Four Ways to Save Big on Movie Tickets

4. Be Flexible with Your Schedule

Matinees: If you are free during the day, you can attend afternoon matinees, where the prices are typically lower than evening showings. Also check to see if your local theater offers a "matinee day," where you pay the matinee price all day (typically a Tuesday).

Pre-matinees: In the growing effort to attract more moviegoers, theaters now sometimes open in the morning. These pre-matinee showings can be even less expensive than the matinee rates.

Many theaters also run special summer programs for kids. These programs allow families to view children's movies for free, or at deep discounts. During the heat of the summer, these can actually save you money by getting you out of the house so you don't need to use the air conditioner.

Here are some of the theaters that run these special summer programs: AMC Summer MovieCamp offers free movies from June 27 to Aug. 15 (excluding July 4) on Wednesdays starting at 10 a.m. Groups can reserve free tickets one week in advance at the box office at participating theatres.

Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse offers 10 weeks of movies with a different movie each week on weekday mornings. Tickets for all 10 movies can be purchased in advance for $5 or can be purchased individually at the box office for $1 each.

Crown Free Summer Kids Film Festival's details have not yet been posted on the theater chain's Web site, but the chain has offered discounts in the past.

ClearView Cinema's Kid's Club offers an eight-week series of great family films with free admission every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. beginning July 5.

Regal Free Family Film Festival offers a nine-week series of select G and PG movies for free on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. There is limited seating and it is first come, first served. United Artists and Edwards theaters also participate in the Regal Free Family Film Festival.

Classic Cinemas offer an eight-week series of G and PG movies from June 13 to Aug. 8 (excluding July 4) on Wednesdays starting at 10 a.m. for $1.

Dickinson Summer Vacation Movie Series offers a 10-week series starting June 5. You can buy tickets to all 10 movies for $9.