Recession Busters!

Cool off at the movies for less!

● 1 Join moneysaving programs!

Movie theaters know they’ve got stiff competition from Amazon Prime, Netflix and other services that allow you to stream movies from home—so they’re trying to lure you in with new ways to save: For $9.95 per month at Moviepass. com, you can see one movie per person per day at thousands of theaters across the country. For $ 8.95 per month, Cinemark’s Movie Club (Cinemark.com/movieclub) entitles you to one movie ticket per month at Cinemark theaters, an additional ticket at just $ 8.99 and 20% off concession stand items for you and another person. And you can join loyalty programs offered by your favorite movie theaters, which give you points with every purchase that you can use toward free or discounted tickets and snacks!

● 2 Bundle restaurant and movie discounts!

Love the savings you get at Restaurants.com for dining out? Heads up: The popular coupon website also offers gift cards that give you discounts on movie theater tickets when you purchase a restaurant coupon! To find these offers, visit Specials.restaurant.com, type “movies” into the search box, and you’ll get a list of current deals.

● 3 Score deals at warehouse clubs!

If you have a membership to a warehouse club, such as BJ’S, Costco or Sam’s Club, good news: It can help you spend less cash on your next movie theater visit. That’s because these wholesale clubs sell tickets for major movie theater chains (such as AMC, Cinemark and Regal) for less than their face value as well as discounted gift cards for movie ticket sellers, like Fandango and Movietickets.com!

● 4 Check for extra savings!

Before you buy your tickets, check for other ways you can save: Start by visiting a free coupon website, such as Retailmenot.com, and search for coupons from movie theaters. Then visit the website for the theater you plan to visit, or call your local theater manager to find out about special discounts offered. Many reduce their ticket prices for seniors, military families and students.

Want to get a break from the summer heat by heading to the movie theater—but dread the high cost of tickets and snacks? Here are easy ways to keep costs down while you stay cool!