A Frugal Day Out

So you're trying to cut back on spending. Trying to save some money. Maybe you start by cutting the fat in the amusement portion of your budget - that was my approach.

It works, too. But what happens when you've been a good boy or girl for awhile? You've done everything from turning down drinks with friends to skipping that movie you really wanted to see, to avoiding impulse buys. In short, it seems you've made yourself rather boring, and maybe that's catching up with you.


This past weekend I needed a break. 

I used to relish the movie theater. I loved the experience of going and seeing a film I'd been waiting to see on the big screen. I would happily pay full price for the film, and often go so far as to splurge on pop-corn and a slushy while I was at it. I wanted to do that, I wanted to go have a guilt free fun day. So I did, but first I prepared.

At first, I wanted to go see a 3D movie at the AMC a few blocks from my house. I realized the only way I'd feel comfortable paying for it would be if I went to the 9:45am showing priced at $9. Then I realized, hey I can do better than that.


I looked up movie theaters in my area, and was reminded of a budget theater I have been to before. Perfect, I thought to myself. Upon this realization, my memory was also jarred that there was a pub across the street from there that always has a $5 for $10 Groupon available. Pretty soon, I had a whole adventure planned.

I purchased the Groupon, picked up a friend, and drove to the 12:30 pm showing of War Horse (I'm a sucker for Spielberg) which I paid a wopping $2.50 for.

Afterwards, we wandered around the downtown to check out the shops. We also stopped in at a nifty tavern that had a whole crap load of craft brews on tap. Score! I paid $4 for a tantalizing pint of locally brewed IPA - a delicious treat.

Then we hit up the pub I had the Groupon for, grabbed an appetizer, dinner, and drinks. My bill amounted to $12 post Groupon, so $17 total (not to shabby for a big meal with drinks and an app).

Following the meal, we headed back to the theater to catch the 7:00 pm showing of Moneyball (which was a lot better than I had expected). This cost an additional $3


Another movie?! Yes! I love the cinema, remember. Plus this was a splurge day so get off my back!

Let's recap:
12:30 - 9:30pm (9 hours) priced at $26.50 = $3/hour

Not too bad huh? And I could do this cheaper too (the meal was plenty, we didn't really need the appetizer).

Sometimes we need to take a day and kick back and relax some of our responsibilities, splurge a little. All it takes is a little bit of planning and resourcefulness before hand. After you've got your idea, just stick to that and allow things to happen from there. Most importantly, have fun with it!

Your turn. What's a relaxing afternoon/evening that fits into your budget?