A mom has shared how she saves £50 ($59) a week by creating home cinema nights, complete with tickets and a snack shop.
Amy Ward, 26, loved taking her three kids to the cinema for family days out but hated having to shell out £50 each time on snacks and tickets.
With the cost of living crisis affecting families all across the country, creative Amy has now started movie night with her children at home every weekend.
Amy issues Archie, seven, River-Louise, five, and Emily, three, with their very own cinema tickets to watch a film of her choice in their living room, snuggled with cuddly toys under blankets and quilts.
They can even buy snacks from her just like in the cinema but without the inflated prices, with sweeties costing 4p (4 cents) a bag, Oreos for 6p (7 cents), and popcorn for just 2p (2 cents) .
Amy's cinema has shown numerous films since opening earlier this year, including "Monsters, Inc,' "Space Jam," "Turning Red," "Luca," "Up," "Matilda" and "Annie."
Children's nursing student Amy, from Knebworth, England, said: "I wanted to share our new tradition with families who are struggling with the inflated living costs.
"Saturday night is now movie night at home. I choose a film, make tickets and organize snacks for them to buy from a little bag of coppers I give them.
"They hand me their tickets at the door, pay for their snacks and I hand them a blanket and say enjoy the movie! They even made up a staff name for me!
"All the quilts get chucked on the floor with cuddly toys and pillows and we snuggle and enjoy family time.
"My children absolutely love this, they're always so grateful, and it costs me less than a fiver, whereas the cinema was costing about £50 for all of us with tickets and snacks.
"My youngest is still a bit little to sit still at the cinema too, so by doing it at home, everyone is comfortable and in their own space and can move around when needed!
"We did movie nights anyway and I just thought let’s make it more fun and more like a cinema experience!
"I thought this will make it a more special experience that they’ll remember and maybe a tradition we can keep for future generations.
"They find the home cinema more exciting, which is a win win. I wanted to give them a special experience, and this is also saving money for memories they prefer.
"It’s always about the time and effort, not the money we spend on our babies."
Stories and infographics by ‘Talker Research’ are available to download & ready to use. Stories and videos by ‘Talker News’ are managed by SWNS. To license content for editorial or commercial use and to see the full scope of SWNS content, please email [email protected] or submit an inquiry via our contact form.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.