Add a little romance to a stay-at-home movie night
According to Redbox Summer Fun Nights Survey, due to the rising cost of gas and groceries, entertainment budgets are getting slashed this summer.
So it is plausible that after doling out $13.75 (average movie ticket price) times deux, you will be screaming inside your head for your date not to order the jumbo popcorn, soft drink and box of candy.
While searching for deals in entertainment choices, one thing you can look to - your home theater. The many movie rental options available to you offer some best bets without breaking the bank.
So clean up that couch (pull the socks out from between the cushions) and host a movie at home for your date - or scope out your friends' home theater systems and set up a double date.
Rental options
If new releases are what you want for you and your date, but you do not subscribe to a DVD service or have cable, then rent a DVD through your video store or hit a grocery store to find a Redbox. Redbox rentals are only $1 per night. Simply use the touch screen to select the movie you want, swipe a valid credit or debit card and go. The process takes less than 60 seconds. If you're a Type A personality who plans the date well in advance and you happen to subscribe to Netflix, then you probably had your movies picked out and delivered weeks ago. Though if you have a laptop that can hook up to your TV, or a large monitor, utilize their "watch instantly" feature (PC only). As part of your subscription these movies are available to, as the title indicates, watch instantly, and at no extra charge, directly from their Web site.
We have all seen the commercials by the cable giant, so if you are a customer, and didn't plan in advance for your date at all, Comcast's "On Demand" feature will be perfect for you. Play around with their menu and pick from new releases, golden oldies and even freebies.
Snacks
Now that the entertainment issue has been addressed - how about giving your date a little sustenance? Prepare the movie goodies for mass consumption - find out your date's favorite confection, soft drink and type of microwave popcorn. Then have it all ready and waiting. This is a clear advantage over not waiting in those long concession lines hoping that you don't miss the start of the movie.
If you plan on hosting quite a few movie dates, you might want to invest in a hot air popper like the Presto PopLite. Not only is it healthier and tastier, but air popped popcorn is a gazillion times cheaper than microwave popcorn.
Plus, with all the money you are saving by hosting a movie at home date night, you can splurge on pizza from wherever your date wants - or possibly some wine to sip.
Double dating
One of your friends has the two things that you need to put together a successful movie-at-home double date; a girl/boyfriend and a better home theater system than you. So check out your friends' setups, find out who is game and get the ball rolling! This is perfect to relax a jittery first date.
Movie games
Throw a little spin on the evening with a "mad lib" movie night. Rent a low-budget sci-fi flick, and at the beginning of the movie each person picks a certain character to play (or assign each other characters). Grab a pencil and notepad, then while watching a scene on mute, write down what you think your character should be saying. Be clever, flirty and funny.
When you are finished watching the scene, rewind it and, keeping it muted, read your lines aloud as your character speaks! It's a ton of fun, a twist on "watching" a movie, and great for getting to know each other.
Setting up a movie-at-home date alleviates the stress of getting to the theater on time, finding parking, standing in concession lines and having to hold your tongue through the whole film. Less stress equals smoother date. Whether it is movie games, renting one, or digging into your own DVD stash for a movie marathon; if it involves snacks and the pause button, so your date does not have to miss any scenes when nature calls, your movie at home date night should be a success.