I love watching a good movie every now and again, and I’m sure you probably do too. But is there a way for you to watch movies on a budget? The answer is most definitely yes. How? It actually involves something that you already pay for through taxes each year called your public library. Also, Redbox movie freebies can’t be ignored. I’ll explain this and more.
Your Public Library is a media goldmine
When was the last time you went into your public library? Do you even have a library card? Well, if you don’t or haven’t been in there in a while then I suggest you get on over there and take a look. A lot has changed in the past decade to make the library much more efficient and convenient for everyone.
What can you find at your public library?
Of course you can find books. That should be a given. But a lot of people might not realize that they have a huge selection of movies and television show series available for free at the library. All you need to do is get yourself a free library card and rent it out.
I recently wanted to watch the old Star Wars flicks to refresh my memory before watching Episode 7 again. To my surprise I found all 7 Star Wars movies available in DVD and Blu-ray. And I don’t have to go to the library and try and guess where things are either. I can simply log in online and put a hold on the movies I want then go pick them up. Sort of like Redbox but without having to pay.
Renting by streaming movies from your local library
Libraries have gone digital too these days. Not everything has to be checked out at the location. Many libraries around the country now have streaming options for you to watch movies and tv shows. You’re not going to get something as robust as Netflix, but it’s free and you have nothing to lose.
What are the downsides to renting movies from the library?
Free movies at the library are great, but there are a few cons when using the library. For one thing, you won’t always have the movie available. Sometimes you’ll have to wait a while before someone returns a movie so you can have your chance at checking it out. You can do it all online though so you won’t waste time searching the library shelves. I just go there to browse sometimes, but if you know what you want you can check to see if it’s available at your local library.
If it’s not at your local library you may still be able to see it at another library in your county. If you do find it then you can request a hold on it online and they’ll then send it over to your local library and let you know when that happens so you can check it out. Obviously, if you want the movie tonight then this doesn’t help you much, but if you can plan ahead then you’ll be golden.
Getting free movies from Redbox
The Library is great, but you won’t find a lot of the new releases that you find at your nearby Redbox. The good news is that Redbox will have free movie promos all the time. You can sign up for their text messages and they will send you a free code, and then you can expect them to text you other promos in the future. You should also sign up for their Redbox Play Pass program where you can earn a free rental every 10 rentals. And yes it’s free to join.
Redbox doesn’t always have free movies codes though. Sometimes it’s a discount. Sometimes it’s a buy one get one free. So how do you keep up with this so that you don’t miss a free code or discount? Well, you should first sign up for their text messaging, and their Play Pass program. Then you can check a site I like to use called Slickdeals where you can setup an automatic notification which will send you an email when there’s a redbox promo.
Renting a movies for free on a whim
The best way to get a free movie is to plan ahead and rent from the library or to use the free codes when they’re available at redbox. That’s mostly what I do really. However, if you find that you want to rent a movie spontaneously then you can either go to your local library to pick something up from their available selection (you can also check online before you go and put a hold on the one you want), or you will need to do a quick google search for a Redbox promo code. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and find something. Just google “redbox code”, “redbox promo”, or “redbox promo code” and see what you find.