Frugal Family: Movies on a Budget

Going to the movies is becoming a thing of the past now that tickets cost $9 or more per person. Interested in some popcorn or a snack? Forget it! That’s the equivalent of a week’s worth of gas.

An outing to the movies for a family of four could easily cost you upwards of $75.

A trip to one of the Lehigh Valley's independent movie theaters offers a nostalgic alternative that is a better bargain for a family on a budget.

Bethlehem's , 30 W. Broad St., offers first-run movies at $6 an evening showing and $5 for matinees. Tickets are $5 for senior citizens and children 11-years-old and younger all the time.

The Boyd's website also says that its snack bar prices are $1 to $3 less than other first run movie theaters.

Emmaus has the  and Northampton has the Roxy Theatre, 2004 Main St., which both show feature films for $3 a ticket. Along with the bargain ticket prices, both offer a slice of nostalgic charm along with the best of what Hollywood has to offer.

In Emmaus, you can grab a small popcorn and a small soda for just $4. Supersize it to get a medium popcorn with a small soda for just a buck more. You’ll pay one-third the price to see a movie at Emmaus Theatre than you would at any of the chain theaters in the Lehigh Valley.