To think the cinema is a day to day event

[Soboystake]

Not an experience or day out

We have a zoo pass so we do go to the zoo a lot!!

We don’t go to the cinema as we would need to get a babysitter or take time off work, and I can think of better things to do if I’m doing either of those!!

My grandkids find it quite a treat.It can be an expensive excursion,so not everyday.

That’s it… I think there’s a chasm between those who love films and go regularly, don’t bother with the snacks etc because the focus is on the film, and those (like me) who have very little spare time/childcare so don’t bother with the cinema all that often, and when we do go it’s usually with all the kids in tow and it’s a treat/experience rather than a day to day thing. Of course I know other types of cinema goers exist!
I haven’t had a babysitter for 10 years so DH and I can’t go to the cinema together. I wouldn’t go to the cinema on my own because I have very, very little time to myself and the cinema isn’t where I’d choose to spend it. So cinema trips tend to be something the kids want to see, and is a ‘treat’ afternoon out with popcorn and slushies etc. Usually about twice a year.

I’ve had an Unlimited card for ten years. In that time I’ve gone between twice a week and once every three months.

Held on through Covid, having a baby and getting divorced.

On Friday I had a child free evening, went to see Planet of the Apes, it was utter shit so I left after the popcorn ended and didn’t regret it. Might have done if I felt like I’d “paid” for it.

(Unlimited pays for itself if you go twice a month, and you get 20% off snacks which makes it more viable too. I NEED quiet solo time in the dark with my phone off every now and then).

It’s a treat, I wouldn’t be paying to go all the time

Yes! Sometimes I go on my own at 9pm. Just me, a film, a bag of sweets and a decaf coffee. It is total bliss. DH stays at home with DS.

It’s not an expensive day out, but we don’t do it very often and have to devote the entire afternoon to it, so it’s still a day out to me.

The Natural History Museum is free and I’d still say visiting that is a day out - it isn’t really about the cost.

About £15 here though.

We went to see Matilda as a family; I think that was 2022.
The previous I went was to supervise ds and a friend watch a marvel movie. It was definitely before covid, but probably not a long time before.
So yes, it would be a special day out.

I live in Kent , Southeast UK. Adult tickets are £14.95 each on a normal day. My teenage son I think at 16 is classed as an adult. So that is £45 for 3 people . They do have discounted deals on a Monday. So not day to day at all !

I had no idea Vue prices varied so much!

They do. If we can we go 3 miles up the road where the ticket prices are half price.

No idea about Vue prices as my nearest one is 35 miles away.

Fortunately for me I can take my 2 grandchildren who are very close in age, and they are still young enough to the kids club on a Saturday morning, for £3.00 each for us all. I do this once a month as there treat. We usually go to the toy shop or food after. They are allowed a certain amount each in the toy shop.

When it's past their age then well everything will get more expensive. They are at that in-between age of 5 and 6 where they don't fit toddlers things and day out things they are too young for where we live.

I don't buy in the cinema anymore than a box of popcorn between them as I take treats and snacks. We have like a cinema picnic. They love it.

We do usually go somewhere once a week but usually it's the village or the park and the like

We have Odeon limitless. £18.99 per month (less than the cost of a premium recliner seat). The cinema is a Luxe and only 10 mins away. We go 3 to 4 times per month, take our own snacks and drinks and a blanket, makes a change from sitting at home on a thursday evening.

Yes! Sometimes I go on my own at 9pm. Just me, a film, a bag of sweets and a decaf coffee. It is total bliss. DH stays at home with DS.

Same for me, I also love to go and watch foreign films my friends or family aren’t into.

It costs £35 for a family ticket at our (very nice) cinema. We usually go for pizza beforehand which is usually over £60.
So a twice/three times a year sort of thing in our house.

It's an experience if someone hasn't ever been to a cinema before....lie if its your child's first time.
We go alot ....depends what's on but its only £4.99 at Vue. It doesn't cost much to see a film especially if you take your own snacks. If its a big film we've been waiting months to see then yeah...we go all out with the hot dogs and popcorn/ice cream from the cinema ....so it's like a proper treat.

Silly question really, because clearly a 'treat' means different things to different households. And obviously prices vary depending on venue and how new the film is.

I go quite a bit. The local tiny theatre/cinema in our market town shows big films a couple of month or so after they released, and also foreign language and arty films. They're 8 quid a ticket, which I feel is an ok expenditure so I might go there once a month. I mostly see a film that DH isn't interested in, so no childcare (we'd pay DS1 anyway!). On the fairly rare occasions DH and I manage to go together, we're paying DS1 babysitting money and might go to the local Vue just down the road - often tickets there are as cheap as 5.99 online. Sometimes I take DS1 or Dh will, to a big release and pay a little more.

We NEVER, ever buy a single thing in the cinema! You could easily pay twice the cost of the ticket on snacks - fine if you can afford it but I feel the mark up is appalling and won't do it. We take sweets and drinks in with us but to be honest I don't want to be sitting in a popcorn fug anyway.

@Soboystake apparently it is nearly 100 pounds to take a family of 5 to the cinema in scotland!!! not an everyday thing at all!!

in that people's TVs are big enough and powerful enough to create a cinema like experience, yes.

gave up going to the cinema years ago, it's too loud and there are people talking or teenagers being silly (throwing stuff at the screen, hitting each other etc, running into other screens when staff try to stop them).

I got tickets for the new Ghostbusters movie and my tyre blew on the way there. I wish I hadn't got the tickets in advance but it was for the midnight showing and they cancel it if they don't sell tickets in advance.

My tyre wouldn't come off and we missed the movie. I have not been able to financially justify buying new tickets.

@SocksAndTheCity Just ignore her/him, they're arguing with everyone on this thread.

It's a big treat in our house

It all depends on how you look at it. If you take your kids & buy them snacks & drinks & treats then it can work out quite expensive & is a day out so not really a day to day thing. However, if it's just you going to see a film with no treats then it could be an everyday thing. It really depends on how you look at it so you're not BU or BR it's a personal opinion on the experience you make it.

I didn't either. If i knew they did, I'd assume it was my area that would be paying out the nose (London) as we do for everything else!

Perhaps they feel sorry for us, knowing we're already crippled by house prices 🙈