Everyone in my family loves movies. We like to go to the movies. And we like to rent them and watch them at home, too. My kids are counting the days until Shrek 3 comes out. And we are also looking forward to Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. So many movies are coming out this summer!
To keep expenses down, we almost always go the matinée showing of new movies. When you multiply the cost times five, it’s still a lot of money – but at least it’s a little less. We also take paper bags and plastic cups to the movies. The paper bags are to divide up the big tub of popcorn equally. Otherwise, we tend to have fights over who is eating more than his fair share. The boys can get so distracted with the location of the popcorn that they miss the movie. Now everyone gets their own bag – to eat at their own pace. We also divide up a couple of large sodas into the smaller cups. I do this not only to save money, but to save trips to the bathroom. Plus, no one – much less small boys really needs thirty-two ounces of soda!
Most Saturday nights we have a family movie night at home. We take turns picking out the movies. Now that my twins are older we have graduated past all the animated movies. Sometimes finding movies that are family appropriate and that we will all enjoy seems just about impossible. The Movie Moms Guide to Family Movies by Nell Minnow has helped us find all sorts of great films. She’s recommend some that are new to us, and some that make us say “oh yeah, I loved that movie when I was a kid”. I like how she details the levels of sex and violence in the movies, so that there aren’t any surprises. She also suggests some great ideas for family discussions.
It’s Saturday night, time for popcorn!
More on Family Movies:
Enjoy a Classic Movie and a Frugal Family Night
Family Traditions – Movie Nights