First off, before I go any further… before you think I’m going to get on some moral high horse… I must confess: I have been known to sneak candy into the movie theatre on more than one occasion.
My mission was one of frugality: Buy the giant boxes of candy from Amazon, usually the Assorted Candy Party Mix, then avoid the $3.50 candy at the movie theatre concessions.
I wasn’t as bad as some friends though… they actually brought microwave popcorn with them (tacky!), and my husband once confessed to bringing a Big Mac MEAL into the theatre when he was in high school.
But I’m not going to do it anymore. Not after reading Frugal Dad’s post entitled Ask the Reader: Is Sneaking Candy into a Movie Theatre Frugal or Cheap?
Frugal Dad makes the point that since movie theatres make most of their money from the concessions, it’s pretty cheap to bring in your own snacks. He says that if the price is too high, then don’t buy the treats… and if you’re like us, and don’t go very often, then it’s not an expense that would break you anyway.
The post and its many responses really made me think. I always felt kind of cheap whenever we did sneak in candy… and when you get that lousy feeling in the pit of your stomach… then it’s probably the wrong thing to do.
And if the money spent really was the issue, then maybe we shouldn’t be going to the movies at all. I mean, is a 5-spot really going to make that much difference when we only go to the show a handful of times a year?
It also made me think about our children. None of them have been to a movie theatre yet, but I know they will. I don’t want to explain to them why we “hide our candy.” It just seems a bit deceitful. And how do you explain to the kids that it’s okay to bring snacks into the theatre, but not okay to bring food into a restaurant. It’s just awkward.
So, I’ve changed my thinking. Now, what do you think? Is sneaking candy into the movies wrong?
I guess I'm on the fence about this one. Carmike theaters let people who are in wheelchairs in for free, and they used to let one person in for free with them but so many abused that generosity that it stopped. When we lived near one, we went to see a lot of movies because we got in for free. We did not always buy snacks but we NEVER snuck them in because they were so generous to me. Even when they stopped letting my husband in for free we would have never snuck food in because they were losing out on my ticket profit. Our income is very, very limited, and a 5 spot can break us some months, so of course we don't go to the theatre then, but taking advantage of others isn't something that would make matters better. There's something to be said for karma. But now that we live near theater tht just raised their prices $1.50 in one fell swoop, and we both have to pay the full price, I'm not sure sneaking in candy is wrong.
I think that movie theaters make plenty of money on their tickets. I could almost understand paying so much for popcorn, but not drinks and candy. The candy is typically stale, nd $3 for a fountain drink is just wrong. It shouldn't cost $30 for 2 people to see a movie with snacks.
The bottom line is that it does cost that much. They aren't going to get lower, so you just have to make up your mind about which road you take. I truly think that theaters charging so much is unethical, but 2 wrongs don't make a right. I've done it before but I'm trying to change my lifestyle so if a theater asks for no outside food/drink I will respect their wishes. They make rules to follow just like any other establishment, so what makes it OK to cheat them and nobody else?
I won't tell anybody else what's ethical, ethics is something one has to decide for themselves but for me I have to be able to sleep at night. I'm 30 years old, I think I can go 2 hours without candy or food, but there are always exceptions for every rule. I think for diabetics maybe if you explain to management they'd understand.
i really don't have any bad feelings about sneaking food in. i actually feel better when i do it cuz i saved money
I totally disagree with you that it is wrong to sneak candy into the movie theater. First of all the price of a movie ticket even at matenae price is so high, I realize the theater people are really making a killing just on the tickets sold alone. Next I have to stop and think who needs my money more the movie people or me? Well since I only go to the movies once in a blue moon, once every 5 years or so, I need my money more. And hell no I won’t feel bad fore sneaking food candy and or drinks into the theater. Not ever since if the prices were more affordable, then I would be buying what they have to sell. But since the price is grossly to high and the quality to match grossly nasty stale and just gross! Then I don’t feel bad at all to bring what I like in there. And I will eat it with a clear conscious and a smile!
The movie theaters get very little money from ticket sales… the movie studios get most of the money. The only way the local theaters make money is concessions…. and when you think about how much staff they have and how big a building they have to maintain, it’s understandable why they try to make money with concession sales.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what you’ll pay for… but I choose to support my local theatre. If I want to save money on concessions, I’ll use coupons or just skip it altogether.
I agree 110%
My husband and I are seniors. We barely make enough to live on day-to-day. We have to go to the matinee when we go (I cannot tell you the last time we went to the movie, actually). I also just finished radiation treatment for the second time for cancer (twice in two years) and my husband is disabled. I am NOT about to pay $3+ for a box of candy when I can get one for a dollar elsewhere NOR $6 for a drink. Do you know that it costs McDonald’s 8 cents for a large Coke and you are charged what……$1.85? That being said, I have sneaked in a huge glass of ice before and a couple of cans of soda. We eat pretty healthy so we don’t eat candy. NOWHERE at the theater do I see where it says “No outside food or beverages.” It would not matter if it did. I do not see it as immoral but as the only way we can go out for entertainment and truly enjoy the evening.
Think about this — we have to pay school taxes when we have NEVER had children in a public school and certainly are too old to have children in school now. Why is that fair?
Life is full of unfair situations and always will be, but paying for a movie and then having to fork out as much or MORE for popcorn, candy and a cola….NO WAY!! IF the theaters charged a fair price for these items, I would not object, but they don’t. And, WHAT theater will let you use a coupon for drinks, candy or popcorn?
The movie theaters in my area do post signs prohibiting outside food and drinks (and backpacks). And they will ask you to leave if you break the rules. And they also periodically offer discounts (and even giveaways) for movie tickets.
Just because you think the price is ridiculous doesn’t mean you should bring in your own food. You wouldn’t go into a restaurant, complain about the prices and then proceed to bring food you brought from home out of your purse to eat… how is the theater different?
If you can’t afford the snacks at the theater, then just skip them. It’s possible to go a couple of hours without eating.
That’s what we do, we SKIP the snacks at the theater and bring in our own!
Bringing food into a restaurant is different than bringing food into a movie theater. A restaurant is a place people go to to eat. A movie theater is a place people go to to watch a movie. Buying a movie ticket means a person wants to watch a movie and it doesn’t morally obligate the person to choose between not eating while watching a movie and buying horrendously overpriced snacks.
The movie theater’s business model is not my problem. If they’re not making enough money on $12 ticket sales, they need to renegotiate with the movie distributors. When I pay that much for a movie ticket, I’ll bring whatever I want in my purse and clean up after myself. Violating movie theater rules doesn’t mean I’m breaking the law or doing something morally wrong.
Now if someone were to be unhappy with pricing and steal as a result, that would be a different matter. But by bringing my own food I am not stealing – I am simply choosing to bring my own food and not purchase the movie theater food.
As an aside, when I went on vacation in Vermont I went to a nice local movie theater selling a large popcorn for $3. And it came with fresh butter. Yum. Both me and my boyfriend said “yes please!” to that offer. The way to get people to buy your product is to offer an appealing product at a reasonable price – not to trap people in a room and try to coerce them into buying an overpriced inferior food product.
I’ve snuck candy into the theater before, but only a few things of candy. Then we’d go just buy some popcorn and drinks and then if there was a candy we hadn’t bought at the dollar store that. But that was only when it was my sisters money, not mine. I don’t sneak them in myself as I have no way to sneak them in. I mean, honestly, if you just sneak in a few because they’re your favorite and they don’t have them then yea. Or if you’re on a budget then yea. It all really depends on the circumstances.