Frugal Hack #8: Rent DVD and Bluray Movies on the Cheap

February 28, 2013 · Filed Under Frugal Hacks, Frugal Living · 62 Comments

Do you ever pay $4 to rent a DVD movie? I see people do it all the time when standing in line at my local Blockbuster, and every time I want to grab the person, shake him or her, and yell “What the hell is wrong with you!!” Fortunately, I haven’t yet as I’m guessing they might ban me from ever returning.

Instead, I should calmly and politely pull them aside in the parking lot and say “ya’ know, there are some really good and cheap options available when it comes to renting movies and streaming shows from home. Here are your 5 best….”

Your 5 Best Bets:

~ Blockbuster Total Access - (Grade B+) This is the option we use and love it. For $9.99 a month, we get 1 movie at a time, no due dates. and unlimited rentals per month. Essentially, if you rent 2 movies per month it will easily pay for your Total Access account. Our account also allows for 2 free in-store exchanges per month which is great for weekends when you don’t want to wait 2-3 days for a new movie to show up in your mailbox. You can just swing by your nearest Blockbuster location and swap out movies. The biggest negative is no streaming service yet. For more info, Click Here

~ Redbox (Grade C) - Redbox’s are those big red vending things you see outside your 7-Elevens, Walmarts, Walgreens, etc. They typically stock 20,000 movies and charge you $1 to $2 bucks a pop. This is a good option for those that only rent a couple movies a month. Biggest negative is you have to drive to them or happen to be at a store that has one. Again no streaming service. For more info, Click Here

~ Netflix (Grade A) - Netflix almost has it all: Streaming via wi-fi, movies by mail, and ability to view on your iPhone, Android, or tablet device. The only thing they don’t have is physical locations where you can do a quick swap-out like you can with the Blockbuster Total Access package. But with the streaming option it is pretty much a wash. If you are curious about Netflix they are currently offering a free 1 month trial which is cool. The price on the streaming only option is pretty low at only $7.99/month. For more info, Click Here

~ Hulu Plus (Grade B-) - Like Netflix, Hulu Plus comes in at $7.99/month. If you tend to be more of a TV geek rather than movies, Hulu Plus may be a good option for you as it allows you to stream current season runs of some of the most popular shows on TV. The one really cool thing is you can take the service with you and watch on your smartphone and tablets devices which is a great feature for people that travel a lot for work. Major drawback is the movie selection is still pretty weak. For more info, Click Here

~ Amazon Prime (Grade C) - If you are currently an Amazon.com Prime member, did you know that you can take advantage of a free streaming service? Pretty cool, huh? They offer hundreds of streaming movies and TV shows. They are not new releases or current TV seasons, but the price is definitely right. I noticed they have a great selection of kids shows and family oriented movies which comes in handy from time to time. For more info, Click Here

Have you tried any of these frugal hacks before or do you have an even cheaper option? Let me know.

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Comments

62 Responses to “Frugal Hack #8: Rent DVD and Bluray Movies on the Cheap”

Nicole Becker on February 28th, 2013 2:11 pm

I use Redbox the most!! It’s only $1.27 fior a movie, how can you go wrong with that!!

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Kyle Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 2:29 pm
That is hard to beat Nicole, especially if you only rent a couple a month. Thanks for coming by and commenting.

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GabrielB Reply:
March 4th, 2013 at 6:17 pm
Redbox, unless you watch more than 6 or 7 a month, but all in all it depends on WHAT you watch…..mix and match

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Corina Ramos on February 28th, 2013 3:30 pm

Hey Kyle,

We’ve been using Netflix but my husband isn’t too happy with the selection they have so we might be switching soon so I appreciate you sharing this list, something to look over once he tells me he wants to switch
Corina Ramos recently posted…Attention: Bloggers Wanted For An iPad Mini Giveaway

[Reply]
Kyle Reply:
February 28th, 2013 at 3:36 pm
That is actually why we switched from Netflix to Blockbuster total access Corina. I like to watch new releases, (like Argo tonight!) and Netflix was lagging in that department. Plus, they had really long wait times in their online queue.

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misty farmer on February 28th, 2013 4:05 pm

We use Netflix which I really enjoy then we use redbox for the ones that Netflix dont have Thanks

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DC @ Young Adult Money on February 28th, 2013 4:40 pm

Everyone loves NetFlix! I read a while back that they had to get 200k more subscribers to stay profitable…it was some time ago but I really would be interested in seeing if they will have to raise rates eventually. I stick with the library for now
DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted…Peanuts, Crackers, or Cookies?

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Erica Ardali on February 28th, 2013 9:00 pm

I love my netflix – but I flirt with Redbox sometimes.

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Kyle Reply:
March 1st, 2013 at 10:09 am
I have been getting to 3rd base with Blockbuster total access for a few months now!

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John @ Frugal Rules on March 1st, 2013 11:01 am

We use Netflix all the time. They have some great stuff for the kids and some good movies for us too. We’ve thought about joining Amazon Prime for the shipping, but have heard the movie selection is not much to write home about.
John @ Frugal Rules recently posted…Frugal Friday: Blog Posts That Ruled This Week, How is it March Edition

[Reply]
Kyle Reply:
March 1st, 2013 at 11:44 am
Yeah, the movie selection is pretty weak with Amazon Prime John. It is a nice bonus if you already have Prime but I definitely wouldn’t get it just for the streaming option.

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Trish F on March 3rd, 2013 11:33 pm

We like netflix but like someone earlier said the selection is not the greatest. Our local Blockbuster went out of business. I think it had something to do with netflix. Who knows. I may try out Hulu because I heard my cancelled soap operas are coming back on Hulu. Then I will definately get it. I would love to get rid of cable tv but my husband isn’t going for it.
Trish F recently posted…UGG Boots Giveaway! Just in time for the Holidays!

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j4ck86 on March 4th, 2013 3:14 am

4$ seems a little expensive for me

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Joanna F on March 4th, 2013 4:00 am

The only thing I mess with is Netflix
Joanna F recently posted…How To Make Granola updated Wed Aug 15 2012 4:08 pm EDT

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Heather Howard on March 4th, 2013 6:02 am

Thank you so much for putting together this information. I have to say that even though you have to wait longer to see a new release, I have enjoyed Netflix’s services.They have a lot of shows for kids and it beats paying the price of cable!

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Denise Taylor-Dennis on March 4th, 2013 6:08 am

I love the sign that is too funny. We don’t even have any Blockbuster stores around any more where I live. The at home options are so much more cost effective.
Denise Taylor-Dennis recently posted…Giveaway – Kindle Fire US Only

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Sherry Compton on March 4th, 2013 6:43 am

I remember the days of renting movies at Blockbuster, but you can’t afford it and don’t have to anymore. Great post and compilation. Another option for some is the local library. I am a librarian in Missouri, and we get featured films as well as TV shows. You may have to wait awhile but it’s free.

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Barb on March 4th, 2013 6:56 am

Blockbuster Grade A for super great sign

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Megan on March 4th, 2013 7:04 am

The best option? The library – free, and at least here they have a better selection than most of the paid rental places.

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Diana Devlin on March 4th, 2013 7:05 am

I love the ease of being able to rent movies from anywhere these days – BJ’s, Walmart, even the supermarkets.

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Audrey on March 4th, 2013 7:11 am

Did you know the Amazon prime benefits do not apply to amazon prime students? It SUCKS!

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Paula V on March 4th, 2013 7:50 am

I have amazon prime but didn’t know they had free streaming. Thanks.

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Patty Coleman on March 4th, 2013 9:04 am

Great post!! We finally got Netflix and love it; however, for new movies we do use Redbox

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Michelle S on March 4th, 2013 9:16 am

Thanks for the good overview of choices – bought my husband a Roku device and we need to pick one or more of these. Your reviews of each will help us decide.

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Chrystal D on March 4th, 2013 9:40 am

I love Redbox. You can find a lot of codes for free movies or discounts too!

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Brandi Price on March 4th, 2013 9:57 am

We quit renting cause it was getting so expensive… maybe we can start renting again… LOL Thanks!

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Darci Bean on March 4th, 2013 10:17 am

I ended up canceling Netflix DVD service. All the movies we wanted always had long waits, so we would rarely get a movie we wanted.
We now use redbox and I almost always have a coupon code for a free movie.
Darci Bean recently posted…Giveaway: $100 Amazon Gift Card

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Allie on March 4th, 2013 10:21 am

I love REdbox!

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cole mckinnon on March 4th, 2013 10:41 am

I used to rent DVDs at Blockbuster for four bucks for years. Presently, I am paying only $7.99 per month for netflix. the instant streaming movie feature is superb and we have fantastic movies at the touch of a button.

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Sam Dock on March 4th, 2013 10:54 am

We use netflix and hulu plus and once in a while when we have coupons we will go to our local family video. I do like them because we can always get a kids movie free.

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carla bonesteel on March 4th, 2013 11:05 am

I enjoy Netflix, but Hulu Plus has not impressed me yet…I also enjoy Amazon Instant Video…I get a lot of TV shows for free because I’m a prime member.

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Stacy on March 4th, 2013 12:53 pm

What I love about Redbox is that you can find so many free codes! I signed up to receive a once-a-month text, and for following them on social media I also get codes throughout the month. I have been renting at Redbox for years and NEVER paid for a movie!

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Kathy B on March 4th, 2013 1:10 pm

Don’t forget if you have Amazon Prime they have free movies as well.

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Tim on March 4th, 2013 1:11 pm

I really enjoyed this blog post, however, I would give Netflix a “C.” I have subscribed to them a couple of times and each and every time I cancel my membership due to buffering and slowness issues.

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Renee Griffin on March 4th, 2013 1:24 pm

wow great price you can’t beat that in monthly rentals.

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ginette4 on March 4th, 2013 1:26 pm

We have Netflix and I love it, I love that I can watch it on my laptop anywhere I go, great post!!

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md kennedy on March 4th, 2013 1:49 pm

I am about to try Netflix – hope it stands up to your good review.

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Rachael B on March 4th, 2013 2:12 pm

I usually use RedBox or rent through our OnDemand service. We have tons of RedBoxes around so it’s never an issue for returning.

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Amanda Greene-Lebeck on March 4th, 2013 2:15 pm

We thought about doing the Blockbuster thing, but instead we went with Netflix, and we love it. We have been using netflix for about 2 years now.

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Kay K on March 4th, 2013 2:42 pm

Our family visits the public library every Saturday. They have free movie rentals (2012 movies too) that can be checked out for one week. No limit to movies checked out at one time. We don’t belong to any of the services you mention, but might if we didn’t our library rentals. Great info. Thanks!!

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CherylS22 on March 4th, 2013 2:53 pm

We use Netflix streaming daily. We also have Netflix DVD but it gets pretty expensive per disc so we might drop this part of the service.

This is a very informative blog. I enjoy reading all the helpful hints to get more bang for the buck.

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Katy M on March 4th, 2013 3:01 pm

We love Netflix when we watch a ton of movies- usually in the winter. We switch to Hulu Plus when we are outdoors more. It works really well for us!

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addibrae on March 4th, 2013 3:24 pm

We’ve been thinking about getting Netflix, so this is really helpful

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Courtney on March 4th, 2013 3:30 pm

Excellent tip. Love redbox~

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Jennifer Hedden on March 4th, 2013 3:38 pm

We use redbox and have had netflix in the past. Redbox is supposed to offer streaming soon so I am looking forward to that. The problem I have with redbox and netflix is they do not offer all new releases the day they come out. The reason we don’t use Blockbuster is because they don’t offer streaming which is a must if I am going to be paying a monthly fee.

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Charlotte Raynor on March 4th, 2013 6:52 pm

I hardly ever rent movies anymore. I cancelled my cable service so now I spend my time on network sites (or players on my iPad and iPhone) (like ABC.com) It works well and it’s free exceptwhen the ABC player goes wonkers like it has lately. Most of my shows and my favorite soap opera is on ABC so I may have to look into Hulu so I can watch my network shows before they delete them. Thanks for the great review!

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ravzie on March 4th, 2013 6:59 pm

Netflix rocks on the tv shows and the dvds, but the selection of streaming movies sux. Sorry.

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Tina on March 4th, 2013 7:31 pm

Our Blockbuster is going out of business so I have been going to redbox but thinking about Netflix

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Kelley Gaudette on March 4th, 2013 7:59 pm

I use netflix all the time.

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amanda roach on March 4th, 2013 8:25 pm

all great deals..we use netflix.

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Jennifer Appleton on March 4th, 2013 8:45 pm

We used Redbox pretty regularly for several months… Then we got a blu-ray player with Netflix capability. So, we started using Netflix (just streaming – not DVDs in the mail). Now, we hardly use Redbox at all! We use it if we have a free code and that’s basically it Netflix is really nice, considering we only have basic cable

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Lia Becas Jacobsen on March 4th, 2013 9:14 pm

Thanks for the great reviews. We were just thinking about trying Netflix and I think we’ll try the trial offer. Great timing, glad I stopped by

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Karen Hand on March 4th, 2013 9:41 pm

Lately, we have been using Netflix streaming the most, although Redbox is relatively inexpensive. However, Netflix is a lot more convenient to access.

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Jennifer isbell on March 4th, 2013 10:36 pm

redbox is my fav. use often

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Arien Cuesta on March 4th, 2013 11:00 pm

This is my first visit to this blog, but I’ll definitely be back! Lots of great info! We use netflix, and rent lots of redbox movies, you can search for free promo codes for redbox and sign up to receive free codes via text once a month. It add up to lots of free and cheap movies!

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The Happy Homeowner on March 5th, 2013 9:28 am

I love Netflix!!! It can be quite distracting sometimes, but I love being able to have that many options for the rare times I feel like relaxing a bit with TV.
The Happy Homeowner recently posted…Increased Productivity = More Money in My Pocket

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Maddie Klingaman on March 5th, 2013 10:47 am

We use Redbox all the time. I get free and 50% codes pushed to my phone which makes using Redbox even cheaper.

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jennifer lopez on March 13th, 2013 12:22 pm

I have Netflix and use rent from Redbox whenever I have a code for a free rental we are actually thinking about cancelling cable and adding hulu.. between that and netflix you can get just about anything and it will save us a bunch by the end of the year.

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Kathy Smith on March 13th, 2013 2:42 pm

We use Redbox all the time, it is a great price and it is just a block from our home. We don’t have to go a long distance to take the movie back.

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sara mcconville on March 13th, 2013 8:04 pm

we use netflix and redbox but also go to the video stores we have one that does movies 2 for $1

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Jessica Aldridge on March 14th, 2013 9:00 am

I use Redbox when I can find free codes, but other than that, I don’t rent movies!

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Vikki Cousin on March 18th, 2013 7:02 pm

This is a good deal. I haven’t done this, yet. It sounds like the right direction when saving money.

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