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I think the "fancy" theater seats are a waste of money, too... but... if you only pay regular price, you don't get to sit with your friends, right? Which sort of negates the idea of going together?
I'd be more likely to just decline to go, or, on very rare occasions and maybe if I really wanted to see the movie or see it with those friends, go and pay extra.
They might think you're cheap. You might think they're extravagant, or spendthrifts. It doesn't really matter.
but it might be telling if they always expect you to cough up extra but are never willing themselves to sit in the "cheap seats."
I dunno about that...you're not supposed to be talking through the movie anyway and since they are a couple they are probably good with watching the movie themselves but then obviously talking about it over coffee or something afterwards? Or is that also over your limit? FWIW, an extra $14 sounds like a rip and I'd not do it.
I have two friends, who are a couple that invite me out the movies and I go with them. A lot of times they want to see the VIP showing of a movie, instead of the regular showing. With the VIP showing you get a more comfortable seat and you can drink alcohol.
But it's 14 dollars more than the regular ticket price, and I think that really is a rip off, just so you can by alcoholic drinks on top of that. Even if the seats are more comfortable, the ones they have in the regular theater are fine for me for a two hour length average movie.
Plus the one time I tried the VIP, the seats vibrated with the movie at certain times, when exciting things happened, but I didn't like that and found it distracting. Not sure if all the seats are like that though, but I assume they are.
So I just find it to be a rip off, and will talk my friends out of it, asking if it's okay I just pay regular price, especially since I'm only working part time at the moment. But do you think my friends think I am cheap perhaps though, when they aske me out to the movies? I asked my gf cause she is invited with me but she says she doesn't want to pay an extra 14 either. Or she doesn't want me to pay an extra 14 for her, since I pay for her sometimes. What do you think?
The thing is, your friends don't pay your bills so they don't get to decide how you should spend your money. A lot of my husbands family think we're cheap because we pass on things like you described or other things that we don't take enough enjoyment out of to see value in it. They think they know if we can afford it or not which is amusing since they aren't around when we pay the bills. They also think just because you CAN afford it you should spend it, while I don't agree with that criteria. If you enjoyed the vibrating seats and the ability to have beer then it would have value to you. As it is, there is no added value to you so why should you spend it? If your friends have a problem with that then I wouldn't really consider them good friends.
I dunno about that...you're not supposed to be talking through the movie anyway and since they are a couple they are probably good with watching the movie themselves but then obviously talking about it over coffee or something afterwards? Or is that also over your limit? FWIW, an extra $14 sounds like a rip and I'd not do it.
Not talking through the movie doesn't negate the value of sitting together. Whenever we go to the movies, we always talk before it starts, then during the previews we give thumbs up or down to different previews (indicating whether we want to see it or not), and there's been lots of times when, during the movie, my husband and I will look at each other and laugh, or my mom and I will look at each other with an "oh my god!" look in response to a scene. You can communicate and experience the movie together without talking, and I think it would be a shame to not be sat with my friends or family in the theater. And then of course if there's a credit scene, we talk during the credits while we wait.
But I agree that $14 extra just for D-Box (the seats that rumble and move with the movie action) and the option to buy alcohol is way too much. I'm guessing the reason for it is because they have to pay for the liquor license but that doesn't mean the value is worth it for the customers (plus, bars and restaurants manage to pay for their liquor license without charging people admission just to sit at a table lol). At our theater, D-Box is $8 more but that doesn't include the option to buy alcohol. They have discounts on Tuesdays where it's $8 off so you get it for regular price (of course the regular theater is discounted too, by $5). Maybe if their theater has discount days, that would be a good option to make everyone happy?
If you can't afford it and/or don't want to spend the money, then just say no, thanks. Don't put your friends in the awkward position of having to change the plans that they've made in order to accommodate you. Next time, you can be the one to make the plans and invite them, and you can choose a non-VIP movie or any other activity that you want, and they get to choose whether or not they want to come along.
This just made me wonder something. OP does this couple actually KNOW how you feel about the extra money and keep inviting you anyway or is this something you've been "happily" going along with and would now like to stop?
In my world, I have friends that work on commissions and their finances change with the tides and in good times would be happy to go along with suggestions like this once in a while for a extra special fun night out but in tighter times wouldn't hesitate to just say "sorry, it's not in the budget this month" and it's most certainly NOT a ploy to get a free ticket. It's friends being real and honest with one another. If they know how you feel and keep asking then I'd just say no thanks and leave it at that. If they have no idea how you feel because you've always just gone a long with it then I'd just say "I'm sorry but I just can't afford the upgraded seats right now". Then it's up to them if they would like to buy cheaper seats or not. I would hope if they are real friends they won't see it as a grab for you to get them to pay and if they offer then you simply say that wasn't your intention. Either way a real friend isn't going to judge you because you avoid spending extra money while you're working part time.
I have two friends, who are a couple that invite me out the movies and I go with them. A lot of times they want to see the VIP showing of a movie, instead of the regular showing. With the VIP showing you get a more comfortable seat and you can drink alcohol.
But it's 14 dollars more than the regular ticket price, and I think that really is a rip off, just so you can by alcoholic drinks on top of that. Even if the seats are more comfortable, the ones they have in the regular theater are fine for me for a two hour length average movie.
Plus the one time I tried the VIP, the seats vibrated with the movie at certain times, when exciting things happened, but I didn't like that and found it distracting. Not sure if all the seats are like that though, but I assume they are.
So I just find it to be a rip off, and will talk my friends out of it, asking if it's okay I just pay regular price, especially since I'm only working part time at the moment. But do you think my friends think I am cheap perhaps though, when they aske me out to the movies? I asked my gf cause she is invited with me but she says she doesn't want to pay an extra 14 either. Or she doesn't want me to pay an extra 14 for her, since I pay for her sometimes. What do you think?
I'm a spender. When I want something I do not care about the cost, I get it. When I go out with friends who are "cheap", it drives me crazy because it makes me look like the bad guy. Just like when you eat out with friends and the check comes, the people who are dividing the bill to the last penny make me want to climb a tree. The reason we work is to enjoy the fruits of our labor, and the day I have to start counting every penny, put me in a box.
I have two friends, who are a couple that invite me out the movies and I go with them. A lot of times they want to see the VIP showing of a movie, instead of the regular showing. With the VIP showing you get a more comfortable seat and you can drink alcohol.
But it's 14 dollars more than the regular ticket price, and I think that really is a rip off, just so you can by alcoholic drinks on top of that. Even if the seats are more comfortable, the ones they have in the regular theater are fine for me for a two hour length average movie.
Plus the one time I tried the VIP, the seats vibrated with the movie at certain times, when exciting things happened, but I didn't like that and found it distracting. Not sure if all the seats are like that though, but I assume they are.
So I just find it to be a rip off, and will talk my friends out of it, asking if it's okay I just pay regular price, especially since I'm only working part time at the moment. But do you think my friends think I am cheap perhaps though, when they aske me out to the movies? I asked my gf cause she is invited with me but she says she doesn't want to pay an extra 14 either. Or she doesn't want me to pay an extra 14 for her, since I pay for her sometimes. What do you think?
You convince them to go to the non-VIP showing with you, or they go to the VIP showing and you go to the regular one?
Theaters know what they can charge and know what people will pay.
The AMC Dine-In by me is always full on a Friday and Sat night, even if they are playing a **** movie. If it's something like Avengers or Pet Semetary, forget it. Even Escape Room was sold out one time we went.
So, people will pay an extra $4-5 to sit in a reclining chair/drink beer, easily. And Regal theaters doesn't even sell beer, but their seats are super comfortable. You have so much room that you can't even see the person in front of you. That's maybe an extra 5-6 bucks? Maybe a little less. Regal is sold out much less often, so again, people want the beer & food.
Also, when you buy a ticket for one of those theaters, you get to reserve your seat online, just walk into the theater and sit down.
If you buy a ticket at the regular AMC for a first/2nd weekend movie, you have to get there early, wait in line or squeeze into a seat where they are open.
So, OP could always compromise and not see the VIP premiere but still pay a little extra ($4-6) because his friends want to drink beer and not have to wait in line.
But why bring up sensible compromise scenarios based on the reality of what actually going to the movies is like?
It's more fun to sit here and give advice to dump/disown your friends because they are judging you on your lifestyle.
That higher purchasing power in America makes all the difference, and don't forget that your numbeo thing is not taking into account that not all nations' dollars are equal - a Canadian dollar is the equivalent of only 75 cents or less on the American dollar. It's also not taking taxes into account, nor which parts of each country are under consideration, it's a generalization of each nation as a whole. If you're going to get all picky about differences in cost of living between the two countries I suggest you ask the OP what city and province he lives in - i.e. is it a wealthy city in a wealthy province, or is it one of the poorer cities in one of the poorer provinces that he lives in. Then find yourself a more reliable COL comparison website than numbeo's and compare the OP's exact location with an economically comparable American location. You'll find the results won't be the same as the generalized ones that you came up with on numbeo.
Why do you think so many Canadians who live near the border go down to the states to do so much of their shopping for groceries and clothing and other sundry things like appliances and cars and whatnot? It's because it's so much less expensive to buy everything in USA.
Which is all besides the point. The point was there is no shame in telling other people that one cannot afford something. If other people think it is a shameful thing for the OP to need to admit to, then the real shame is on the shoulders of those other people for thinking that way and being small minded and condescending.
It's not $3. It's $14. Equivalent to almost $11 USD. A compromise could be made that he would see the VIP version every now and then, but I would NOT pay that everytime. No way. Not even close to every time.
You convince them to go to the non-VIP showing with you, or they go to the VIP showing and you go to the regular one?
No. You don't ask people to change their plans. If he doesn't want to pay he should decline the invite.
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