Money for the Rest of Us

This post is a continuation of my “Free Stuff Week” posts. The previous two posts have been about how to: find free samples and find free online classes.

If you live in a large urban city, chances are there are a lot of free movie screenings in your area that you can get free passes to. I have gone to at least 10 free movie screenings in the last year and a half in Washington, D.C. Movie screenings are fun to attend because the movies have yet to be released and there are often free prizes, movie directors, or other surprises at the screenings. So, not only to you get to see a $10 movie for free, you may also get some other goodies out of it.

That being said, there are some downsides to screenings. First, the screenings are usually during the week, so if you work late you may not be able to attend. Second, usually more screening passes are given out than there are seats available. Depending on the popularity of the movie you may need to get there up to an hour early to get a seat.

To find movie screening check out the sites below; find screenings in your city, follow the instructions to RSVP, print out the passes, and show up at the movie theater. That’s all there is to it. Sneak some soda and snacks into the screenings and you’ve got a great free date!

Fat Wallet’s movie screening thread is probably the best place to find screenings. You have to go to the last pages every time to check for updates and it’s a little cumbersome to dig through, but a lot of movie screenings are listed here.

I’ve found that Fox Searchlight frequently posts screenings on their page and these screenings take place in a lot of cities (more than just the usual screening cities- DC, Dallas, Chicago, New York, and L.A.)

Finally, Wild About Movies lists a good selection of screenings.