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Frugal Families

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Sweetlake Posts : 67 Registered: 6/14/08
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 2:24 PM Go to message in response to: ginmal

I agree with Nocturnius, movie theatres are sometimes only good for that bag of super salty dry popcorn (which I will argue you can also get at fairs and some malls so there are other outlets for grabbing your "theatre popcorn" fix.  And, I actually prefer my homemade in a pan with some olive oil popcorn 100%!  Microwave popcorn is the lowest on my list of preferance, it leaves a gross taste).  I've always felt that going and DOING stuff or even just hanging out or even eating dinner together is a far better way to spend time with friends.  Movie theatres theses days are really only good for two things:

1.  To see the movie while it is fresh and be the frist to discuss it before it is gone again.  Otherwise the hype dies down and people don't generaly discuss as much as when they first see it.  So watching it when it is new to so many others is the best way to get a good discussion.

or

2.  To see spectacular effects or images on a huge screen.  For those of us with bitty TV's this might be the only place to see great images.  Personaly, I dont care about seeing it on a bigger screen but I know people who do!

But movies cost SO much now that if you are two people going out you could have BOUGHT the movie on DVD for the price you pay in tickets.  You could have bought TWO movies when they go on sale. 

 

As to Ginmal's story.  You won't be surpized to hear I have SAT in a pukey chair before.  Yuk yuk YUK!  They cleaned the chair up that was puked on but a row down some splash was missed.  We had no iea anyone had been sick in the last show and I noticed the smell after sitting in it (they had used a strong cleaner on the other chair).


 

 

Laura + Mark = ♥

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MsDenuninani Posts : 3,963 Registered: 3/16/07
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 3:02 PM Go to message in response to: Sweetlake

Over 90% of the nation's currency (as in dollar bills and coins) have traces of human feces on them.  I wish I were making that up. 

I love the movies.  Always have.  I approach movie-watching as art.  I did as a child as well.  Going to the movies was an entirely different event from watching television, video games, playing outside.  Going to the movies was theater.

I remember having the best family conversations after a movie.  We talked about movies the way book clubs talk about books.  What were the themes?  Did you like the actors?  Was the story realistic?  How did it evolve? How well did the actors play their roles?  If the movie was based on the book, how were they different (important now with the Harry Potter movies)? Going to the movies was an event in my family, and it was a means with which we talked aobut life.  And not just about our own life -- we used it to talk about how other people lived. 

And, ultimately, that's how I think of movies to this day.  As an art form.  One that's more accessible than a painting in a museum, but still more eventful than television.  It's how I hope to experience movies with my own kids (assuming that by the time I have kids people are still going to the movies rather than downloading a film to be played digitally across your retina).

Then again, I'm a movie geek.


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kelleyiskelley Posts : 11,593 Registered: 7/2/06
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 3:20 PM Go to message in response to: auntofthebride

Im with you MrsD on movies being an art form and an adventure. Ive always felt that way too. And Ive always beena film geek. Its an EVENT going to a movie. For me anyway. I go with DH all the time now and we love it. I love the previews, love the act of watching a really great piece of art for the first time with a bunch of strangers (although we dont go at night anymore because I prefer the strangers to be my own age or older rather than the rude as hell TEEN strangers you tend to get at night movies lol),and I LOOOVE that moment when you see an awesome movie ...and you just sit there in the theatre silently as the credits roll. Taking it all in. And I looove the discussions that a really good movie evokes. Talking for hours about what the ending really meant - usually we will see a movie first,and THEN go to dinner so that we can talk about it afterwards. I will always love the movies.

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TheNewMrsJ Posts : 754 Registered: 1/6/08
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 3:49 PM Go to message in response to: auntofthebride

i manage a 10 screen movie theater and ugh...

box office revenue goes to the film studios, concession revenue goes to cover the cost of the items as well as keep us open and running. it drives me nuts to hear people bitch at my employees about the concession prices because news flash we don't determine the prices, our home office across the country does - it's a corporate decision, not ours. If it were up to us, we'd have lower prices and more combo options. but it's not. complaining or making snide remarks (i had one woman this weekend that drove me nuts with her off comment remarks about *everything*) to our hourly employees doesn't do a thing - instead, go online to corporate and complain to them about it.

if anyone's wondering, the price of popcorn went up recently because the price of the seed went up, due to the demand for ethanol with gas prices being so high right now - that's something that is completely out of our hands. 

Our ushers are allowed to confiscate any outside food or drink that they may catch and obviously alcohol is not allowed and if we catch anyone with that, we ask them to leave. Normally, we're not too nit-picky about the little stuff, but no, you can't bring in a crave case of white castle or other meals and eat your dinner in our auditoriums. And if you do somehow sneak them past one of our non-management ticket takers, throw the damn things away! We don't enjoy cleaning up 30 mini boxes of white castle burgers (not to mention it makes the auditorium reak!)

As for water, if you want to bring in an UNOPENED bottle of water that you just bought elsewhere, that's fine, as we can't deny anyone water, obviously, however if it's already opened and/or half gone, we have to request you empty the container, as who's to say it's not vodka? Bringing an empty container for water is perfectly fine, as we have water fountains that you can fill it up at, but opened containers with liquid are not allowed. 

And we cannot allow coffee, as it is a safety hazard - our auditoriums are dark, if you sneak in hot coffee and spill it on yourself because you missed the cup holder, that is not our fault, you shouldn't have had outside food and drink in there to begin with - think back to the brilliant woman at mcdonalds who put her hot coffee inbetween her legs and spilled... not their fault!

In most cases, bags larger than purses are not allowed, just for the sake of the rare chance someone tries to sneak in recording equipment, however I was told that after 9-11, it was mainly for an issue of safety. When it comes to larger bags though, if we feel it necessary, we do have the right to request you show us that there is no recording equipment or other dangerous items in your rather large bag, otherwise you can take it back out to your vehicle or place it one of the lockers in the lobby.

sorry for the rant, but working for a theater, i felt i had to voice a little bit from my standpoint.

ill admit, personally, that the prices are a little high - i used to get nachos everytime i went, but after the last concession price increase, i can't afford them, so FH and i stick to just a large drink. Honestly, if I didn't have my free passes, I probably wouldn''t see as many movies as i do... ever since I moved and now commute, FH and pay the $1 more out here, as the cost of gas to get out there to use my free passes is equivilant to us staying here and paying $1 more and not spending an hour and a half driving (only thing is that i hate paying for a lesser quality product, when my theater is digital and the ones out here are not - ive been spoiled the past few years, lol...). Out here, the theater has $5 movies after the 3rd week a film's been out if you sign up for it, so we did that, but still... 


 

 

countdown to your wedding

*September 13, 2008 *

 

 

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Sweetlake Posts : 67 Registered: 6/14/08
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 4:15 PM Go to message in response to: TheNewMrsJ

Thefuturemrsj,  I miss drive ins.  I miss theatres without commercials that last 15-30 minutes (yes I timed it and these comercials started at the time the movies was listed to start).  I miss crowds that are courtious instead of rude.  I miss the days when going to the movies was a cheap fun night.  I miss freshly made food (the old theatres I remember used to have thier own concessions where they made some of the food like pizzas).

 I feel old, am I'm not THAT old!

 


 

 

Laura + Mark = ♥

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auntofthebride Posts : 9,357 Registered: 4/2/06
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 8:36 PM Go to message in response to: TheNewMrsJ

Dear Mrs J,

Thanks for your comments.

I know that people sneak food into a theater, but I consider it to be bad manners. Bringing food into a place that sells food is, in my opinion, discourteous. I don't go to a restaurant, then pull out food from my purse and start eating it!

On the other hand, I am getting priced out of the movie experience. Even with our "senior" discounts, it's still expensive. The theaters in our area are now showing tons of ads, and it bugs me to have to pay to sit through a long series of ads.

Overall, I don't feel the movie theater experience is worth the price.

Part of this is because I am moving out of the target 18-39 audience. I swear, the year I turned 40 was the year I really became disinterested. I just don't think I can stomach yet another "cute meet", since my own "cute meet" is ancient history.

***

When did I first notice the man I was to marry? When he extinguised a fire in freshman chemistry lab.

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auntofthebride Posts : 9,357 Registered: 4/2/06
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 8:40 PM Go to message in response to: ArtBride

Dear Artbride,

"And even people with the best intentions sometimes have difficulty making payments."

I understand that. Truly.

I just was taken aback at an article about Frugal Families that held up one family as an example. They talked about paying off their credit card debt, without any mention of where that debt came from.

Just a line like "The credit card debt came from Joe's auto accident. Frugal Family maintains a credit card for just that kind of situation: a true emergency. They do not charge ordinary expenses on the card."

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auntofthebride Posts : 9,357 Registered: 4/2/06
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 8:44 PM Go to message in response to: MrsMcCain

Dear Nickey,

"I carry a lot of things in my purse, including things like tampons that I do not wish for anyone else to see. "

If you ever plan to take a commercial airline flight, you might want to get used to strangers seeing your stuff.

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TheNewMrsJ Posts : 754 Registered: 1/6/08
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 10:46 PM Go to message in response to: auntofthebride

yeah, i hear the complaint about the ads too...

what most people don't realize though, is that's all considered preshow content. more and more theaters are showing ads/commercials (the preshow content) before the start time of the film (ours starts approx 20 min before the actual start time of the film). and the reason being is that we have a contract with the ad company that we have to honor. if we don't show the ads, we are 'non-compliant' and get in trouble with corporate.

as for the trailers... they are predetermined by the film studios and corporate HQ. we have 'checkers' that come out each weekend and check to make sure we are in compliant. basically, we do these things to save our own asses, so we don't get in trouble for not doing it.

like the concession prices, go online and make your complaints to corporate, as they're the ones who make the decisions. telling your local theater manager that they should just stop showing preshow content really doesn't do anything, as we get in trouble if we don't. 

and if you know approx how long the preshow content and trailers are, then show up 10 min late and you miss most of them. i do that from time to time if i know there's no trailers i want to see - ill purposely come at 7pm, sign in, get my large drink, then stand around at the ticket stand and chat with the fellow manager on staff for a good 10-15 min before going in. no one's forcing you sit there for 10-20 min.

i miss drives in too... in my hometown, growing up, we had a theater here in the summer that did double feature drive ins... then they tore it down to build the big 16 screen multiplex.

and im sorry some of you feel the popcorn is stale - it's supposed to be popped fresh during every 'set' with the stuff from the previous 'set' dumped inbetween 'sets'  

 

 

countdown to your wedding

*September 13, 2008 *

 

 

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Angele Posts : 76 Registered: 8/15/07
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 10:50 PM Go to message in response to: auntofthebride

Just a line like "The credit card debt came from Joe's auto accident."

Why does Frugal Families have to delve so privately into a family's spending habits to justify the debt? The debt is there, they're paying it off whether or not you know it's from an emergency or careless spending. The point of the article was to show how one family was getting through their monetary crunch. It doesn't matter how the debt was incurred.

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auntofthebride Posts : 9,357 Registered: 4/2/06
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 10:53 PM Go to message in response to: TheNewMrsJ

dear Mrs J,

"if we don't show the ads, we are 'non-compliant' and get in trouble with corporate."

Oh, yes, I understand. It is not the individual theater manager's issue. The corporate theater chain company sets the policy.

I understand that you get to be the one that gets the brunt of the complaints without the authority to make any changes. I'm not shooting the messenger!

I will take your suggestion to write a polite, but assertive, letter to the corporate HQ of our local theater chain.

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HLYflute Posts : 1,283 Registered: 2/5/07
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 21, 2008 11:59 PM Go to message in response to: auntofthebride

Once when I was about 10, we were in line to see a movie and there was a girl a little younger than me with her grandma, and she had a plastic grocery bag full of candy... like little pieces of candy, likely from a local parade (that's big where I'm from... people in the parade throw candy to the audience).  The person at the ticket counter actually made her put the candy back in the car.

We rarely ate during movies when I was a kid... never really gave it a second thought.  

In high school, my friends and  I used to go the grocery store before a movie to get super saver passes... you got two dollars off your movie ticket, making it $4.50 instead of $6.50.  We would also stock up on candy and pop.. BIG PURSES!! lol.

I rarely go to movies anyway, but when I do I always bring my own food.  Mostly because there's no healthy food in the theater, but also because it's so expensive.  I still wait a week and get my supersavers ($6 instead of $10... big difference there!).  On rare occasions I will bring my own candy.  

When I was in college we had a second-run theater nearby and tickets were $1.50.  (I just graduated 2 years ago).  If you went on Tuesdays it was only $1.  Talk about a cheap date... DH (then BF) and I saw virtually every movie because we went several times a week in the summer.  I miss that place. :-( 

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2BBauer Posts : 478 Registered: 12/15/07
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 22, 2008 5:01 AM Go to message in response to: TheNewMrsJ

I miss the drive in's too!  When I was younger it was such a treat to to there in the summer.  Mom would put my baby brothers to sleep in the van and we would all take lawn chairs out and watch the first movie.  After the first was done my older sister and I had to go to bed, in the back of our van where the last row had been removed for our "excursion" and mom and dad would watch the second "adult" movie.  We always brought soda and snacks and often would pick up a pizza on our way.

Then in high school my friends and I spent the majority of summerbreak weekends at the drive in.  It was more of a socializing event then though.  Six or seven cars all fully loaded!  I remember trying to keep straight which movie I had told my parents we saw the week before, it was hard since we never actually watched the moveis.

They tore ours down a few years ago to put up some massive bank buinlding  :(  .


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ArtBride Posts : 4,841 Registered: 5/9/07
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 22, 2008 7:29 AM Go to message in response to: 2BBauer

EWWWW!!!! Feces??? You people are KILLING me! As if I'm not already paranoid enough with my use of Purell, now I have to make sure I wash my hands after touching any kind of currency? Ick! How does it GET there? Never mind - I don't think I want to go down that road...

AOTB, I agree that it seems pretty ridiculous of Frugal Families to hold up this family as an example without explaining the credit card debt. Like I said, I understand having credit card debt...but with no explanation, I have a hard time believing that the family in question is truly 'frugal.' And to the PP who said it would be an invasion of privacy to explain the credit card debt...the family in the magazine presumably agreed to be featured for an article on their financial 'frugality.' I hardly think that a line on where the credit card debt came from invades their privacy any more than the lines about coupon cutting and sneaking snacks into the movies. 

I'm surprised nobody has brought this up yet...but despite the fact that many of us do it, was it right of this magazine to encourage people to sneak snacks into the movies? My first reaction was, 'Did they seriously print that?'  


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savex389 Posts : 506 Registered: 8/10/07
Re: Frugal Families
Posted: Jul 22, 2008 9:26 AM Go to message in response to: ArtBride

i sneak in food all the time, if we got drinks from dinner before we go then i stick them in my purse and in we go. one of my weaknesses is movie theatre popcorn, but i've solved the problem of $8.00 dollars a bag, i just save the bag and get it refilled the next time we go for free (i dont know if they do this everywhere, but it's big in utah) well the movie theatre we go to must have caught on that people were cheating the system and now charge 50 cents for a refill, but now they dont rip off the tab on the bottom of the bag so i can keep reusing the bag! :) i dont think i've paid full price for popcorn in 6 months. i'm such a cheater, but i'm proud of my smartness!

We also go to premire movies because we get those tickets for free, they're very strict about them and pat you down, check your bags and take cell phones away (they dont want you recording the movie) but they have never taken away my popcorn bags. most just chuckle (spelling?) and let me into the theatre.

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