Frugal Summer Fun- Movies.

Though going to see a movie can be an expensive activity, during the summer there are usually many ways to have a movie theater experience for cheap or even free!

Regal Theaters has a Free Family Film Festival.

AMC isn't free but at select theaters you can see a movie for only $1 on Tuesdays at 10am.

If you just search your area plus "free family movies" you may find more local theaters that are participating in a similar program.

Some local ones to my are include:

Meadows Theater, Indiana Theater, and Walnut Theater.

Ways to keep this free or cheap would be to make sure to eat before you go so that you don't spend more money than you care to on snacks at the theater.

If you would rather avoid the crowds that can come out to free movies or want to see movies that are new, another way to see family films without breaking the bank would be to pay attention to the promotions that are happening in your area and combine discounts when possible.

We were able to see Toy Story 3 today (the day after it was released) for only $10 total for our family of four. My son recently had a birthday and we bought Toy Story 2 from Toys R Us as a present. It included a free ticket to see Toy Story 3 and TRU was running a promotion where spending $25 on Toy Story products got a free ticket as well. We chose AMC as the theater and they have all movies for $5 a ticket before noon on Friday-Sunday and all day Monday-Thursday. It wasn't free, but we were able to work the deal to our advantage and spend as little as possible.

Another way to see more current movies for less than a typical theater would be to find a Drive-In theater in your area. We went to Cinema 67 the weekend Shrek 4 was released and were able to both Shrek 4 and Iron Man 2 for one price. Since my son was under 5 he was free, my daughter was only $3 and my husband and I were $7 each. This allowed us to not only see a family movie together for $17 but had the bonus of a free movie that my husband and I enjoyed for free (and without having to have childcare since the kids were sleeping behind us). This also has the bonus of allowing you to bring in your own snacks and drinks so you can save even more that way.

Check your area to see what promotions theaters are running (both free and usual discounts), cash in when you earn free tickets from other promotions, and look for alternative places to watch movies (such as Drive-Ins) in your area. Going to the movies can be expensive, but when done right it can also be a cheap way to beat the heat this summer :)