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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

A family cinema trip is a treat surely? not an every day occurrence?

204 replies

LittleBookofCalm · 01/09/2018 12:53

According to the news, end of the news, someone talking about being really badly off and saying they couldnt have a family trip to the cinema and how wrong it was that they couldnt afford this

I would argue that it is a Treat, spending that sort of money -

OP posts:
WaxOnFeckOff · 01/09/2018 15:27

I'm in my 50s and it was always and still is a treat and we are not badly off. Also not everyone goes out to eat every weekend. I've no idea what kind of lives some of you think everyone has Confused

WaxOnFeckOff · 01/09/2018 15:29

With cinemas it is a case of shop around and don’t necessarily go to one of the big name cinemas. Look for the small chains or independent cinemas

We only have one cinema and it's one of the most expensive in the country. To go elsewhere requires a bus or train or a car and we have some of the most expensive rail and bus fares in the country. Our taxis are also extortionate.

I can afford it but not everyone can. Not everyone has access to reduced tickets etc.

Shelvesoutofbooks · 01/09/2018 15:32

Just a tip in case anyone could use it - groupon and wocher almost always have odeon or vue tickets - 5 for £20 or £25

TheBigFatMermaid · 01/09/2018 15:40

Yes it is a treat, but are you saying people should not have a treat every now and again?

We choose not to go to the cinema and wait for films in other ways. We have other 'treats' we like as a family. We spend far too much on DD and her karate, but we make it a family thing, so all stay in a hotel once a year, the night before the club finals (if she gets through) or a drink at home on a Saturday night and comics for the DC.

Are you saying we don't deserve treats because we are on a low income and get benefits?

mydogisthebest · 01/09/2018 15:49

I don't think the cinema is expensive. Well it is in Central London but not really in other places.

It's much much cheaper than going to the theatre or a concert or to an amusement park or eating out. Ticket prices haven't really gone up that much over the years.

There are often deals on Groupon to be found plus the Meerkat Movies. Also no real need to buy food and drink. Me and DH go to the cinema most weeks and don't buy food or drink. We don't sit watching tv and eating popcorn or chocolate and drinking fizzy drinks so why would we just because we are at the cinema.

I love going to the cinema. Watching films on tv is just not the same

WaxOnFeckOff · 01/09/2018 15:59

I think everyone deserves treats. I think there is a balance between saying that it's an everyday thing and saying that it's something that poor people shouldn't do.

Our local cinema is just under £10 for a childs ticket and just under £12 for an adult. Normal, non vip, non 3d ticket.

Again, not everyone goes to the theatre, theme parks and out to eat every week.

Flyingpigs247 · 01/09/2018 15:59

It is a treat for us I suppose as we only tend to go on special occasions (Birthdays) or if there is a film one of us is desperate to see.
I wouldn't go just for the sake of it if none of the films particularly interest any of the children.

Oliversmumsarmy · 01/09/2018 15:59

*With cinemas it is a case of shop around and don’t necessarily go to one of the big name cinemas. Look for the small chains or independent cinemas

We only have one cinema and it's one of the most expensive in the country. To go elsewhere requires a bus or train or a car and we have some of the most expensive rail and bus fares in the country. Our taxis are also extortionate*

If we wanted everything within walking distance we would starve. Of course get the car out. I mean why would you not if it is going to save you £50 -£60

I can afford it but not everyone can. Not everyone has access to reduced tickets etc

I would presume everyone has some form of insurance, house, car, contents etc or has at least electricity. Unless you don’t have a car and rent a fully furnished flat which has energy charges included and own no clothes, computers etc then BOGOF vouchers are out there

WaxOnFeckOff · 01/09/2018 16:03

Some people don't have access to the internet in their own home or own a smart phone or the facility to print vouchers or know what vouchers are available. I can buy discounted tickets via my work and two of us have meerkat movies and we still don't go regularly or eat out every weekend and we are not badly off at all.

Maryann1975 · 01/09/2018 16:04

It’s a treat for us, but we class anything like that, where we are spending money that we don’t have to as a treat. (Which makes me sound really tight with money, which we aren’t). We all choose our priorities and treats differently. We go to the cinema (only maybe, 4 times a year) and have friends who say they can’t afford it, but they choose their treats differently and go to costa every Saturday for lunch which we don’t do. It’s just your priorities in our case and what you class as important.

I also have friends who can’t affford to go the cinema because it costs around £100 for their family of 5 to go. When I questioned her further, they buy multiple snacks and drinks for each person at the cinema. We take a couple of bags of supermarket popcorn and a bag of sweets with us, which costs less than £5. 5 tickets last week cost about £35. So £40 for 2 hours entertainment. Compared to a lot of other family activities, that’s quite good value. (Comparing it to the water park close by/trampoline centre/climbing place). I paid £100 for 4 theatre tickets recently and they were right at the back and although the show was good, it was really expensive.

Oliversmumsarmy · 01/09/2018 16:11

Some people don't have access to the internet in their own home or own a smart phone or the facility to print vouchers

Now you are making people sound pathetic.

Everyone has access to a library.

I never buy anything apart from food shopping (Lidl and Tesco) without looking for a voucher or cash back.
Technically I could still afford to go full price but why would I?

yorkshireyummymummy · 01/09/2018 16:11

Don’t know if this has been mentioned as I haven’t RTFT but you can swap Tesco clubcard vouchers fir Cineworld tickets.
£4.50 buys an adult ticket
£3.50 buys a child ticket.
If you take your own drinks and snacks then this is a non ’cash paying out ‘ way of going to cinema.

mydogisthebest · 01/09/2018 16:11

Maryann, as you say different people have different priorities but for anyone to say they can't afford to go to the cinema but they can afford to go to Costa for lunch every Saturday is untrue.

Lunch at Costa is not exactly cheap is it? Just coffee is a ridiculous price.

Also I am sure it would cost anything close to £100 for 5 people (and I assume some are children) to go to the cinema. Two lots of Meerkat Movies would make a big difference and, as I said before, why do people feel the need to eat and drink while watching a film?

Kpo58 · 01/09/2018 16:19

Everyone has access to a library
No they don't. For some people there isn't one within walking distance and they can't afford the bus fare to it. For others the library is only open when they are working.

I haven't been to the cinema for at least a couple of years. Partly the prices of £15 per ticket put me off and the lack of childcare.

Cachailleacha · 01/09/2018 16:21

It's a low level treat. We go every couple of months, either on a Monday night (£4 each), or a Tuesday or Wednesday with a Meerkat 2 for 1 offer. Never pay full price and never buy food or drinks at the cinema (supermarket chocolate and drink).

adoggymama · 01/09/2018 16:24

I consider going to the cinema a treat- I'm 19! It's expensive as hell. It was always a treat when I was younger too. A once a month occurrence usually for my boyfriend and I.

Sunnymeg · 01/09/2018 16:25

It is cheaper for DH and I to drive 30 miles to a large town have a meal at the fish and chip restaurant and see a film at that town's cinema than it is to have Premier seats at our local one and have a bucket of popcorn to share.
Which is utter madness when you think about it. W
I don't think we have been to our local cinema since we saw the last Bond film.

bruffin · 01/09/2018 16:28

Cinema used to be the cheap thing to do, now it's expensive and as such is more of a treat.
Its cheaper now than its ever been. A cineworld card and a comparethemeerkat means 2 can 4 x a month for 17.99.

WaxOnFeckOff · 01/09/2018 16:40

Now you are making people sound pathetic.

Pathetic is a strange choice of word, not really sure what you are getting at. And agree, not everyone has access to a library.

It never fails to amaze me that some posters can't see past the end of their own nose and can't appreciate that people have different incomes, priorities, cultures etc. I'm not special or a rocket scientist by any means but I can appreciate that, even with vouchers, the cinema is a treat for a lot of people.

Crunchymum · 01/09/2018 16:45

I can take my kids for under a tenner.

We do the vue mini morning (£2.49 each x3 of us) and then grab a £1 pack of popcorn and a £1 pack of Haribo to share from the supermarket opposite. Sorted!!

BewareOfDragons · 01/09/2018 16:50

Cinema trips used to be a lot more widely affordable ... they aren't anymore for new movies Sad, really. Nice way to spend some time out with your family watching the same thing, can go for a walk afterwards and have a chat about it, etc

MinaPaws · 01/09/2018 16:54

It should be possible for every family to afford at least one treat per week. Wages are artificially low. A living wage would allow for housing/bills/food and leisure activities. Including at least a week's holiday per year as well. There is no logical reason for people to be working full time yet struggling even to afford enough food.

Totally agree with that @ReanimatedSGB

people saying shop around for cinemas - it's not that easy. Our local cinemas - one wlaking distance, one a bus ride, another 30 mins by train, are all £15.50 per ticket. We can go to the opera at ENO or to a play at the National for less than that, or to a live gig. It would mean travelling into London, but once a local cinema trip costs £62, I start thinking what else we could do for the same money.

Walkingdeadfangirl · 01/09/2018 16:56

It might be expensive for some people but its not exactly a treat, its just a film and in several months it will be on TV. Nothing to get worked up about.

Dragonglass · 01/09/2018 16:59

We have started going to the cinema more often now that Vue have dropped their prices to £4.99. We also take our own snacks and drinks most of the time.
We are getting a Cineworld soon so I'm hoping that the competition means that Vue keep the prices this low.

Eliza9917 · 01/09/2018 17:12

We're lucky that we have 3 independent cinemas near us that cost £4.50 at most. The Vue also does £4.99 tickets.

We don't go that often but we saw the meg a few weeks ago and I've booked tickets for the nun. Each time has cost us £10 with the booking fees.

They ask you to buy drinks and snacks from them as it helps support the cinema and keep prices low so we don't take our own.