Cash Cuddler » Saving Money On Movies

Saving Money On Movies

One of my favorite ways of entertaining myself is watching movies. Old films, new ones. It’s all good.

We all know that renting films is expensive, and those monthly snail mail subscription plans add up. I am as guilty as anybody of subscribing to both Netflix and Blockbuster without consistently using it.

I figured out a stopgap solution to the no-money/no movie/no cable problem. One of the best ways to catch great movies you missed – without the commercials – is to keep a VCR on hand. Yes, a VCR. It’s old technology, but great for the thrifty, so don’t give up on it yet.

Yes, I know about the new VCR digital technology: Some of the newer units have digital tuners now and will connect easily to the new digital TVs, but those are expensive. The older analog VCRs can be had for practically nothing, which is what we’re discussing now.

Analog VCRs can be hooked up to a new television by using a modulator that can be bought in an electronics store for about $25, and for a lot less online.

I bought a modulator from eBay for $11, and it works fine connecting an old CRT television to the VCR. The modulator needs its own electrical outlet to operate, so I connected all my electronics using a connection strip.

The red, yellow and white wires that you normally would connect directly from the TV to the VCR gets plugged into the modulator, and the signal passes through there. Then it gets sent to the television. Some modulators have several ports, enabling you to plug several electrical components – such as a DVD player – into the unit. The signal gets sorted out by a flip of a switch at the front of the modulator.

As for the video tapes themselves, they’re available at thrift shops, yard sales, flea markets. Pretty much all over the place. Freecycle members in my area are constantly giving them away by the bagful. Video tapes are always $1 or less if you have to buy them. This is not Blu-Ray, but it’s also not $35. And there’s never a late fee either because you own the film.

Take that, Blockbuster! Your thoughts?