Growing up in a small town, I remember spending Saturday afternoons at the movies.  My dad would drop my brothers and me off at our favorite store to shop for our weekly toy.  Then we would walk over to the movie theater to spend the afternoon eating popcorn, drinking soda pop, and watching our favorite movie.  Nobody thought anything about leaving their children to walk around town and go to the movies alone back then.  Small town America was a safe place to live.  And we were able to spend an afternoon like this for a whopping 25 cents!

Today, you’re lucky to get in the door of a movie theater for $5.00 if you do during the matinee showing.  Any other time it will cost you about $10.00 to get in the door.  Once you’re inside, the cost keeps going up.  A small container of popcorn and small drink can cost you over $5.00.  However the cost for refreshments can go as high as $15/person, depending on what size popcorn and drink you buy.  Then there’s the candy and other goodies that the children will demand if you are with your family.  So an afternoon out with for a family of four to watch a matinee movie can set you back a whopping $60 to $75!

Thank goodness for the creation of the DVD player where parents can rent movies and show them at home with their children, especially for the very young ones.  Children under the age of six are usually too young to sit for two hours in a movie theater, and are sometimes frightened by all the hype and loud noises.  So for the price of the movie rental, homemade popcorn, and drinks bought at your local supermarket, this same family time can be enjoyed for a mere $5 - $10.