My kids recently went to see “The Lorax” and when they came home, my son proudly told me that he discovered a great bargain. From opening until 11:59 a.m., tickets for any movie are $6. After noon, the price jumped almost twice as much.

This got me thinking about the various ways to save money on movie theater tickets. Yazmin also has 12 easy ways to save money at the movies.

1. Go during discount times. Besides the above stated $6 before-noon discount, there are other discounts. Some theaters have special “senior” days. AMC is currently running a special Student Day discount on Thursdays. It is worth checking the theater website for special pricing before deciding on the show you are going to go to. Going to an earlier or later show could cut your ticket price in half. Note, many theaters don’t raise their prices until late afternoon.
2. Wait a few weeks until the movie is at a discount theater. Some theaters only run movies that have been out for awhile. Ticket prices are as low as a couple of dollars. You won’t be the first to see the movie, but you’ll have extra money in your pocket.
3. Look for package deals. The Academy Theater in Pasadena has a Wednesday date night package – 2 tickets, 2 sodas, and 2 popcorns for $10. Check your local theater for similar deals. Hint: mid-week bargains are more likely.
4. Buy your tickets in bulk. Warehouse stores typically sell bulk movie tickets. Prices vary depending on where you live, but they are always cheaper than buying tickets individually. Take note that you will probably have to pay a surcharge for 3D or IMAX shows.
5. Buy tickets with your credit card points. Credit card reward programs often can be exchanged for movie tickets. The ones I get through Discover have two tickets and two coupons for popcorn. These make great presents.
6. Get invited to screenings. There are lots of ways to find out about movie screenings (scroll down). Sometimes people hand out flyers for screenings at local farmer’s markets. You can search for “movie screenings + name of your city.” You can also talk to the manager of a local theater that shows screenings. They may know how to get on a screening mailing list.
7. Work at a movie theater. If you really love movies and spend a lot of your time and money going to see movies in theaters, then perhaps it is your calling to work there. Seeing movies for free is one of the perks of working at a theater. Note that one of the drawbacks is that you will smell like popcorn.
8. Wait until the movie is on DVD and borrow it from your local library. My favorite bargain of all time is the local library. Some libraries will even let you order the movie online and get it shipped to your local library. The one drawback is that movie rental times are usually short and the fines are steep. The selection is also limited. However, the price is right.

Of course, this just saves money on the tickets. The other expense involved is the food. Do you sneak food into the movies? What’s your favorite way to save money on movie tickets?

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