Looking for another way to slash your budget for entertainment?
Some of the clear winners that have emerged in the quest for cheap entertainment during this recession include
Redbox and
MovieCube.
Both services offer automated kiosks -- usually found in public places like stores and fast-food restaurants -- where you can rent new movies for $1/day.
Contrast that with the average of $14 for 2 discount movie tickets at a theater. Add in some refreshments and your bill could easily be $30!
Which would
you rather pay: $30 or $1?!
Redbox and MovieCube are both great ways to reduce your spending. They may even free you up to dump pay-movie channels like HBO and Showtime.
An unexpected consequence of the popularity of Redbox and MovieCube has been that people aren't buying DVDs. That's really angered the movie studios.
Meanwhile, you can also reduce your entertainment budget with Netflix. Clark recently read that there are now some 10 million Netflix customers.
The optimal way to use Netflix is to watch a movie the same day you get it, send it back and then wait for the next one in your queue. But very few customers do this. Most people get a movie and then lose it under the couch for a few weeks.
It's as if those people who don't get around to watching a movie are in effect subsidizing those who do view movies in a timely manner!