Michael has been wanting to see National Treasure: Book of Secrets. I wasn't lucky enough to win screening passes through Ytic, so we were going to have to pay to see this one. I suggested that we use one of my coupons in the Entertainment Book because even for an evening show at Regal Cinemas, the price is only $6.00 (or $7.50 within the first 12 days of the movie's release). That's a good deal considering the regular price is $10.25 ($8.00 for a matinee) in the DC area.
However, Michael found an even better deal! AMC Theatres offer big discounts (no coupons needed) for their shows before noon on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. So, we went to the 10:30 AM showing of National Treasure this morning (MLK Day) for only $5.00/ticket. Half price! We also had no problems finding near-by parking, which was great because it's so cold out. The meter parking was free since it's a holiday. There weren't a lot of people there, so we got good seats without having to get there really early.
We grabbed lunch after the movie -- and it was a nice (and very affordable) date!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Morning Movie
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Deal of the Weekend
This past Saturday, Michael and I had a nice little date that was inexpensive. We got dinner from the prepared food section at Whole Foods. (I have to be careful in that place because I could go broke -- everything is so good!) I had a little sampling of about 10 different salads (and in that I got a little of everything spiced up in lots of great ways: veggies, cheeses, fruit, shrimp, chicken, beef, turkey, tofu, rice, and noodles). Michael chose some warm chili and corn bread for a cold night's dinner. That ran us $17 and some change. For the quality and variety of food, it's hard to beat that deal.
For entertainment and a nice evening at home, we decided to use a Blockbuster coupon he got from cashing in his Coke Rewards points. It included 2 movie rentals, 2 20-ounce bottles of Coke, and a tub of popcorn -- for free! (The total value at Blockbuster was $14.)
Coke Rewards doesn't make any sense for me since I don't drink that many Coca-Cola brand products. It's free, but I'd never collect enough points to earn any prizes. Michael does drink Coke on a regular basis (and other people, including me, give him the points they don't want), so it's a great way to get a little bonus for using something he normally does anyway.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
When It's Not Even Worth "Free"
Some things aren't even worth "free" -- meaning, I don't want it even if you give it to me. Last night Michael and I had that experience. We went to see a screening of Margot at the Wedding with Nicole Kidman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Jack Black. The tickets were free because I won them through Ytic, an online entertainment guide for DC. I only enter contests for movies that I think I might like. I was definitely wrong this time! That movie was so strange. I don't recommend it at all -- for fee or free -- don't waste your time or money.
A similar experience happened to us when I won tickets last year through the local NPR affiliate (WAMU) to see a modern dance performance at Lisner Auditorium. We got great seats on the second row of this sold out event. There was such a buzz of excitement before it started. I thought, "Wow! We must be in for something good." And the tickets were regular $50 each, so what a deal. Boy, I was wrong! It was one of the most painful two hours that Michael and I have spent in our lives. It was truly bizarre, but apparently, people who are into that kind of thing really enjoyed it. Walking back to the Metro that night as we discussed what we had just witnessed, I laughed so hard my stomach literally hurt. "People actually paid to see that!...and they liked it!" I was screaming laughing! After all, there we were in prime seats -- for free -- and we hated it. Michael threatened to never do anything for free with me again...I laughed even harder.
From then on, I have been more careful about what I get for free, especially tickets to events/shows. I can just leave it for someone who will actually like it. I'd been doing pretty good until last night. Luckily, Michael forgave me because I did buy him dinner (with a coupon of course!). ;-) And at least, we hadn't spent $19 (regular price for two tickets at that theater) to go see it.
