11 Tips to Maximize Your Entertainment Dollar

Movies are expensive. Books are expensive. Babysitters are expensive. Enjoying yourself is expensive!

Americans are long past the days when you could easily drop several dimes on entertainment. Frugal living and tight budgets have become the order of the day and dining out at a high-end restaurant often seems like a distant dream.

You can only spend so many nights watching Friends reruns. There are ways to maximize your entertainment dollar to slip a little fun in between couch-potato sessions.

Here are 10 ways to add some excitement to your life without breaking your budget.

1. Movies
Netflix is doing good business, but not all movies should be viewed on the small screen. The recent matrix of 3-D films has lured patrons back to theaters. Unfortunately, those 3-D glasses up the price.

Matinees and second-run theaters are still your best option for saving. As an added bonus, you frequently can avoid crowds and gaggles of teenagers at movies run before 6 p.m. 

Drive-in theaters provide two-for-the-price-of-one showings for about half the price. Drive-ins.com is a great resource for locating this shrinking category of theaters.

2. Live Theater
Local theatre companies often allow audiences to watch dress-rehearsal performances for free. Since these productions run without stops, you can get the jump on opening night without spending a dime. Sunday matinee prices are always cheaper and some companies offer Thursday-night showings at a reduced price.

3. Buy in Bulk
Prices are always cheaper when you can buy in bulk. It's also more fun. Meet Up groups are a great way to find other singletons, single parents and married couples who share your entertainment interests. You can search the Meet Up website by area of interest and location. You'll find groups for such interests as outdoor sports, travel, movies, the arts and night-club gatherings. 

This website also includes listings of non-Meet Up groups, like the Red Hat Society, that offer fun and inexpensive ways to attend plays, movies, dine out, etc. 

4. Coupons
Entertainment books contain coupons for movies, dining, travel and attractions. Buy entertainment books online or at local outlets. 

5. Game Nights
Games groups have grown way beyond Dungeons & Dragons. Hundreds of group board games are now available and have become hugely popular in recent years. These games offer an inexpensive form of entertainment and are an opportunity to get together with people outside your standard posse. 

Settlers of Catan is an excellent example and has greatly helped reinvigorate and reinvent board games.

Game categories are as diverse as the human population. One of the most popular games at present is "Nuns on the Run," in which "players explore the grand abbey at night to fulfill their secret wish." It's amazing how quickly you'll become addicted. 

BoardGameGeek is the central clearing house for all things related to board games, including a forum divided by regions. You can find an already existing group or post about starting a group. CraigsList's community section and MeetUps.com are other ways to find existant groups or start one of your own. Checkout GameStop when you're ready to buy.

6. Community Events
Subscribe to your local city, county and library newsletter lists for upcoming community events. Community calendars often list events that are either free or very cheap. Events may include lectures, concerts and live performances. 

7. Cheap Fare at the Fair
Festivals offer inexpensive opportunities for a wide variety of reasons. Look for details on festivals for Cinco de Mayo, Native American pow wows, Earth Day, sustainable-living fairs, art events, etc. 

County and state fairs are a unique form of entertainment that will teach you about areas you've never before experienced.

Those who live in college towns often enjoy an embarrassment of riches. Check out the college or university online calendar for everything from historical lectures to group showings of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

8. Public Libraries
Everyone knows libraries are a great source of free books, but modern libraries offer so much more. If you commute to work, you'll find a selection of books on tape or CD for every taste that will keep you entertained during long drives. 

Children's storytimes and movies, but many have expanded to more adult offerings, including travel lectures, historical re-enactments, poetry slams and more.

Computer classes also have become library staples. As computers become a major offering at most libraries, classes are available on everything from using Google to watching videos, movies and television shows online.

9. Pick-Your-Own Farms
Make it a family affair or just an opportunity to grab some sunshine on your own. Pick-your-own farms  allow you to, duh, pick your own fresh fruit and vegetables at bulk at prices. Some farms offer entertainments, such as facepainting and corn mazes, as well. Find a farm near you via this searchable database.

10. Support the Arts
More and more communities have First Friday Gallery Walks. Each first Friday, art galleries remain open for this self-guided tour of the latest hangings. Many wait until this event to install new exhibits. Refreshments are offered by many galleries and the crowds grow during warm weather. 

Photo by sushiesque