When you go to the movie theater do you buy the snacks and drinks there or do you bring your own? Also do you have a budget on how much you will spend for those snacks? I've been bringing my own baggies of snacks and a water bottle with me for years now. I like being able to have what I really want to snack on like cheese popcorn or some other goodies that I know they don't sell at the concession counter. Years ago I used to feel a little guilty about "smuggling" my own snacks in but since I see so many other people doing the same thing, the guilt is gone. I just believe that I'm being practical. I also can't stand having to pay so much money for the snacks at the movies when it costs a fortune these days to even buy the movie ticket.
[question posted by Shar19]
responses and comments:
Yes, the food is expensive at the movie theatres. I can't even buy like I want to when I go to the movies. If, they will allow me to, I will bring my own snacks that I will buy. I do buy snacks from them, but not as much as I would want to. I am very limited when it comes to snacking..sadsad [cream97]
Oh yes, they charge exorbitant prices at the cinemas to further jack up their obscene profits. blink [lordwarwizard]
I used to bring a snack. But I go halves with my friends on a big drink. I'm not going to ruin the stuff in my purse via condensation from a cold drink. I do have a budget. It's called, "5 Items or Less From The Dollar Tree Store". There are many rules regarding bringing in your own snacks to movie theatres when watching movies. Be aware that it is against every US movie theatres' policy that you agree to by purchasing your ticket. They can kick you out for it. In addition, a huge debate rages on about how movie theatres don't make any money from ticket sales, but instead via the concessions. *shrugs* If you are feeling guilty or don't want to get kicked out of the movie theatre and possibly banned, you can see if they have reward program. I belong to one and every Wednesday you present your reward card at ticket purchase and get a free small popcorn. Plus I earn points that can be redeemed. Saves my purse on wear and tear. :D [jands1]
I love it. I'm trying to imagine the poor movie theatre that decides to boot out everyone and stay in business! [jands1]
Well for me and my sister it's a mix... what we do is buy the largest popcorn that they have and share it (we hardly finish it either way at the end) Same with the drinks (some might find that gross but each has her own straw)... As for candy yes im guilty of "smuggling" as you say it... but we usually end up buying at least one thing from the theater to chomp on... some people bring sandwiches but that i think is going a bit far lol [nadooa247]
I would never bring my own sandwich, that's a bit of a stretch. I believe in co-sharing the popcorn and soda though. [Shar19]
The prices are so high at the concession stand I don't feel bad at all if i were to do that. My problem is we go to the movies on the spur of the moment and I rarely have anything stocked up to take to the movies. Wish I did. Sometimes we buy popcorn but so expensive. They now (where we are anyway) will refill your soda and popcorn after your initial purchase which helps save. I think next time I am at the store I will grab some snacks like trail mix, nuts or candy to have at home for when we decide to go. And while we are on the subject, why are the popcorn, snacks and drinks so high at the movies? The clerks are usually teens working for minimum wage, the cost of goods is really low especially for popcorn and soda. Wouldn't selling a bucket of popcorn for $2 still make them a healthy profit, and then there is the ticket price of $8+ per person. Even though I complain I still go to the movie theater on occassion and enjoy it. Just wondering why the concessions have to be so high in price. [ryzach]
We don't go much to the movies either because of the expense. Thanks for your response. [Shar19]
When ever i go to movie i will buy snacks there only... It will be expensive but i dont mind it and all... [smtmkr87]
Thank you for responding. [Shar19]
ya i do buy the movie when i needed to watch a movie but i feel very embarrassed to bring food from my home or out side the theaters. how ever i effort buying foods from the theaters. [koolravish]
I used to feel that way years ago but not anymore. It's so common now for people to bring their own snacks. [Shar19]
i buy the snacks in the theater ..................some theaters dont allow snacks from outside .............. [tomjoe]
Thanks for responding. [Shar19]
You're right. Popcorns, drinks and other food being sold in the theaters seem to be gold in price! What we do is that we buy snacks and drinks from the supermarket to bring inside the cinema. Thankfully, the cinemas here in our area are not too strict when it comes to bringing food inside. We don't actually spend a lot of money for food, just enough. [iamcdy]
Our area isn't strict anymore either. [Shar19]
well i take water, popcorn for myself and water, biscut, juices for my 2 1/2 year old son. I mostly buy popcorn at the theater. [mtata23]
I agree with you. Bringing the kids juice or juicebox is perfect for them. [Shar19]
When I lived in Los Angeles I would bring my own snacks and drinks to the movies. The town I live in now only has two movie theaters that aren't that expensive and have reasonable concession prices, I buy my snacks at the theater. [PrincessKitten]
yes i love taking food to the movies... usually, i go to mcdonalds and take out some food like cheeseburger, fries and cola.. if i feel like eating some light snack then i buy butter flavored popcorn, chips or hotdog in bun... but if i really don't have the budget, i just share the food with my hubby and enjoy the movie! [gracie04]
I agree, sharing really helps with the budget. [Shar19]
it depends, if i go to pizza hut or something beforehand i usually take my leftovers with me =p otherwise, i but nachos and sweets there =] it just adds to the whole experience [georgiasupergirl]
I love nachos at the movies. [Shar19]
We don't go to the movies that much. When we do go, I take in snacks to keep from buying them there. They just cost too much. I take a large bag and smuggle the snacks inside. We buy drinks there.I don't see anything wrong with this. I may take a water bottle next time with sweetened iced tea. heehe [SuzyQ12]
That's a great idea taking iced tea. Next time I'll have to do that. [Shar19]
Since taking food into the movies is against the rules (their income is derived mostly from food sales), I never take any. I always make sure my family is well fed before going to the movies. If we buy anything, it will be drinks. Or even one drink to pass around. Movies are not that long and we can easily pick up candy on the way home or make popcorn back at the house when we're done. [kenzie45230]
I buy snacks and drinks there even if it would have been better bringing my own since they don't have that much variety to choose from at the counter. There is no restrictions on bringing your own here though, i don't 'bring my own' simply cause of laziness to go and get it elsewhere beforehand :-) But come to think of it; most of us don't eat any snacks while watching a movie at home, so why the need to nibble at the theater? [jmp_72]
That's a good question. I guess because a lot of people snack while watching TV at home too. [Shar19]
The price is not what necessarily object to, it is the choices. I do not eat much in the sugar starch category so they have nothing I will eat. So I do bring protein bars with me and nuts. [Barbietre]
I agree with you. I'm more of a carbohydrate snack person instead of candy. [Shar19]
sometimes before going to the cinema, we would dine first so we wont be bringing any food inside the theater.. but there are times, when we dont dine instead we just buy snacks. [Nhey16]
I love going to the movies and i wouldn't mind spending more on cheese-flavored popcorn and a large cup of pepsi :) its so much nicer to watch movies if you have these [alvinjason10]
I wonder why they don't sell cheese flavored popcorn at the theater? I love Smart Food's Cheddar Popcorn. Yum! [Shar19]
I absolutely bring my own food. Everyone agrees that food prices at the candy bar are exorbitant and I flatly refuse to have to buy their overpriced junk. Once I was with my cousin and we had bought KFC fries to take in. The guy who was collecting our tickets said 'you're going to have to finish the hot food outsidebefore you go in'. I asked 'why?'. He replied 'for health and safety reasons'. Not long after that I went to the movies with my aunty and she bought a cp of coffee from their candy bar to take in. She burnt her mouth on it because it was that hot. Make sense? Nah, so I wrote a letter to the cinema management saying how angry I was and how silly the rules are, just because I didn't buy their severely overpriced food. I got a letter back apologising for my bad experience and a free movie ticket. I didn't get any answers but, yay, free stuff. [coffeeshot]
This is why women bring their big purses to the movies, to smuggle the snacks in. [Shar19]
When we go to the movies with my family - my hubby and my daughter, we usually buy stuffs that we feel like eating at that time. If we already ate much before entering the movie house, we won't bring any food. But if I feel like munching a popcorn while watching, I buy a large size to be shared by the three of us. We also par it with a bottled water. Sometimes if we are really very hungry, we buy burgers and fries. [cfmedrano]
Thanks for responding! [Shar19]
I bring our own snacks when watching movies. Snacks sold in the movie house cost a lot. or sometimes we eat first at home so we dont have to bring anything anymore. I remember when we were young, my cousins and I went to the movie house. We didnt have any snack bags, chips available at home. One of my cousins saw the bananas on the table , grabbed them and put them all in the bag. When we were already watching, we were laughing when we had to pass on the bananas to everybody. LOL [katrhina23]
I haven't paid a cent for movie snacks in years! Have you seen the rates for loose candy? It's a crime! I don't feel guilty at all, if I want to bring in crackers and cheese or anything else..and it's much healthier to drink water than the alternative. I see more and more people with their own snacks. [janeives43]
You're so right. Everyone brings their own snacks these days. [Shar19]
well,i do not like eating when i go to the movie theater and there is a few people do this in our city.I do not know how other people do ,but i really do not like .i just enjoy the film with my friend or boyfriend quietly. [amy851261]
I do bring my own food to the movies it is very expensive these days. I am very fortunate where we live the movies are $3 right now they are older movies but at least we can get out of the house and see a movie, ones that the kids havent seen. It is fun. [patriciaqualls]
I always go in to the movie armed with candy. I think that may be one of the best things about being a girl-- you can carry any size purse you want in to the theater. Earlier this year, I went with a group to see... something. Iron Man, maybe? There were 7 of us, and I carried enough canned sodas in my purse for us each to have one. The looks we got from the people sitting around us were hysterical-- there's really no way to disguise the *fssshhwhp!* noise that it makes when you open a can in a quiet theater... [randomragdoll]
Well i use to bring my own food when i go to cinemas to save some money, food in the cinemas are more expensive than the grocery store. but i do sometimes dont bring food for i can concentrate more of the movie when i dont eat while watching. And at the same time i will got a lots of saving too. happy [Margarit]
Since my kids were born I don't go to the movies very often. But whenever I have gone I like to bring my own snacks, so long as they will fit in my purse without looking obvious! LOL I finally went to the theaters last week and I did a little bit of both. I bought a few candy bars at the grocery store as well as a soda. However, the soda would not fit in my purse so I ended up buying a small soda at the concession stand along with a small popcorn. It came to just over $10 for these two items! Outrageous, but at that moment I did not care (if you read my discussion "have you ever done the unexpected?" you may understand). Anyway, when I told my husband about it, he told me that I should have gotten a kid's soda and popcorn. It costs half as much and comes with a box of candy. I'll have to remember that the next time I go as the small sized popcorn and drink were too big. I couldn't eat and drink it all! blink [sacmom]
I take my snacks. It is is very costly in the theatre. Ice cream is the only thing I buy at the theatre. [daffodil1949]
I only go about once every two years so I might buy something there but I do prefer to "smuggle" because, considering the length of time between visits, the prices really are noticeable to me. I don't think it is right that they should be able to charge so much on snacks which would cost quarter of the price somewhere else. [pumpkinjam]
usually i dont buy the snacks.i think that going to the movie is a simple thing.i enjoy the film but not go to the cantees.the food by the concession counter is so expensive.anyway,i know some people get a hatbit like that.i only have a drink at most. [yuri860708]
Hello Shar19, I do bring my snacks and drinks when I go to the movie, but some theaters don't allow snack not bought on their concession counter, so I have to buy some drink and some pop corn. It is really expensive but I guess that's how the theater owner also get it's capital to keep the theater working and in green. I don't go regularly to the movies and so I keep a budget fro it when I go and this include also the snacks to be bought in there. Regards. ninjaninjaninja [robert19ph]
Hi buddies, When i am going to cinema halls i will take a food before enterinh into the hall. I will eat while watching the movie its a time pass,enjoyment to eat. I will take samosa,popcorns,buscuits,softdrink.I will only my budget level. [23uday]
hi I went to move with my friends. In that time my friends buy the popcorn and drinks.I really enjoy to taking the popcorn to watch the move.I'm not thiking the cost in that time.just i think to spend the time with my friends and also enjoy the movie. [madhu_yl]
Me and my fiance do not go to the movie theater very often because it can be quite expensive especially since the prices of everything are going up and there is hardly anything worth seeing playing anyway,and we usually prefer to rent a movie from the movie store and watch it home in our room by ourselves,or in the den with my parents if they want to watch it to,or in the den with my parents are asleep or gone alone since there is a bigger television in the den,and there is also surround sound in the den which adds to the movie experience,we do go to the movie theater from time to time though,and the last movie we went and saw in theaters was Indiana Jones 4 which was a great movie and well worth the money to watch,and when I was little me and my parents would go to the movies from time to time,and we would usually buy a bag of popcorn and a drink,when me and my fiance go to the movies we will usually buy a drink,if we get anything but most of the time we just save the money and not buy anything and besides we usually go eat before we go to the movies,and I usually sneak my bottle in so I can dip while we are watching the movie so that usually keeps me happy and quiet during the movie,and when I dip I do not eat or drink because I am not talented enough to dip while eating or drinking,but one of my friends would put in a wad of dip and then sit there and drink with it in without getting sick,but I think if I tried I would end up throwing up because I would swallow some of my dip,and if you swallow dip it is supposed to make you throw up. [hellcowboy]
may be u r in bombay right, only there cost of the snacks is high. but i don preffer it . its like going for a picnic not for a movie [boomingguy]
maybe the foods now are expensive but you may also bring foods from your house or wherever that you want but you can also buy from theaters if you can afford it.but i usually watch movies rarely,i prefer to buy dvd`s so that i can watch it whenever i want to. [thereseflores]
Always bring my own stuff. It is rediculous how much they will try to gouge you for, all for a small candy bar you can get for 69 cents at any real store. Fight the man! [danrunsfast614]
Well we seldomly go to the movies due to the costs. Would rather rent movies. But when we do go we take out own snacks and drinks with us and sneak em in. [jennteel]
In our movie theatres you are not allowed to bring your own food. So you have to buy their salty popcorn and the soft drinks. I prefer to eat somewhere else than to buy such crap. Besides that food is always more expensive at theatres. © ronaldinu 2008 [ronaldinu]
When I go to the movie I didn't take any food with me. I think that we may get hungry or may not be in the movie theatre. If I get hungry in theatre I will buy some snacks. If I don't want to take any food leave it. So many times I used to take food in home and then go to theatre so I didn't get hungry in the theatre. But I see some of the people take food to the theatre. Its also one of the saving money policy. Happy to share. [adihindu]
i had during the summer when they have frre movies everyday for the kids.i didn't think people do that. i know it is cheaper to bring your own. next time we go i may do that to save money. [KENSHA29]
I used to do that as well ~ not because I had better snacks or wanted other snacks those theaters didn't sell. It was simply I thought they cost too much as well. I used to think it was okay as well since I saw so many other people doing it. Now if I go to the theater, I just make sure I eat and am full before walking into the theater, that way I'm not hungry or wanting a snack that is going to cost me $3-$5. But since the economic challenges that we've been experiencing lately, I don't go to the theater at all anymore. I wait till the movie comes out on DVD, and get it from Redbox, usually Free as well. Occassionally I'll spend money just to see a film, but for only $1, I can buy all the snacks I want and enjoy it in the comfort of my own home. [hdjohnson]
I almost always bring my own snacks to theaters. I like to bring things (also) that are not sold at the consession stand, like peeled oranges, or grapes. When movies cost $10 to $15 dollars per ticket, it's rediculous to spend another $10 to $15 dollars on popcorn and a soda (which can't cost more than a dollar for the theater to produce). [catdla1]
Yes, snacks available at the movie theaters are quite expensive adding the price of the movie tickets make watching movies at the theater all the more expensive. However, as I watch rarely at the movie house, only when there are certain movies that I do like to see at the big screen or quite anticipated it as well, I'll buy snacks there than to bring my own snacks. I got a budget however on how much I would like to spend for my snacks, as I don't much like eating a lot of food there. There are times too that I'm with my family, so we share with the expenses. happy [kylie_quistis]
i do same thing when i go to the movies and sometimes when i am financially sound i dont worry i just buy whatever catches my fancy at the movies but if am going with my kids i know i have to prepare to spend extra money on snacks [BYOLA2871]
It is been a very long time since I go to the Movie Theater but when i do before I always bought for me a food that they are selling in the counter for it is not allowed to bring any food inside if we bought it outside the counter..... [iyah10]
i very seldom go to the movies. i have never carried any snacks w/me but i can see why u do. they are very expensive along w/the price of getting in the movie. [ANTIQUELADY]
I used to feel guilty about bringing goodies into the theatre, but I do it for two reasons. First is the hue cost savings of bringing my own snacks, and the second is that I can bring healthier snacks than you can buy at the theatre. I've even popped good-for-you popcorn and brought the bag in - concealed in my huge purse, of course! [wrld_n_harmony]
Amen to big purses! [Shar19]
We usually do dinner and a movie..after dinner, I really have no desire to eat. SO it is moot, but If I do want popcorn I bring my own, the stuff is theaters smells good but is disgusting. [Debs_place]
I almost always take in my own drink. Most theaters, at least here, only have Coke sodas (Coke, Sprite, Mr. Pibb) and I don't like any of them so I take water or iced tea. I buy popcorn so I at least spend a little money at the concession stand. I wish there were theaters that have the full "restaurant" menus (like the Alamo Draft House in Austin, TX). It seems like their prices are more reasonable than ordinary concession stand prices ($5 for chips and queso dip isn't bad, or $15 for a pizza) and you can have dinner and the movie in one stop. [crimsonladybug]
My mother and my aunt used to do that with me and my cousin when we were young. We used to get down when it came to bringing food. I'm not just talking about snacks. We be up in there with hot dogs, hamburgers and soda. For dessert we had sweet potatoe pie,coconut custard, peach cobbler and fudge brownies. I think we made more noise eatin food. lol! But I haven't seen too many people do this in a long time. My friend will bring a water with her every now and then when we go but that's about it. The food in the movie's is expensive. The popcorn isn't allways good in some places. I hate asking for butter cause all they do is pour it on the top. And the rest on the bottom is dry. I never really give it much thought about taking snacks with me. Lately I've been telling myself that I'm not going to buy anything and just get something to eat when the movie is over. But I allways end up getting a popcorn. Next time I go I'm bringing my George Foreman grill with me. I'll be sitting in the back smoking sausages and grilling cheese sandwiches. I'll finish it off with a oreo cookie cheesecake from the cheese cake factory, and wash it down with a six pack of Bud lite lime. Then I'll unbutton my pants, kick my feet up on the seat of the person in front of me, tell him to f#ck off,light my cigar and pass out form farting. Yep that's what I'll do. Next time I'm walking through the movie theater with a parachute strapped to my back full of goodies!!!! [stinge]
Hi Shar, Like your case, the "official" stand of the cinemas is that we are not allowed to bring our own food. What meanie! They claim their sticky food is not sticky but our not sticky food instead is sticky. Anyway I seldom eat in the cinemas. I normally do that before or after the movie. I also am in the opinion that if your eating disturbs others, then that is not very right. I might occasionally buy a hot chocolate and bring it in or something. Cheers! lol [lordwarwizard]
Lately, when going to the movies, I see to it that I have eaten something rather than bringing foods in the cinemas. Our cinemas lately would have rolling mini-snack bars where they offer drinks and popcord during cinema breaks. lol [karamellized]
I sometimes bring in candy, sometimes not, it depends on how much time I have before the movie and if I actually remember to bring something. [rvangeld]
It depends.If I went to the cinema alone,I usually bought something like dried figs or raisins to eat and a bottle of milk tea to drink.If I went with my friends,sometimes we bought something sharing them,sometimes didn't.I don't like buy goodies at the movie theatre.So few snacks there and so expensive. I also felt guilty few years ago,cuz it's forbidden to bring our own snacks and drinks.But,many of them take their own snacks,so,I have used to do it now. [freda529]
Sure, I bring food and drink to the movies. It's already a habit I guess. I usually bring my own or buy at the grocery because it is cheaper. Yes, I do have a budget for food. That is included in my budget each time I go to the movies: ticket + munchers. [lizavm]
I've never felt guilty about "smuggling" my own snacks into the theater. I pay for the movie, not the food. Otherwise it would be included in the ticket price. Even though I haven't been to the theaters for awhile (about 6 years), I'd still have no problem bringing my own snacks. Though I'm less likely to snack during a movie now because you're more likely to over-eat. If theaters want to overprice the popcorn (which I don't like theirs anyway) and other snacks, then they need to realize people aren't going to just go with it. They will find alternatives, and the best way is to bring your own. [goodnightmoon]
We buy our own snacks and drinks in the grocery store because the foods in theaters are somewhat expensive so we buy ahead of our viewing time. Also there are lots of choices of snacks that you can choose from the store. ^^, [zhaychel]
Hello Shar19! I understand what you mean about being guilty of having to "smuggle" food into the theater. My boyfriend and I love going to the movies! More often than not, we would eat before entering the theater. Or, we would watch first then eat after watching the movie. We rarely bring food or even buy food in the movie house as that would be very expensive. It is not practical. [dolce_vita78]
I sneak mine in too. I hate the fact that they charge double or triple the cost of the treats to get them there. I sneak little juice boxes in in my purse or small treats. Half the time i cant afford both the treats and the movie so i sneak the stuff i want in. [saundyl]
I don't want to sound like the morality police here, but you should feel guilty. Movie theaters charge such high prices on snacks because snacks are the only place they profit; they're hit-and-miss covering the costs of the film-, projection- and heat/air-equipment, so the cost of snacks is really paying for the whole experience. (Of course, you have to pay for the tickets separately from the snacks for statistical purposes ... i.e. so that the box-office figures don't get cheated on by theater-owners whose customers are rich pigs.) So don't 'sneak in' snackfood anymore, just bring lots of friends and encourage everyone who hears you to do the same! [mythman]
The whole experience costs too much, you're right. Shame on the movie-theaters for paying the ever-changing costs of the building, movies and business, and then putting the cost in the price of the one thing they control (the price of snacks)! They should all fold, passing the business on to home-theater development! [mythman]
sometimes when i watch movies i dont snack in between or while inside the movie theater...since i usually watch in the early evening after dinner...but if i do eat while watching i like buying peanuts and a diet coke or something crunchy to make my mouth busy while inside.. [vanities]
I always buy the snacks there - because I also feel guilty smuggling things in. I also think that they keep raising the prices on the addmission to cover the costs they lose from people not purchasing snacks there. [kellys3ps]
I also don't like to do that due to high prices. However, my kids always force me to buy at least some minimum snacks. [suruchi86]
..and they don't allow to take food items purchased from outside. [suruchi86]
Hi there Shar. When me and my girlfriend go to the movies we do take water with us from outside, because it would cost us about 80-90% of a ticket value extra to buy a lousy bottle of water in there. I think that those prices are way to high, and are really not worth it, especially in this times of financial crisis. [elitess]
I totally agree with you. I always take a water bottle with me too. I feel sorry for the people that take a family of four or more with them to the movies and then they have to shell out a ton of money just for the snacks. blink [Shar19]
usually when i go to the movie theater i spend an amount equal to the price of my ticket on snacks... once tried to take chewing gum inside and they didn't even allow that..the security actually frisked me and removed the chewing gum packs i had and told me to take them while leaving.. :( [jalaluddin]