When I was younger, I’m talking early teenage years; I used to sneak into movies with my friends. The trick would require one of us to buy a ticket then go into the arcade, which had a door to the parking garage, in order to let the rest of the friends into the movie theater. I was usually the one waiting in the parking garage at the arcade door for my friend to let me in because I was too nervous that a theater employee would catch me letting my friends in for free.

I’m certainly not proud of my actions back then. I tell you that story only to explain that was how my friends and I saved money at the movies back then. Now-a-days I still want to get into the movies for free but I’m not willing to break the law in order to do so. Today I go about getting free movies in a lot less stressful manner, but generally just as cheap.

A friend once quipped to me after he bought us tickets, “I want to go see a movie, not make a down payment on a condo!” I laughed his comment off at the time, but every time I go to the movies now I remember his joke and think maybe he was on to something. The prices at movie theaters keep going up; everything from tickets to concessions is insanely expensive! I don’t know how much tickets cost you, but down here in South Florida a ticket on a Friday or Saturday night to a new movie will run me about $10.50. It costs over $21 (don’t forget about tax) just to get into the theater!

Thankfully I haven’t paid that much for a movie theater ticket in a long time. In fact Mr. Patterson and I rarely pay full price for tickets when we go to the movies for a date night. In general there are four methods I use to watch movies for free or nearly free.

Some methods require more effort than others. Why not start with the easiest way to see a movie for free, a simple internet search. Over the years I’ve found a few good websites that offer movie passes to the public. You are usually able to see most new movies opening weekend or before they hit theaters! For each of these sites you’ll need to register or create an account. Yes, you’ll be put on their email list, but in this instance that’s a good thing! They’ll send you updates about movies you can screen for free!

Gofobo: Click on the screenings tab and enter your zip code and how far you’re willing to drive to see a movie (radius). Then pick an eligible movie from the drop down menu. If there are any free movie passes that match your criteria you’ll be able to print the tickets right away!

SeeItFirst: This site specializes in passes for Disney movies.  A great site to be a member of if you have children or grandchildren!

AdvanceScreenings: Simply click on the movie you’d like to see, choose your state and the metropolitan area closes to you for a list of free movie tickets in your area.

Cinemit: Click on the movie you’d like to see and a list of cities hosting free screenings pops up. You can also get some behind the scenes information on almost every new movie coming out at this site.

I’ve found that when I get free movie passes from any of these sites it’s important to arrive about an hour before the movie starts. A lot of times there are way more passes given out than seats available. If you don’t arrive early enough you’re likely to be turned away. The more popular the film, the earlier you’ll need to arrive.

You should also check out fandango.com. Most people use this website to find times for movies they want to see. You can also use it to get free movie tickets. Sign up for one of their trial offers and get free movie tickets. Now signing up for a trial offer usually isn’t very appealing. It’s usually for items that nobody wants, but not this time! This offer allows you to sign up for Netflix, Hulu, Angie’s List, registering Godaddy domain and a bunch of other things you will actually use!

If you are in the giving mood you can also get free movie tickets for donating blood! This method allows you to help out your fellow man, find out your blood type for free, and get a free movie pass. You’ll need to be at least 17 years old and at least 110 pounds to be eligible. Usually mobile blood banks are set up outside grocery stores and the movie theaters themselves. This way you don’t have to go out of your way to get the free movie passes. Just remember that every day, someone, somewhere needs blood. This is a great cause to support while getting something in return!

Some people don’t enjoy going to the movies though. They don’t want to fight the crowds, can’t make the scheduled screening times, hate looking for parking, can’t get comfortable in the theater seats, etc. If this sounds like you, do not despair! You will not be left out.

You can get movies on DVD for free to watch at your leisure in the comfort of your own home. Redbox offers movies for about $1 a day. They get all the major movies that hit the theaters a few months ago. To find a Redbox kiosk check out redbox.com and click on the Browse a Location link in the top, left corner. Enter your zip code and a list of establishments that offer RedBox kiosks will appear.

Now like I said the retail price for movies from Redbox is about $1 a day. A cheap price if you can remember to return the DVD in time. But why pay for something when you can get it for free! Each week new codes are distributed (most often by Redbox themselves) to get free rentals. I say this so that you don’t feel like you are doing anything illegal. This is 100% legitimate and on the up and up. Check out insideredbox.com or redboxcodes.com to get the codes for free movies. You’ll have to create an account on each site, but again this is a good thing. Each time a new code becomes available these sites will email it to you. You can use each code once for each debit/credit card you have. That means if you have 3 cards you can use the same code to get you 3 free movies! You can even rent multiple movies for free in the same night this way. Just make sure you get the code before you visit the Redbox kiosk nearest you.

Want to save even more money? Sign up to receive emails from your local theaters. Not only will you get emailed information about showtimes for upcoming movies, but they’ll also send you money saving coupons for concession stand items like popcorn, candy and soda drinks! This way you can see the movie for free and eat their yummy food very cheaply! Sign up at:

Cinemark Theaters: www.cinemark.com

Regal Cinemas: www.regmovies.com

AMC Theaters: www.amctheatres.com

Enjoy!

Keeping Money in Your Pocket,

Nancy Patterson