Please.. PLEASE don't sneak food into movie theatres just because its horrendously expensive. It's stealing, ok?

Yes, the theatre makes its money on the concessions, and I admit its pretty pricey now adays, but you have to understand they don't get anything off your ticket price, so how else do they pay their workers and buy the movies to show you?

If you don't want to fork over $20 for popcorn, buy fewer snacks, bring water to drink (if they give you grief, tell them you have a medical condition), or just chew gum. Just please don't rip them off by bringing your own food, ok?

@Oranges w/ Cheese: The article nowhere recommends that, though. It does recommend not spending money on concessions, and it suggests appreciating theaters that let you bring your own food. (I can't agree that it's stealing even those that don't, but I would agree that people should respect the cinema's policies.)

I can't quite get past the assertion put forth in the first paragraph that going to a movie is a substitute for going on vacation. "Honey, we can go to Italy for ten days or we can watch 'The Italian Job' on DVD." Those two things are exactly the same.

Really, the advice of pick movies more careful, don't get the $8 soda, and consider Netflix is massively underwhelming.

I hate lists full of useless information, but nothing pisses me off more than lists full of useless information that exclude very useful information. That movie list topped it. Take in a matinee, don't buy concessions, all this and more in this month's issue of DUH magazine. I knew these things before I could get into R Rated movies on my own.

They didn't say anything like, say, buy an Entertainment book, which is chock full of coupons you can use at multiple theater chains for tickets in the $6.50 range. This year you don't even have to mail them in, you can use them right at the box office, and there are coupons for discounts on concessions in there as well.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: The belief that the movie theater doesn't get anything from ticket prices is only partially true. In most cases, the first few weeks of a run the studio can take up to 90% of ticket sales. After that it goes down drastically. So if you're going to see something that's been out for a little while...feel no shame.

To save money on movies, look for free screenings. Colleges have screenings all the time, open to the public, sometimes including the filmmakers. Libraries also have screenings along with churches and other non-profits. Some independent theaters have free screenings including a discussion. Volunteer to work at a film festival and get a pass to other movies. I don't remember the last time I paid for a movie.

The medical advice is about half good and half flawed. But asking about prices will give you a really good idea of the mentality of the doctor or the clinic. If they get very snotty with you when you sincerely just want to know what all of this is going to cost you might want to find another doctor.
A major flaw in their comments was that many times doctors work for these large health care companies that own the clinic they work in, the diagnostics centers and the hospital. Some places put a ton of pressure on doctors to actually rack up as big a bill as possible or they face a reprimand. So asking a doctor to cut you a deal might not work depending on the situation. Frequently hospitals also bully independent doctors if there are limited hospitals in the area. Play ball with the hospitals goals or you could lose your ability to practice at that hospital.

I would question the validity of any procedure and make sure you need it. I had a doctor tell me I needed a complicated expensive orthopedic surgery that involved sawing your heels off and reattaching them on both feet. On top of everything else I would have been a cripple for two months while this healed. My other option, buy new shoes. I bought new shoes. He seemed honestly surprised I didn't want to book the surgery on the spot.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: So, everytime a person goes and buys a PC at Best Buy and doesn't buy the extended warranty, geek squad service, and other crap, then does that mean they are stealing? I worked at a Best Buy and they make no profit off of the PCs themselves, selling them at cost of less. They rely on addons that have a high margin. If a person chooses not to buy any addons then Best Buy makes no gain and even a loss.

"fireproof" AND "expelled". wow.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: I really can't agree with that. Screw them. I see absolutely no reason why a soda and a bag of popcorn (which combined gives them a cost of about fifteen cents) should run me 11 dollars. If I go on a date with my g/f, concessions should not be close to the dinner cost. It doesn't make sense at all. If anything, reducing prices to reasonable rates would INCREASE concession sales. Why should I pay five bucks for a box of candy that I can literally buy at the dollar store or Walgreens for less than a dollar a box?

And god help you if you're not into massive amounts of sugar. You have no option there. Look, I'm not advocating that people should bring in Tupperware containers filled with a five course dinner. I just don't see any sort of problem avoiding an essentially failed business model by stuffing 3 dollars worth of candy and a 20oz bottle of Coke into my g/f's purse in order to avoid paying 20 dollars for a bag of popcorn, box of candy and a shared drink.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: It's definitely pretty pricey. Right before the Oscar's, some AMC theaters were having a 'best picture showcase' - showing all the best picture nominees in 1 day, one after the other. $30 for a ticket to all of them with free refillable popcorn all day. I thought that was very nice - but then noticed that they did not offer any soda.

So the free popcorn was just a cynical ploy to lure us in all day and make us very, very thirsty! (Actually, it ended up being very fun, but we spent tons on soda and eventually started refilling water bottles. It's hard when you can't say no to popcorn).

I’m fairly sure that a “concession stand” does not sell “concessions”. The (original) actual meaning is that the space for the stand is leased from the owner.

As a country, Americans are screwed...
There is an active power industry scheme in play now. They are actively funding political PACs, (Making it known.) and doing everything they can to raise rates in existing areas that have not yet been purchased by the conglomerates. Now many consumers are already paying more for electricity than even their mortgages. The newly financed Republican party has a new mantra that the power industry is in their view, "clearly over regulated". Yet that industry manages to live deceptively within a completely false and hidden market. Meanwhile people are suffering throughout the country, barely able to keep the power on. Asked to do "your part" as energy conservation demands it. (Sit in the cold dark.)
Since the Administration and certain members of congress have effectively killed capitalism, America need a major change. If this all goes back to business as usual, we will become even more 'Indentured Servants' than we already are. Basically in the last 8 years, America has been moved back 200 years. For America's poor, these budget lists mean nothing. I should know, I had the audacity to get sick and be poor.

political PACs? are those like ATM machines and HMO organizations?