Lights, Camera, Distraction!

"17 Again" debuted at No. 1 at the box office, pulling in an estimated $24.1 million. I have to admit, I kind of want to see this one. Looks like "It's a Wonderful Life" meets "Back to the Future". Still, I'm pretty much of a cheapskate (big surprise) when it comes to going to the movies. Just ask my kids. There isn't a lot playing that motivates me to spend close to $30 (that's for me, and only one child to watch, and a Jumbo Popcorn). Bring the whole family? You must be kidding! I'll wait for the DVD, or maybe if it's free movie day for Optimum Rewards customers, I'll take a kid or two and go.

You'd think that now that times are tough, movies would be hurting, right? Nope, just the opposite. Overall box office receipts were up for the fourth straight weekend, surging 21 percent over this same weekend last year. So where's the recession? It turns out the recession is helping drive box office results. Why? Because when times are tough, people love distraction.

The surging box office results remind me of a story my father told me when I was a little girl. As I've mentioned before, my family owned a small department store started by my great grandfather. I never met him, but he was a very good business man. Anyway, one day a mother and daughter came into the store. The little girl pointed out to the mother that her socks were full of holes, and she needed a new pair. The mother scolded the little girl and said "you know we only have enough money for the train and the movie!" (Back then there was no movie theatre in town, and you had to take the train a few towns away to watch a movie). This said a lot to my great grandfather about priorities, if people would spend for movies over socks for their children. So, he opened a movie theatre in town. Great business sense! Pretty sad story about how people prioritize expenditures.

The desire for distraction plays out in many ways in a down economy. I read recently that sales of romance novels (like the harlequin kind), and fantasy/sci novels are way up. Even libraries are seeing increased demand for these titles. Disney DVD sales are down, and Netflix rentals are up.

Distraction is not a bad thing. A little escapism in a good book (okay, my definition isn't a harlequin romance, but whatever works) or movie is a nice reprieve from the realities of today's economic crisis. Here are a few thoughts and suggestions on employing some economic sense to your escapism:

• Reacquaint yourself and your children with the public library. Not only are the books free, but the trip gives you a free mini-outing together. Libraries are open pretty late, and on weekends so you can squeeze it in during non-working hours. The library frequently has a fund raising book sale where you can buy books for about $2. This is a great deal, especially if you don't want to deal with deadlines.
  
• If the library really isn't an option, buy your books at a discount store like Sam's, online from Amazon, or used from Half.com. I used to cherish my books (and still do, some great ones I wont part with), but realistically do you really need to own all of them? As one of my bosses used to say, if the square footage to store the books is worth more than the books you're storing, you need to rethink. Consider reselling the titles you don't want to keep on eBay (or their site half.com), or you can resell on Amazon. No time? Donate them to the library or a local hospital.
• Use the current economic hard times as a teaching moment for your children. Were there books you loved as a child? Read them together. When I think back, I actually read a lot of books as a child that taught good economic sense, self-reliance, and how to deal with hard times. I'll talk about some of these books in a future post, but I'm sure you can think of some that you read as a child.
  
• Rent DVD's from Netflix (if there are other subscription services out there fine, but Netflix is what I know and love). They have plans that are less than $10/month, and you can take your time watching the movies if you're busy. They also have thousands of titles you can watch online. Same as books, how many DVD's do you really need to own? Even titles from the $5 bin at Walmart (another good source) aren't necessarily keepers, and just clutter up your house. Again, sell them online or donate them to the library or a local hospital (keep track of what you donate and take a tax deduction). I especially like the hospital option. Many children's floors have DVD or VHS players in the rooms, and a library of movies for borrowing/viewing. If you've ever been in the hospital with a sick child, these are a real blessing.
• If you really want to go to the movies, check out the schedule for the bargain matinee (at least you'll save a couple of bucks), or if you're a Cablevision customer, get an Optimum Rewards card so you can see movies for free on Tuesdays at Clearview Cinemas. I feel a lot better about a $7 tub of popcorn, when my ticket is free.

So, go ahead and enjoy some escapism. Just don't get distracted from economic sense. Socks without holes really should be more important than an afternoon at the movies, but if you want to strike a balance try buying the socks (or whatever that boring, but necessary item is) and renting the movie.

I'm putting together a list of great books I read as a child for a future post. If you've got suggestions about memorable books from your childhood, I'd love to hear them.