Watching a good movie has to be my favorite weekend pursuit. But have you noticed going for the movies has become an extremely expensive affair of late? The drive up to the movie theater, the tickets and the eats can all eat into your monthly expenses. And if it’s a family affair, it’s bound to leave you looking a little green round the gills. But hey, take a look at some of my ideas on how you can see your favorite movie and eat all the goodies you want and still save a bundle:

Plan a movie night right at home. With big, flat screen TV’s being the norm rather than the exception these days, you’ve got the perfect opportunity. A Blu Ray home theater experience with a Mitsubishi LCD HDTV is fantastic. It reproduces movies in better-than-original vibrant colors and the smallest of details are displayed in stunning clarity. It has a built-in, high quality surround audio output during a Blu-Ray disc playback.

Make sure you rent out at least two to three movies if it’s going to be a family affair. Kids love it when you sit together as a family and watch their favorite movie. And watching a movie at home doesn’t mess with their bed time either. Sit and watch the kid’s movie first. This way you can get them off to bed and enjoy yours without constant interruptions.

Bring alive the whole theatre experience. Make your own popcorn, other short eats and organize the soft drinks. Our recent home theatre experiences have made my son a budding chef. He can whip up these amazingly different flavors for homemade popcorn. With our trusty Sharp microwave, making popcorn at home is a breeze. The microwave has stainless steel cavities and sealed-in ceramic floors that make for easy cleaning.

Bathroom breaks can be organized at your own convenience. And another advantage is that you don’t even have to dress up if you don’t feel like it. You can just lounge around in your pajamas and hop into bed straight after the movie.