Entertainment Savings
Entertainment savings can certainly be implemented...without totally sacrificing your lifestyle!!
Entertainment costs continue to get more and more expensive everyday. With some planning and a little self control, your entertainment savings can really add up.
1. Going to the movies.
The cost of seeing a movie at the local cinema has gotten outrageous.
Not only that, the food and drink prices at the movie theater are out of control.
If you must go to the movie theater, try a matinee instead of prime time... usually these are much cheaper prices for the same movie.
In addition, you can probably bring a small amount of candy with you (purchased at the grocery store instead of the movie theater), saving on the cost of food purchased while you are there.
2. Rent a DVD at home.
This is much cheaper than actually going to the movie theater, and several people can watch the movie for one low price.
Places like Redbox, and Netflix have special deals on renting movies.
Furthermore, you can have all kinds of drinks, popcorn, candy, and other snacks (purchased at the grocery store) for a deeply discounted price when compared to the movie theater.
3. Sporting events.
If you're like me, you love sports!
I don't love, however, the costs of seeing most professional sporting events.
Even some college sporting events have gotten out of control.
Personally, although there is nothing like the thrill and excitement of being there live and in person at a good sporting event, I have found that I enjoy watching most professional sports on TV in the comfort of my own home.
The cost of tickets to these professional sporting events is ridiculous, and the food and drinks people purchase while they are there is equally outrageous.
By watching the games on TV, and having a few friends over, we can watch the game, carry on conversations, and have a much larger selection of food and drink for a much better price.
4. High School and College Athletics.
Personally, I have become a huge fan of high school and college athletics.
The competition is fierce, the athletes still care, winning and losing still matters... probably because these athletes are not being paid multimillions of dollars to play a game.
In addition, the costs of tickets for these non-professional sporting events are much less expensive.
5. Casino gambling and lottery tickets.
I always see people buying lottery tickets and going to the casino, who look like they have absolutely no business doing either.
The odds of winning the lottery are so ridiculously against you that it's not even worth talking about here.
Also, if casinos were set up for people to win money all the time, they wouldn't be in business very long.
Face the fact that the cards are stacked against you (no pun intended), and although you may win from time to time, you will lose in the long run...money you probably cannot afford to lose in the first place.
5. Bars and nightclubs.
I think I covered this in the "restaurant savings" section, but it should be rather obvious that you save a tremendous amount of money by purchasing alcoholic beverages and food at the local grocery store, instead of the bar or nightclub.
Plus, although I don't drink alcoholic beverages personally, I have seen many of my friends spend insane amounts of money as they become more and more intoxicated.
They may think they had a great time, but they often wake up the next morning wondering where all their money went. Now, I don't mean to say that you shouldn't have any fun, but maybe you need to seriously examine the amount of time you spend at the bar, as well as all the money you are wasting.
An occasional visit to the sports bar or nightclub is fine, but becoming a "regular" at the bar will lead to many, many problems, not just financial.
Overall, by implementing some or all of the above mentioned strategies, your entertainment savings will really become financially worthwhile.
To Your Success...
David Jesse, Your Fellow Average Joe