On Sunday night I finally saw Julie & Julia. Love! It was so fantastic. If you haven’t seen it already, go! And take your mum ‘cause she’ll love it too.

It was the first time I’ve been to the cinema in ages, mainly because our local has been closed for refurbishment for months. But it really reminded me how much I love going to the cinema, and got me thinking about some ways to keep the cost low, because man alive has it gotten expensive!

1. Utilise 2-4-1 deals
There are loads of 2-4-1 deals out there, such as Orange 2-4-1 Wednesdays. The deals are usually for certain days of the weeks and might limit the choice of viewings available, but as long as you’re flexible this is the best way to keep the cost low.

2. Avoid daylight robbery at the candy stand
Um, popcorn and a drink for £9?? Are you kidding me? Cinema candy must be the most ridiculously overpriced food in the world. I usually try to avoid this by hitting up Waitrose on my way to get snacks in there, at a regular, human, non-inflated price. The super-frugal might even take their own snacks from home, but that’s a little hard-core for me.

3. Avoid the huge cinema chains
Your local Vue and Odeon will certainly have the biggest films first, but if you’re prepared to wait a couple weeks, the smaller independent cinemas are usually much cheaper, sometimes even as much as half price. Plus, they usually have a much wider selection of Indi films, and the cinemas are older and have more character.

4. Avoid popular times
I know that Friday night is a popular night to go to the cinemas, but if you avoid the most popular times you will probably find it cheaper; weekdays are usually cheaper by far, or at least go in the day on weekends rather than at night.  You will also usually find that children’s tickets are reduced for matinee screenings.

5. Buy in bulk
If you are mad for the movies and go often enough, see if your cinema offers a loyalty club or bulk-ticket buying options that offer reduced prices. This can be a great way to save cash if you simply must go to the cinema every week.