Are you a Movie Candy Smuggler? How about a "Sodas and Bottled Water in your Huger Than Normal Purse" Movie Goer?
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Oh, I'll patronize them for their $64.50 large bucket of hot, buttery popcorn. It's out of my realm of control, really - I have to do it. It doesn't matter what strategy I try to employ, prior to a trip to the movie theater. I can be filled to the brim after eating an entire ribeye hanging-off-the-sides-of-my-plate steak dinner, five minutes prior to leaving for the theater. It won't matter. The second I get a whiff of the concession stand's steaming, freshly popped popcorn ... I'm getting in line for some.
I'm convinced there's provable science, to the wiring in our brain which pairs the watching of a movie in a theater with munching on buttered popcorn.
So there's no room for pinching pennies there. But after spending a small fortune on the price of movie tickets these days, and paying the exorbitant amount for popcorn ... I have no qualms about smuggling in my own beverage and candy. That's where I draw my little frugal line in the sand.
So there's no room for pinching pennies there. But after spending a small fortune on the price of movie tickets these days, and paying the exorbitant amount for popcorn ... I have no qualms about smuggling in my own beverage and candy. That's where I draw my little frugal line in the sand.
Recently, as I prepared my snack stash arsenal in my larger than normal purse prior to attending a matinee movie with my 6 year old daughter, she asked, "Mommy, why do you bring candy and drinks in your purse?". I reckon to myself that she's probably old enough now to understand this kind of moral call in life. This small example of taking a stand, when appropriate, against The Man.
So I explain to her that the movie theater likes to sell candy and drinks for a really high price, to make extra money, and that it's much cheaper to bring your own from home. The catch being, mommy has to hide the goods in her purse because they don't WANT you to bring your own from home. She processes this information for a brief couple of seconds before asking the remaining, logical question: "Then why don't they have security?"
So I explain to her that the movie theater likes to sell candy and drinks for a really high price, to make extra money, and that it's much cheaper to bring your own from home. The catch being, mommy has to hide the goods in her purse because they don't WANT you to bring your own from home. She processes this information for a brief couple of seconds before asking the remaining, logical question: "Then why don't they have security?"
Why, indeed? While I found her comment humorous, I also think it's a bit sobering that we live in a time where a 6 year old has a concept of "security" to filter out undesired elements, playing a role in our daily lives.
And it will also be a sad day for me, if they implement an M&M and/or Diet Coke Detector at our local movie theater!
And it will also be a sad day for me, if they implement an M&M and/or Diet Coke Detector at our local movie theater!
*o* *o* *o*
So funny. My kids constantly make fun of me for smuggling in our M&Ms and Raisinettes when we go to the movies -- but then, it's less than half the price, and movies are expensive enough these days. Especially the 3-D ones!
ReplyDeleteJennifer - I'm relieved to hear you say that! M&Ms are my choice, too. :) After I posted this article this morning I started second guessing myself ... "Am I way off base here? Is this a controversial topic?!" Glad I'm not the only one!
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