inflation is actually better than most years and improving. Yet people complain that they don't have enough money while they spend like a drunken sailor (no offense to sailors drunken or otherwise). You have identified the bulk of the problem as well as high expectations for very little effort. I don't think many of those people are old enough or had enough challenges in life from which to learn. Complaining is easier than taking assessment of your skills and spending habits and doing something to improve them.

So it’s their expenses not how much they make.

 

[Badger]

I would then prefer to eat at a dining table after they cook it fresh after the movie.



So it’s their expenses not how much they make.

Sometimes it is both. Since there is a proportionately smaller number of people who have FIRE here compared to the vast number that spend only to deplete their paycheck and then borrow then I would think it is most frequently YES to LAYM.

 

[Koolau]

The last movie we saw in a theater was the original black and white King Kong. We aren’t really that old. The theater where we lived would show old and classic movies at times. This was during the early stages of COVID and there were a list of upcoming movies that we were going to see, but we didn’t. Now we look at the matinee price, popcorn snacks and drinks and figure the $5/ticket really ends up a total of about $50 then we will want to go out and eat. So just watch them on the big screen at home, have our own popcorn snacks and drinks and can pause to go to the bathroom.

This so reminds me of a time when I was 30 and was traveling on business. I was close to NYC so I got a cheap (well, that's relative) hotel and explored for a week end. There was an old kinda decrepit theater showing Casablanca. I had never seen it as it was not yet ubiquitous on TV. I was stunned at how good it was. I now have my own DVD of it and I see it at least once a year on TV as well.

I am so thankful that TCM is available in my area. I watch it more than almost anything else on TV. I usually prefer the old movies to the newer ones. If there were a theater showing the old movies. I'd be going. Once in a while MOVIE MUSEUM has a retrospective and I try to get to those.

I long for the days of the large, ornate theaters of my youth. I'm sure they're too expensive to keep up - even at $13/ticket. SOMEBODY is getting rich, but probably not theater owners.

Anyway, I miss movie going, but I usually won't pay the price for the excellent chance of being disappointed. YMMV