It's Replay Thursday time! Each Thursday we "replay" one of our older savings tips so you don't have to worry about missing any of the goodies :)
Todays' tip is great. I wrote this a year ago, but still use this philosophy basically every time we go out. Especially since I'm pregnant, I always have to have snacks with me!
See the original post HERE.
Since it's now the weekend, I'm sure many of you will hit the movies, concerts/shows, or sporting events. As we all know, food is VERY pricey at these venues. Anyone who knows me knows that I am the QUEEN OF SMUGGLING. My husband and I rarely ever buy food at events...because I smuggle my own in!
Some of my best smugglers have been:
- a 2 liter of root beer,
- burgers,
- a 5lb bag of Sour Patch Kids,
- ice cream,
- a tupperware of dinner leftovers that I didn't have time to eat before the movie,
- and - yes it's true - an entire Little Caesar's pizza.
It saves buco bucks, I promise! I don't want to jinx myself, but I've been a self-proclaimed smuggler my entire life and have never gotten in trouble. *knock on wood*. The worst thing they do is make you throw your food away.
Here's how I do it:
- Smuggle in a bag: Bring a big purse, bag, or diaper bag. Small ones don't work as well. Diaper bags are great because they expect you to have lots of bulky stuff in there :)
- Smuggle in a blanket: Wrap your item in the middle of a blanket and carry it with you.
- Smuggle in your clothes: Wear a bulky coat with lots of pockets. This is an easy one. Once we got desperate and my husband simply walked in with 2 cans of soda in his back pockets...but that was a bit risky.
- Smuggle in a stroller: We took our stroller to a Bees baseball game here in Salt Lake. I smuggled lots of stuff in the mesh bag that hangs under the handlebars on my stroller. Since I was holding onto the stroller handles, my body was blocking the bag and they never even checked! You can even stuff treats in beside your baby and cover it with blankets.
- Another stroller note: Don't hide things in the obvious parts, like the basket underneath or cup holders. BUT...use these to your advantage. When you get to security, make it a point to show them the basket and cup holders. Say something like, "Oh and you can check my basket if you want." Often times they'll appreciate your honesty and won't even bother checking!
- The above note is same for purses. Hide things in the little inner zipper pockets or way down deep, and make it a point for them to check your bag. "Do you need to check my bag? Here you go (and open it for them). Sorry there's so much junk in there." Once again, they appreciate your willingness and tend to not check too thoroughly!
- If you are bringing warm food into the theater be sure to keep it in a sealed container like tupperware. This locks in the smell.
- Make sure lids are on tight! You don't want any spillage.
- Bags are always better than boxes. Less noisy!
- Get creative. Maybe start small if you are nervous (bags of candy, a small can of soda, etc.) but then work up to more creative things. Who says you can't enjoy a Corndog at the movies??
- Don't take out your smuggled items until the theater or concert hall is completely dark.
- Try to get rid of noisy wrappers that will cause lots of attention. I love ziplocks.
- If you are at a venue where they check bags (baseball games, concerts, etc.) this gets a little trickier. Use a big, deep bag, and just pile stuff on top of the item.
- Girls: Take advantage of awkwardness! Put your tampons and pads on top of the food item. Often times security won't bother rummaging too deep if you have "personal items" in view. Smart, eh?
- If they check bags, they will often times check blankets. If you see them checking blankets, simply hold the item in your hand under the blanket, and shake the blanket out. That way your hand is still covered, and its holding on to the item so it doesn't fall out.
- If your husband is wearing a hat, hide a small item under his hat! Funny, but it works!
- Try to go in a line where the ticket agent looks nice. Try to find someone that's smiling or talking.
- Be nice to the ticket agent. Strike up a conversation the moment you get to them; be extra nice and perky. They aren't typically used to this and it will A) make them happy and B) distract them. Though, you should always be nice to people anyway!!!!!!
- Lastly, don't sweat it if you get caught. JUST PLAY DUMB. "Oh! Opps, I didn't know food was allowed." "Oh sorry, forgot this was in here!" The worst they will do is make you throw your food away. I got caught with a package of licorice under a blanket once (because the package was poking out of the side - dumb!). All they made me do was throw it away. However, when I got to the garbage can I simply hid it better under my blanket again and went to a different door. Problem solved!
I have no shame when it comes to smuggling. It saves lots of money! I do believe in supporting businesses, too, so once in a while we will certainly buy a treat like ice cream or something a little harder to smuggle. But most of the time we bring in our own treats and it works like a charm.
Happy savings to you :)
