$3.63 date night

If you have never vended from a RedBox DVD machine, your world is about to change. Redbox allows you to rent a DVD for $1.07 per night. More importantly, it is quickly becoming ubiquitous. This is key to its appeal, as you can rent from one and return to another with no discrepancy in cost. There are two catches. One- RedBox only houses the newest releases and is limited to the big box office titles. Two- if you are someone who forgets to return things, this is gonna be like that. The first catch, limitation to blockbusters, is major in that it creates a mindset where you are willing to sacrifice quality for immediacy. Not surprising then, that McDonald's is one of the most prevalent sites where these DVD vending machines can be found. This has always been their niche in the marketplace. Bad food now. The first catch equates to life hours lost to meaningless movies, simply because they are cheap. And while I am a sentimentalist when it comes to film- I consider the time spent watching P.S., I Love You two such wasted hours. Catch two, forgetting to return things, is your problem. But from another angle, no problem at all. The worst that can happen is a $25 fine after which the movie is yours. People like you generally embrace DVD collections of mediocre quality.


I know, it isn't sounding like a great date so far. Here's the deal. Vend your movie from McDonald's. Then, upon leaving, treat yourself and your lucky lady to a McDonald's ice cream cone. If it's below zero out, the cone will keep just fine. If not, and generally I would hope not, just eat it on the way home. Grand total $3.63. When all goes well- there isn't some total idiot ahead of you in the RedBox line (or as many as ten), the ice cream is not too soft, the guy behind the counter is actually smarter than the ice cream machine, the movie ends up being worth two hours of your time, you don't forget to return it by 9PM the following night- this cheap adventure feels a little like winning the lottery. The odds are similar.