Here’s how you can beat ‘crippling cinema prices’ – tickets for just £1 | Personal Finance | Finance

I love the cinema. It feels like a relic of the past in a way. It’s one of the only spaces left that feels like a true escape from the multi-screen dopamine loop most of us seem to live in now. A rare sanctuary, where you aren’t juggling the TV with a smartphone scroll or a laptop on your lap (guilty and ashamed!).

In the cinema, you’re doing just one thing at once. You can shut out the rest of the world and the perpetual distractions that come with it and enjoy the moment. My dad used to take us to the “pictures”, as he’d say, every other Saturday. It was a cheap and easy way to keep us entertained and, most importantly, quiet, for two hours. In the early 2000s, that jaunt would have cost him roughly £15 in total – possibly less, with average adult tickets priced around £4. Throw in some popcorn, and you’d probably be looking at around £25 all in for a family of four.

Jump forward to 2026, and the same-sized family paying full whack is forking out £32 just to get through the door. With tickets averaging around £8 now and popcorn – one of the biggest rip-offs the establishment has to offer – costing upwards of £8 for a small bag, what was once a cheap trip out has become a luxury afforded by fewer and fewer. The brilliant news is, you don’t actually have to pay these crippling prices.

If you have mobile phone contracts with O2, Three or Vodafone, check their rewards apps. They regularly offer discounted tickets at various big chain cinemas. For example, O2 customers can bag two tickets at Vue cinemas for £9, plus 20% off treats through the O2 Priority app. Vodafone customers can snap up two tickets for £8 or four tickets for £16 at the Odeon. Three customers can get tickets for £3 at Cineworld.

If you’ve taken out an eligible insurance policy, such as car, home or life insurance, through Comparethemeerkat.com, you could grab two-for-one tickets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays through its rewards app. Vitality health and life insurance customers get one free cinema ticket on any day of every week.

Or, you could sign up to Odeon Extras for free and get access to cheaper tickets on Saver Mondays. Here, you can book online or through the Odeon app to bag tickets from just £4.50. The Odeon’s weekend kids screenings cost just £1 when booked online, while Vue offers £2.49 per ticket, and Cineworld offers £2 for a similar deal.

For a fun bonus tip, the Odeon also runs “screen-unseen” events, where you can watch “highly acclaimed”, pre-released films for just £6. Adding more mystery to the mix, you won’t know what film you’re watching until it starts. Keep an eye on the Screen Unseen page of the Odeon website for the next dates.

New online Ocado customers can bag 25% off their first £60+ shop, plus free delivery for three months. Simply enter Ocado25 at checkout. The maximum discount is £20, available to customers aged 18 or over.

Did you know that Nationwide Building Society runs dementia clinics every three months in hundreds of its branches across the UK? It’s been doing this since 2024, and this week, it announced that it’s trialling an expansion to offer them in Virgin Money branches, too.

As someone who has seen first-hand the devastation of the illness, navigating the new, confusing world it unfolds can be complex and stressful. From getting a diagnosis to money management afterwards, there’s a lot to process and consider, and it can feel quite isolating, whether it’s you or a loved one.

To help with all of these concerns, Nationwide’s partnership with Dementia UK has funded a team of Admiral nurses to offer free appointments to anyone who needs one. You do not have to be a Nationwide or Virgin Money customer to book.

The nurses typically visit branches every three months, on three days per week. Appointments run for 45 minutes, in which the nurses will answer any questions you have and offer tailored advice and emotional support. You can use the appointments to talk about getting a diagnosis, understanding changes in behaviour, practical tips for carers, or choosing appropriate care. You don’t need a diagnosis to attend, and carers or family members are encouraged to join to understand how they can also provide support.

Check the dedicated Dementia UK Clinics page on the Nationwide website to book an appointment at your closest branch, or check directly through Dementia UK. The charity adds new dates on the first Friday of every month. If you can’t get a face-to-face appointment, you can book a free virtual one instead.