so i took my 7 year old and wife to see "UP" this past sunday. the tickets were $9 each = $27.00. the large soda was $5 and a bag of mm's $4...so $36 for the movie, we ate at ruby tuesdays prior for dinner $40 (no alcohol only sandwiches and a kids meal. $76 plus gas $10 = $86 for 1 night at the movies... cant do that to often!

DEFINITELY don't go to an NFL game...........you'd be lucky to get a single ticket in the bleachers for that........entertainment expenses are pretty heavy

Not to mention Broadway shows which are now all $100-$150 each now, unless you can get the two-for-one deals. Add dinner, parking, tolls, and gas to that, and you get quite a bill for one night. Same thing for Vegas shows, at least until recently. In August, I paid $125-$150 each for tickets to several Vegas shows (thank-goodness I got to see Danny Gans before he died), but in the last few months there have been incredible sales and bargains and that should continue for awhile.

Big difference in the last 30 years. I was a theatre major at Kean University in NJ in the early 80s. I would go once or twice a week to plays in NYC with a class. Total cost was $5 including busfare. Plus, one of the actors almost always came out to talk to the class after the play. I saw everything on Broadway for over three years that way! I sure miss those days now.

Alan

Living overseas and only getting home to Chicago for a week or two each summer, I am hostage to whatever is available on StubHub. Tickets to Wrigley Field, if you gotta buy them this way, usually go in the neighborhood of $200++ a pop, and that's not for primo seats right down on the field, either. More like 20 rows up or so. If there are 3 or 4 of us, it starts to become serious money.

The onslaught of corporations hoarding all the best seats on season ticket basis (and not just skyboxes, we're talking about ALL the good seats) has really changed things -- perhaps the recession will put a damper on that, as companies all chop their opex?

These were the same seats I used to buy for $1.75 each when I was a kid; the Cubs called them 'general grandstand admission', they were not reserved, and would all go on open sale at 11 a.m. each day. The kids would line up, buy the tickets, and run into Wrigley to grab the best of these seats.

(Of course, if your company has a group of great seats at your city's sporting events, and you are able to score these when you need em, then for you this glass is "half-overflowing"! For me, and many like me, totally empty!)

1. Three tickets @ $250.00 ea.
2. Souveniers - $100.00
3. Gas (Concert was in Albany NY , 200 mile RT) and parking - $50.00
4. Refreshments + Food - $100.00

Grand total - $1,000.00 but my girls still talk about it. We had fantastic seats - on the floor, 4th. row.

When Hannah Montana had her concert tour, comparable tickets were over $1,000.00 ea. Needless to say we didn't go to that one. (The girls called me an old cheapskate) but they are over it now.

$10 in gas?? Was it a 90 minute trip to the movies?

Looks like a rookie mistake to me. You didn't pay $86 for the movies, you paid $86 for the movies AND dinner. Those should have been split as follows:

Day 1: Grill Hot Dogs and Burgers and have soda, then go to the Movies - no more soda or candy.

Day 2: Dinner at Ruby Tuesday's followed by a $1.00 Redbox movie at home.

like a cost accountant to me.........

I rarely take my 10 year old little girl to movies but it's more of a moral decision than a $$$ one.

We go see Madagasgar...pretty funny...hannah montana..well, eh, er...lets just say I'm glad I left my gun with 1 bullet at home...but I endured.

Most of this crap , is , just that..crap.
I will offer 10 crisp big ones to anyone who can explain (with logic) the reason it makes sense they (hollywood)makes movies FOR children, marketed TO children..yet have a PG (parental guidence) rating. In my day, a children's movie was...(drum roll) a children's movie! One which we could be dropped off at or be taken to with older brother or sister. Since it TRULY WAS a "children's movie",There was no need for parental guidence! (what a concept)
Further, why in the world would they make a "children's movie" and then dump in the H word, the D word and assortment of other words a few times through the movie??!!
Is the sound of those words so seductive that we, as parents and Americans HAVE to have these included because we are all so "numb"?
Moral decay, Moral fabric unraveling...thats all it is! I refuse to pay money for this junk...if I want my little girl exposed to this..I'll just take her to the poolroom or bar and also teach her the finer skills of hustling suckers and drunks. We can make money and go pop our own popcorn afterwards and split our take.

I am the first line of defense for my little girl and I take it very seriously. I also mourn for our Anti family Hollywood, multicultural,diversity intense,"green",same sex marriage USA. You have to STAND for something or you will FALL for anything. GOD BLESS THIS USA!

I'll be inside my bunker door when you are screaming & banging trying to get in.

Hey Jerry, Kudo's to you bro for not falling for the montana concert. I took mine to the concert movie for about 10 percent of the price.

Cleaning our fish tank cost zero! and she was just as happy.

(sorry for the rant)
(writer steps down from soapbox)

Charley - the money was worth it & I don't regret spending a penny of the money. Some great shows on both Disney & Nickelodeon channels (And I've watched many with both my daughters) like Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zach & Cody, iCarly, Wizards of Wavery Place, plus others. Completly "G" - great for young girls to watch.

Marianka was crazy about iCarly. We put together a Master Set of iCarly cards for about $150.00 (Who really cares what it will be worth down the road). That included buying a box then chasing down all the missing stickers, computer clingy cards, motion cards & costume cards.

We had a blast doing that plus it got her very excited about collecting cards.

Encouraged her interest in Vintage cards, three sets we are working on are T29, T96 & Tootsie Circus cards.

Try that with your daughter - some of the greatest moments in my life happened that way

Check out the Young Traders Forum on the B/S/T area. So far my girls & Erika have posted there - maybe your daughter might get interested.

Coming up in July will be a Jonas Brothers set. Marianka & I will be going after that one as well.

Hi Jerry,

"...Some great shows on both Disney & Nickelodeon channels (And I've watched many with both my daughters) like Hannah Montana, Suite Life of Zach & Cody, iCarly, Wizards of Wavery Place, plus others. Completly "G" - great for young girls to watch."

yeppers, my girl loves these shows..but I try to limit her when she is with me..she even admits that she has seen them all before..she knows every line! Personally, I can't watch these shows with her..its too painful for me...but we have played the ramones,b-52's,steely dan and dance around which is not painful for me...until the next day!

Whatever works for you.

""Check out the Young Traders Forum on the B/S/T area. So far my girls & Erika have posted there - maybe your daughter might get interested.""

My girl got amped about this after I showed her...but it kinda died down when she started shopping on ebay and was picking out all of these high dollar vintage cards and sets.

I have let it stay quiet for now,I may have created a monster. Hey man, I can hardly feed the non sport monkey on my back! Then the thought of ALL those extra cards from new shiny issues after box breaks..? well, lets just say.. I AM NOT amped after pondering it for a while.

Ok dude, Got your family and wife in prayer tonight and in the morning.
Love out to Libertyville.
Later