How Often Do You Go To the Movies?
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Whether it’s a hot date, a family outing or a way to spend a rainy Saturday, going to the movies has long been an American tradition. Add salty, buttery popcorn and a giant soda and you’ve got the full moviegoing experience. With the Oscars coming up, we got to wondering – how has the recession changed people’s movie going habits?
According to a recent CouponCabin survey, more than half (55 percent) of moviegoers report they go out to the movies less now than they did before the recession. Further, six-in-ten rarely or never go out to the movies.
High costs and a tough economy have made affording a night out to the movies challenging for some. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, the average movie ticket price rose to an annual record of $7.93 in 2011, making a night out at the cinema for a family of four nearly $32; and that’s not including tax or snacks. In fact, of moviegoers, households with children (61 percent) were significantly more likely than those without children (52 percent) to report they go to the movies less now than they did before the recession.
Entertainment spending, like going to the movies, is often one of the first things to go when consumers try to cut back. Many people are finding ways to still enjoy the movies without breaking the bank, though. Whether it’s going to matinees, finding daily deals and coupons or getting creative with snack savings, movie lovers are making sure they get their dose of the big screen in affordable ways.
Heading to the movies? Moviegoers report they have devised a variety of different tactics to help save money when they head to a theater to check out a flick, including:
- Go to a matinee instead of an evening show
- Bring my own snacks and/or drinks
- Use coupons to save on ticket costs and/or concession stand purchases
- Pay for one movie, but sneak into additional movies
In addition to money saving options at the theater, moviegoers said they save green by taking advantage of the variety of home movie watching options available to them. Fifty-one percent said they rent or buy movies on DVD or Blu-ray, 34 percent said they stream movies, with 25 percent of those streaming with a paid online provider such as Netflix or Amazon and 18 percent streaming online for free. An additional 30 percent said they watch movies on demand from a cable or satellite provider.
With money such a big part of everyday life, and with so many U.S. adults trying to save money on the movies, the survey also shared respondents’ favorite “money” movies, including:
