During your teen-age years, if you ever asked your dad for 20 bucks to go to the movies, you probably received a lecture about spending and saving money at the movies. And if grandpa was around, he probably contributed.

They might tell you a story about how they could buy popcorn, see a double feature — with a good opening cartoon — and still receive change from a $1 bill. (You may have already figured this out, but grandpa was telling the truth; dad was lying for effect.)

Those days are long gone. Average movie tickets are up to $9 apiece, but if you’re going to a 3D movie with reclining seats at night as an adult, you’ll play several dollars more than the average. And, based on the concession stand prices, who knew popcorn had become such a rare and valuable commodity? (Oil producers are jealous of movie popcorn producers in today’s economy.) It all adds up in a hurry.

Still, we pay these prices, because we love movies. To help you enjoy movies even more, we’ve compiled a list of nine ways that you can save money at the movies today. (That’s one tip for each dollar you’re spending on an average ticket.) These tips won’t allow you to go for $1 like grandpa did, but you’ll hopefully save enough that you’ll be able to tell your grandkids some of your own stories about how cheap things were in your day.

1. Join the Theater’s Loyalty Club

You will have to give out some personal information to join the loyalty club, but the rewards are worth it for frequent movie goers. Many theater chains offer discounts based on how much you spend over time. Others have special discounted tickets and concessions nights for loyalty club members.

2. Try a Monthly Pass

One interesting idea that may be worth it for frequent movie goers is MoviePass. It allows you to pay a monthly subscription fee and you then can see one movie per 24 hours all month long. You’ll manage all aspects of using MoviePass with a smartphone app.

Subscription prices vary depending on where you live, whether you want to lock into an annual contract, and whether you want to see fewer movies per month.

Not all theaters work with MoviePass, and even if your local theater does honor MoviePass, it may have restrictions. And you cannot see the same movie more than once. But on the plus side, some theaters will credit your ticket purchases at full price for their loyalty programs, rather than what you’re actually paying through MoviePass, which is great.

Before signing up, read through the details closely to ensure it’s a good deal for you at your local theater. And if your theater does not participate in MoviePass, it never hurts to ask if they will partner with the service or if they have their own monthly pass deal.

3. The Earlier, the Better

If you don’t mind going to the movies a little earlier than most people, you could save 15%-25% for a matinee movie ticket. Even if you only go to the movies every other week, you could save around $50-$60 per person annually. Most theaters offer these slight discounts before 6 p.m. on weekdays and before 4 p.m. on weekends. So consider flipping the traditional script and going to the movies first before going to a late dinner. (And you probably won’t have to fight for the best seats if you go earlier.)

4. Special Discount Nights

If you’re a senior citizen, a member of the military, or a student, your local theater chain may have a special night of the week where you’ll receive a discount. It probably will be on a weeknight, so don’t plan on this idea for a cheap Friday night date. My local theater chain offers $5 movie tickets on Tuesday nights for students, for example, which is half price. Some discounts for seniors are available at all times and can be as much as one-third off the regularly priced ticket. You just have to see what’s available at your local theater and then ask for the discount.

5. Gift Card Discounts

Don’t feel guilty about using this tip! There’s nothing wrong with buying a gift for yourself on occasion.

Around the holidays, your local theater chain may offer a discount for gift cards purchased in bulk. If you buy $100 in gift cards, you may receive a $10 gift card for free, for example. That’s like receiving a nearly 10% discount on your tickets.

Another option for cheap gift cards is a local warehouse club. They often sell gift cards for many places like restaurants and movie theaters at a discount to the face value of the gift cards. These discounts range from 5% to 15%.

Finally, you can visit sites like CardCash to find discounted gift cards for movie theaters. Just make sure the gift card is for your local theater chain and not a theater 30 miles away.

6. Avoid Extra Fees

Purchasing your tickets from online movie reservation sites can be convenient. But you may pay an extra $1 or $2 for the tickets. Sure, this doesn’t seem like much, but on a $10 ticket, that’s a 10%-20% surcharge. Buy from the box office or the theater’s own web site to avoid the surcharge. Or perhaps the theater has a mobile app that allows you to purchase tickets directly.

You’ll also pay added fees to see a movie in 3D or in IMAX resolution. Sometimes this extra feature is worth it, but not always. If you’re really fired up about seeing a particular movie, go ahead an splurge for 3D or IMAX. But if you’re unsure if you’ll like the movie, go for the traditional 2D and save a few dollars.

7. Download the Theater’s App

Some theater chains will push discounts to you through their app every few weeks. And if you’re a loyalty club member, it may work in conjunction with the app for other discounts and reminders of special deals. (Just don’t use the app during the movie — rude!)

You also can follow all of your theater’s social media accounts, as they may occasionally announce ticket and concession discounts. But in most cases, using the app and signing up for the loyalty club is an easier way to receive consistent discounts from a particular theater chain.

8. Save Money on Snacks

One of the great things about the theater experience is the snacks. It’s just part of the cost of the movies for many people. But they’re expensive, so it helps to save a bit of money here.

You may receive discounts on snacks as a loyalty club member. And some theaters offer a snack bundle — aimed at kids — for a much lower price than buying the items individually.

Let’s be honest: No one needs as much popcorn as most theaters serve. But perhaps sharing a bucket among a family isn’t overdoing it too much. If your kids will fight over the tub, bring some paper lunch sacks and divvy up the tub, so everyone receives a fair share. And if you have a really big family (or if you’re addicted to movie theater popcorn), many theaters now offer free refills on the largest tub of popcorn.

Finally, quietly bring your own snacks. For example, you can buy theater sized candy boxes at grocery stores usually for around $1. This can be as much as a 75% discount versus what you’ll pay at the theater for the same box. Understandably, theaters don’t tell you to bring your own snacks. But as long as you aren’t obnoxiously flaunting the fact that you brought your own candy, most theaters will look the other way.

9. Deal Sites

There are movie deals floating around the Internet, if you just know where to look. Admittedly, it can be a huge hassle to track multiple sites. But that’s where we at Ben’s Bargains enter the picture, ready to help you save money. We regularly collect special deals on movie tickets, so check with us before you buy those tickets and you’ll be saving money at the movies!

Try These 9 Tricks for Saving Money at the Movies

Going to be online shopping or heading out to the retail stores this Labor Day? Be aware that sales could start as early as a week before the holiday, likely August 29th). Here are our picks for what to buy this year (as well as what deals to avoid).

1. Buy Appliances. Sept / Oct is the time frame in which new appliances are moving into stores, thus old appliances need to be sold fast. While prices get better into October, Labor Day sales do start aggressively with sales up to 40% off. Looks to retailers like Home Depot and Best Buy for the best prices as well as the best bundling deals with buying multiple appliances at once.

What NOT to buy? Gas Grills. Labor Day marks the START of gas grill sales (usually 25% to 50% off) as we move into the off-season. However, if you can hold off a month or even two, prices will continue to drop into October and November as grills are moved out to make room for Christmas decorations.

Inventory will become more limited into November, but the potential savings by waiting could be an additional 25% – 35% off the Labor Day price. (Side Note: You will find solid deals on Grill accessories on Labor Day though.)

2. Buy Patio furniture / Outdoor Living Gear / Lawnmowers. Labor Day is generally the big push to get rid of outdoor furniture, above-ground pools, lawnmowers, swing sets, and any other large outdoor items. Big items like patio furniture take up more inventory space than gas grills, thus there’s greater urgency to use Labor Day as a sales push to make more space for Halloween & Christmas items. Look for discounts 60% to 75% off regular prices at places like Home Depot and Lowes.

What NOT to buy? Camping Equipment. Since half of the United States is still enjoying warm weather through September, camping equipment closeout sales are minimal until retailers start to clearance out tents, sleeping bags and other camping gear in late October. As we get closer to Halloween, sales will push into the 40% to 60% off range.

3. Buy Back-to-School Electronics. The back-to-school shopping push unofficially comes to a close around Labor Day. Retailers discount items marketed as a back-to-school product more aggressively. Outside of traditional school supplies (which are also marked down), that includes inexpensive laptops, graphing calculators, headphones, Bluetooth speakers and backpacks with laptop slots / USB charging.

What NOT to buy? Televisions. While Labor Day sales on HDTVs pop up as football season starts up again, the most significant discounts start in early November through Black Friday / Cyber Monday as well as sporadically during December. The same advice goes for home theater systems, DSLR cameras, video game consoles, tablets, and media players.

4. Buy Summer Fall apparel & footwear. Retailers will discount summer items as much as 80% off to make room for cool-weather clothing. Look for solid summer apparel sales (including swimwear) at REI, American Eagle, Nordstrom, Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic. This is also a great holiday to purchase new shoes, typically with discounts as high as 50% off from retailers like 6pm.com & Finish Line.

What NOT to buy? Fall apparel / footwear. Labor Day weekend kickstarts cool-weather apparel sales. However, Fall apparel won’t hit the best sales until the Winter apparel lines start pushing into stores. Don’t be fooled by small discounts (10% to 30%) during Labor Day when you will start to see 50% discounts and higher as we move into November.

5. Buy Stuff for Grownups; Mattresses, Cars and Wine.

• During 2020, Labor Day mattress sales were better than any other time of the year. Look to Sears for an aggressive sale, 40% to 60% off select models. Macy’s, US-Mattress and smaller retailers will also offer similar discounts.
• Regarding cars, dealerships are making room for 2022 models and the 2021 models are being discounted. Look for discounts around 10% on Labor Day with the potential for increasing discounts (20% and up) as we move into late September / early October.
• If you are a wine drinker, many wineries are starting to push out older stock in favor of new vintages that will come from the ongoing harvest season. This results in heavier discounts (which vary significantly by winery) on current year wine.

What NOT to buy? Toys. Similar to general electronics, toy sales are fairly dismal during Labor Day. Late October is usually the kickoff for toy sales. While Toys R Us is gone (until the upcoming revival in Macy’s), look to Amazon, Walmart and Target for the best sales leading into the holiday shopping season.

6. Buy Android phones / accessories. Labor Day sales will probably be the best time to find a deal on a Samsung phone until late November. Retailers like Best Buy also like to use this holiday for bundling deals, typically offering a 25% to 40% discount on accessory purchases when purchasing a new smartphone.

What NOT to buy? Apple’s iPhone 13 / 13 Pro. Most Apple owners are aware that new iPhones are typically announced after Labor Day during mid-September (although the COVID pandemic may push that back to late Sept / early October this year).  This triggers a price drop on the previous generation phones as well as preorder deals at various competing wireless carriers. You are better off waiting to see how prices shake out after Labor Day rather than buying on the holiday weekend.

Here’s what to buy on Labor Day 2021 (and what NOT to buy)

If you are spending money at Best Buy, there are plenty of ways to save your money (and time) when shopping. We’ve put together a list of thirty Best Buy-specific shopping tips to take advantage of when online at BestBuy.com or in a Best Buy store. Check it out:

1. Check during the week for aggressive, 4-Hour Flash Sales

These online sales typically occur on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at BestBuy.com. Timing is always the same, a four hour period between 9 a.m. PT (12 p.m. ET) and 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET). Best Buy likes to theme these flash sales around events like the Super Bowl, thus the product selection will be geared toward that event. (Ben’s 4-Hour Flash Sale Listings)

2. Check Best Buy’s Deal of the Day section for 24-Hour discounts

These online sales are often hit-or-miss (according to the Deal Editors on Ben’s Bargains), but you can occasionally find a deal that’s better than other online retailers. These four to five deals are typically refreshed at 10 p.m. PT (1 a.m. ET) each night. (Best Buy’s Daily Deals Section)

3. Check Best Buy’s eBay store for sales not listed on BestBuy.com

On occasion, Best Buy will aggressively discount products on eBay, usually in order to move a significant amount of product. These sales are often good enough to pop up in eBay’s Daily Deal section, In addition, you can ship to a Best Buy store for free in-store pickup, even if you purchase the item through eBay. (Best Buy’s eBay Store)

4. Check the Best Buy Online Outlet for discounts on items that aren’t new

There are four types of classifications for products that end up in the Best Buy Outlet store:

• Clearance: Items are usually brand new, just not being sold by the manufacturer anymore.
• Open box: Items are nearly brand new, but recently returned by a customer.
• Refurbished: Items that were broken in some fashion, but have been repaired to work correctly.
• Pre-owned: Items are in working order, but will show signs of use from previous owner.

Just be sure to check the warranties that come along with each product as well as the return policy. Of course, you will see a hefty discount off the MSRP in the Outlet store. While more risky than purchasing a brand new item, money saved will be significant. Just FYI, Cowboom has recently been integrated into the Best Buy online outlet, opening up the potential for even more discounts. (Best Buy’s Online Outlet)

5. If you are in college, take advantage of the Student Discounts section

Assuming you are currently enrolled at a college and have a .edu email address, you should be able to qualify for additional student discounts. Products typically discounted for students include laptops and tablets as well as anything that would be used in a dorm room like small appliances or audio gear. (Best Buy’s Student Discount Section)

6. If you play video games, consider Best Buy’s Gamers Club

There are two levels of the Gamers Club, free membership and and a 2-year membership for $30. The free level lets you earn points on purchases and game trade-ins that can be used on future purchases. The premium level adds a 20 percent discount on new games, a 10 percent discount on pre-owned games, a 10 percent bonus on trade-in credit and a couple exclusive coupons. (Best Buy’s Gamers Club page)

However, if you already have Amazon Prime, you may want to skip the premium level of the Gamers Club. Amazon already offers a 20 percent discount on pre-ordered games for all Prime members.

7. Look for free shipping promotions during the holidays

For the past couple years, Best Buy has run a free shipping promotion around the holiday shopping period. Recently, it ran between October 25, 2015 and January 2, 2016. Of course, when free shipping isn’t available, consider free in-store pickup instead. You won’t have to pay a dime for shipping, just for the gas to get you to the store.

8. Avoid purchasing overpriced accessories at Best Buy

This basically goes for any item that Best Buy marks up considerably. Products like HDMI cables (this $1.095 cable for instance), smartphone cases, power strips and power adapters. Margins on these items are huge for Best Buy, thus they attempt to push these items when you purchase electronics. Avoid this at all costs and pick up these accessories for a fraction of the cost on eBay.

9. Don’t get talked into buying the Extended Warranty

In general, the odds of you needing the extended warranty are really low. Brand name electronics usually have a very low failure rate, thus spending more money on a Best Buy warranty is silly. Best Buy also has very low consumer ratings for their warranties, ranging from people complaining about repairs not being covered to repairs that take forever to complete.

FYI, you can extend your warranty with a good credit card. For instance, American Express extends manufacturer warranties by an additional year on all of their credit cards. Other cards from Visa and Mastercard offer a similar extension.

10. Check for Online Coupons, but be Wary of the Limitations

When Best Buy releases an online coupon, it’s usually limited to a specific product category and includes limitations to products that aren’t on sale. This can be frustrating when shopping online as most coupon sites don’t include those details with the coupon. Of course, you can also sign up for Best Buy’s mailing list, only because they occasionally mail out paper coupons.

Price Matching

Price matching at Best Buy is fairly straightforward. It has to be the identical item and is limited to one match per customer. All you need to do is speak with a store associate to show them the price difference and get the adjusted price. Here are several tips for getting your price match every time.

11. When price matching Amazon, be sure it’s sold by Amazon

One point of contention that you may run into when getting a price match is that the price listed on Amazon is from a third party seller, not Amazon itself. While it can be somewhat YMMV on the manager’s decision at your location, most Best Buy’s require the actual Amazon price, not a price from “Joe Sixpack’s Amazon Store.”

12. Besides Amazon, check the six other online sites Best Buy allows

Those sites include B&H Photo Video, Crutchfield, Dell, HP, Newegg and Tigerdirect. Be aware that the price has to be readily listed in the details section of the page. If the price is hidden by the retailer you want to price match, Best Buy may not honor that. Also, any product that’s being sold by a re-seller on one of those sites will not be honored for price matching.

13. Use a price checking app to save time

One of our favorite apps for price matching in the store is ShopSavvy, specifically because it allows you to scan the barcode to get competitor prices in the area.

Of course, there are mulitple options for price matching. Here’s a list of 9 price comparison apps to help you find the lowest price before you talk to a Best Buy associate.

14. Check local warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam’s Club

Outside of the usual suspects like Walmart and Target, don’t forget to check the prices at your nearby Costco, Sam’s Club or other warehouse clubs. Warehouse clubs often have discounts that are more aggressive than other retailers, only because savings are exclusive to people that pay for memberships. Of course, the product has to be in stock at your local warehouse club to get the price match.

15. Double check all model numbers and SKUs

This has popped up as more of a problem in the last ten years. Electronics manufacturers are building specific models for a single retailer, thus making it impossible to price match at a different retailer. This occurs often at warehouse clubs as well as the major retailers. Make sure the model numbers are identical before requesting the price match, otherwise it will be denied.

16. Make sure local competitors are within 25 miles of your Best Buy

This is a specific rule in the terms and conditions of the price match. If the store you want to price match isn’t within 25 miles, Best Buy won’t honor it. Of course, you can always drive to a different Best Buy store that’s within the 25 mile limit.

17. Don’t expect additional discounts on top of the price match

If you have a 10 percent off coupon and expect to get that discount on top of your price match, you will be sorely disappointed. When a price match is approved, that’s the only discount that you will get. The same goes for financing options and any other service that Best Buy offers.

18. Keep your receipt as Best Buy will match up to 15 days after purchase

Ideal for saving money after your purchase, be sure to check competitor prices for the next couple weeks. If a competitor’s price drops before the Best Buy price, you can go back to the store for a price adjustment. Just bring your receipt to the customer service counter and show an associate the retailer that you want to price match.

Negotiating for a Better Price

While Best Buy certainly isn’t a flea market, it is possible to negotiate discounts on products depending on certain conditions. Here are some tips for getting the best price possible during negotiation.

19. Shop at the end of the month for increased negotiation power

Usually during the last few days of the month, store managers will be more lenient with discounts. This is due to the monthly sales metrics that those managers have to report back to their district managers. The greater the sales volume, the happier the district manager is going to be. This could translate into an additional 5 to 10 percent off the price you would have negotiated at the start of the month.

20. Ask for more aggressive discounts when bundling items

Let’s say you are purchasing a new Ultra HD, 4K television. Perhaps you also need a 4K capable receiver as well as a 4K media player to go along with it? If so, this is a great time to negotiate a discount on the entire bundle of items.

We recommend starting at 15 percent for two items and 20 percent for three or more items. It’s likely that you will negotiate to a minimum of 10 percent off the price of the entire order.

21. Ask a salesperson which brands are more negotiable

While a good salesperson will subtly direct you to the products that Best Buy sales managers want moved off the shelves, you can also just flat out ask them. These products are usually getting ready to head to the clearance section or have been overstocked by the store. This means that discounts on those items will likely be approved (and usually at a higher percentage than other products).

22. Keep an eye out for those Open Box items

Similar to the Best Buy Online Outlet, open box items in the store will be discounted significantly. In addition, sales managers have been approved to offer higher discounts on open box items. This also goes for floor models that are being sold without the box. We recommend asking for a 20 percent discount on open box returns and a 30 percent discount on floor models. It’s likely you will end up with an additional 10 to 15 percent off.

24. Use Price Codes for an extra edge in negotiating

Like Walmart and Target, Best Buy uses pricing codes to identify items that are being discounted. Specifically, any price ending in a .99 is usually full price or just a slight sale. Prices that end in .96 are matching a local or online competitor price and prices that end in .92 are usually being phased out at a price that’s close to Best Buy’s cost. You can also look for the letter “C” on the tag, usually in the lower right corner. That identifies a clearance item. (See Price codes at other retailers)

Using My Best Buy Rewards

If you haven’t joined the My Best Buy rewards program, you should. It’s free and offers up a $5 gift card for every 250 points earned. (It was previously called Rewards Zone.) Here are some tips for getting the most out of the rewards program.

25. If you spend more, the bonuses will increase

At the regular level, a rewards member earns 1 point for ever dollar spent at Best Buy. This metric increases to 1.1 points for each dollar spent at the Elite level and 1.25 at the Elite plus level. Of course, you have to spend lots of money at Best Buy to reach these levels. Elite status kicks in when you spend at least $1,500 at Best Buy during a calendar year. That figure jumps to $3,500 for the Elite Plus level. (Details on Rewards Program)

26. Look for point bonuses / discounts on specific products

Best Buy frequently offers additional discounts or opportunities to earn more rewards points if you purchase specific products. Other offers include the ability to earn gift cards that can be used on future purchases. You can check out each month’s offers on this Best Buy page.

27. Take advantage of the Free Shipping perks

At the base level, all My Best Buy rewards members get free standard shipping (3 to 7 business days) on orders that meet a $35 minimum threshold. At the Elite level, the $35 minimum is removed and free shipping is applied to all orders. At the Elite Plus level, shipping continues to remain free and is upgraded to the expedited level (2 business days).

28. Return periods are extended for Elite members

While the standard return period is 15 days for any Best Buy customer, that period is doubled and tripled depending on your Elite member status. Elite members get 30 days to return items and Elite Plus members get 45 days to return an item to Best Buy. Both of these groups also get a dedicated customer service line, ideal for getting someone on the line quickly when a problem pops up.

29. Reviewing products can earn you additional bonus points

Rewarding up to eight reviews per calendar year, rewards members can earn 25 points for each review submitted to Best Buy’s site. That’s a total of 200 points per year if all eight reviews are submitted. It takes up to 20 days before those reward points will be credited towards your account.

30. Consider the My Best Buy credit card for an additional 5% off

Similar to the Amazon Prime store card or Target’s store card, Best Buy offers a 5% return in rewards when you spend money at Best Buy. This is a solid deal, assuming you pay off the credit card every month. If you do not, you will be financially punched in the gut by the ridiculous 25.24% APR that comes with the card.

Interestingly, Best Buy is currently offering 10 percent rewards on your first purchase on the card as well as a bump to 6 percent rewards indefinitely if you are a Elite Plus member. You can also choose no-interest financing if that’s preferable. Just be aware that store cards often add up all interest over the entire billing period of the no-interest period and hit you with a giant balloon payment at the end if you don’t pay it off in time. (Details about the My Best Buy Card)

30 Ways to Save Money at Best Buy, online and in-store

As Apple rolled out a new 9.7-inch iPad Pro at $599 and a 4-inch iPhone SE at $399 today, the company also announced price drops on other previous generation hardware.

Now positioned at the same price as the 16GB iPad Mini 4, the iPad Air 2 16GB model is priced at $399. In addition, the 64GB model dropped in price as well down to $499.

The prices on the iPad Air 2 dropped due to the 9.7-inch iPad Pro pushing into the tablet mix. Basically identical to the iPad Air 2 in size and weight, the core differences of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro include storage options up to 256GB, the A9X third-generation chip, 12-megapixel rear / 5-megapixel front cameras and four speaker audio. You can check out a complete comparison of the tablets here: LINK

Regarding the potential for additional discounts on the iPad Air 2, look for discounts between $50 and $100 for the next six months, potentially bringing the price down to $299 for the 16GB model. Refurbished deals will be even better.

By the time Black Friday hits, look for gift card offers that will potentially exceed $100 when purchasing an iPad Air 2. Store like Target and Best Buy will require you to purchase the tablet at full price, but offer gift cards $100+ with the purchase.

The other price drop announced today was a $299 price point for the Apple Watch. Prior to this point, it was priced at $349. We predict this will open up the potential for the original Apple Watch to hit a $199 price point by the holiday season, when on sale or combined with a gift card offer. Both Best Buy and Target have already knocked $100 off the $349 MSRP earlier this year, thus sales will be likely continue to be aggressive.

Be sure to check Ben’s Apple deal feed for the most recent sales on Apple tablets, smartphones and smartwatches.

Price Drop Alert: iPad Air 2 falls to $399, Apple Watch to $299