Cheap ways to reduce entertainment costs are abound and don't have to mean skimping on fun; nor do they require one to switch one's preference of entertainment. The cheap ways to reduce entertainment costs described in this article are relatively simple and hassle free examples, especially if it is a frequent event.
• Movies and memberships
If you're a club member in an organization such as the American Automobile Association (AAA) or like to watch a lot of Disney Movies, the Disney Movie Club or AAA can get you a limited discount. For example, with the AMC Silver Experience offered through AAA, a pack of 10 tickets costs $70.00 instead of $97.50 as of May 2010. This is a savings of about 28%. This works well for families and multiple movie goers.
For Disney DVD's, if you are a member of the Disney Movie Club through http://www.mousesavers.com, four movies cost just $1.99 each with free shipping as of the same date. For both these methods to work out, one must generally enjoy going to the movies or watching the same Disney movies repeatedly.
Another way to watch movies on the cheap is to beat the matinee crowd and go in the morning. Some theatres cut the price of tickets by almost 50% if you're willing to see the movie before 11:00AM. $5.00 isn't too bad for a new release if one of your favorite sources of entertainment is going to the movies.
• Restaurants and dining
Eating can be fun but it can also be expensive so finding cheap ways to reduce the cost of this type of entertainment is worth considering why you enjoy the restaurant experience. For starters, happy hour is the time to order drinks and sometimes get discounts on meals. Other times, lunch menus are often cheaper than dinner menus so ordering food before 3:00PM can get a similar meal to a dinner menu for less.
AAA memberships can also get discounts off meals, usually about 10% off the price of a meal. That's 11%-12% if you calculate tip after the discount. For non membership discounts, http://www.restaurant.com sells gift certificates for 60% off the face value of the certificate. For example, a $25.00 gift certificate may only cost $10.00 by going to http://www.restaurant.com.
If you're picky about which restaurant you eat at, call them up to ask where they distribute coupons, what their specials are and what the cheapest time to eat at are. Becoming a regular at a restaurant can also have benefits as managers may offer discounts and/or free meals through loyalty rewards programs or multiple purchases.
• Sports events
Suppose you like horse racing, and find going to the tracks one of your favorite forms of entertainment but are looking for cheap ways to reduce the cost of betting on Zen Racer, Electro Fiesta, or whichever your favorite horses are.
To reduce the cost of this entertainment one could a) pick better horses with an improved betting strategy, b) just go to the races to watch the horses, or c) pool bets or only bet on ever other race. This same strategy wouldn't work for going to the movies however which means each form of entertainment usually requires different cheap ways to reduce costs.
If you're a club member in an organization such as the American Automobile Association (AAA) or like to watch a lot of Disney Movies, the Disney Movie Club or AAA can get you a limited discount. For example, with the AMC Silver Experience offered through AAA, a pack of 10 tickets costs $70.00 instead of $97.50 as of May 2010. This is a savings of about 28%. This works well for families and multiple movie goers.
For Disney DVD's, if you are a member of the Disney Movie Club through http://www.mousesavers.com, four movies cost just $1.99 each with free shipping as of the same date. For both these methods to work out, one must generally enjoy going to the movies or watching the same Disney movies repeatedly.
Another way to watch movies on the cheap is to beat the matinee crowd and go in the morning. Some theatres cut the price of tickets by almost 50% if you're willing to see the movie before 11:00AM. $5.00 isn't too bad for a new release if one of your favorite sources of entertainment is going to the movies.
• Restaurants and dining
Eating can be fun but it can also be expensive so finding cheap ways to reduce the cost of this type of entertainment is worth considering why you enjoy the restaurant experience. For starters, happy hour is the time to order drinks and sometimes get discounts on meals. Other times, lunch menus are often cheaper than dinner menus so ordering food before 3:00PM can get a similar meal to a dinner menu for less.
AAA memberships can also get discounts off meals, usually about 10% off the price of a meal. That's 11%-12% if you calculate tip after the discount. For non membership discounts, http://www.restaurant.com sells gift certificates for 60% off the face value of the certificate. For example, a $25.00 gift certificate may only cost $10.00 by going to http://www.restaurant.com.
If you're picky about which restaurant you eat at, call them up to ask where they distribute coupons, what their specials are and what the cheapest time to eat at are. Becoming a regular at a restaurant can also have benefits as managers may offer discounts and/or free meals through loyalty rewards programs or multiple purchases.
• Sports events
Suppose you like horse racing, and find going to the tracks one of your favorite forms of entertainment but are looking for cheap ways to reduce the cost of betting on Zen Racer, Electro Fiesta, or whichever your favorite horses are.
To reduce the cost of this entertainment one could a) pick better horses with an improved betting strategy, b) just go to the races to watch the horses, or c) pool bets or only bet on ever other race. This same strategy wouldn't work for going to the movies however which means each form of entertainment usually requires different cheap ways to reduce costs.
• Bowling, tennis and other sports
Depending on the sport, there are more or less cheap ways to reduce entertainment costs. For seasoned and regular bowlers it makes sense to purchase a second hand bowling ball and/or a new pair of bowling shoes and by bowling weekdays during off hours. This knocks of repeated rental costs off shoes and lowers the game price.
For tennis, some parks have free public tennis courts that can be quite well maintained. If you live close by a park with a free tennis court you can get a good feel for when the court is busy. If the court has a reservation system, even better; then you can schedule a free game without waiting.
Some housing communities also have tennis courts, and in some cases, golf courses. This is ideal for avid tennis players and golfers who not only want to save money, but don't want to go far for their favorite activity. As with most things, the more often you participate in a form of entertainment, the easier it can be to find discounts. The same principles hold true for batting cages, driving ranges and gym memberships as well.
Depending on the sport, there are more or less cheap ways to reduce entertainment costs. For seasoned and regular bowlers it makes sense to purchase a second hand bowling ball and/or a new pair of bowling shoes and by bowling weekdays during off hours. This knocks of repeated rental costs off shoes and lowers the game price.
For tennis, some parks have free public tennis courts that can be quite well maintained. If you live close by a park with a free tennis court you can get a good feel for when the court is busy. If the court has a reservation system, even better; then you can schedule a free game without waiting.
Some housing communities also have tennis courts, and in some cases, golf courses. This is ideal for avid tennis players and golfers who not only want to save money, but don't want to go far for their favorite activity. As with most things, the more often you participate in a form of entertainment, the easier it can be to find discounts. The same principles hold true for batting cages, driving ranges and gym memberships as well.
For those who only sporadically participate in a wider range of entertainment activities, timing when you participate in the entertainment and looking for free ways to enjoy the activity either through free community services or unrelated bonuses, gifts or perks can be advantageous before looking for discounts via club memberships, company vouchers, sale listings and promotional events.
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