COMMENT: €37 and I didn’t even get my own popcorn! Cinemas’ hidden costs are simply scandalous

Cinemas are experts of draining cash from your pockets, as there are more hidden costs than sticky seats in one of the *many* dark rooms.

Opting to go to the cinema on a rather cloudy and disappointing ‘summer’ evening at the end of May should be an innocent enough expedition, considering the pub was option two.

While prior knowledge and popular cultural belief points to the fact that cinemas are certainly not as inexpensive as they used to be, they are probably still cheaper than a meal and a drink out, right? 

Wrong.

Cinemas claim to give discounted deals, yet hidden costs remain paramount (excuse the pun). 

Two tickets to the late showing of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (film 100 in this forever-running series) is advertised on a Tuesday evening as being €6.99 each.

Fine, no issue. €14 total.

While every hater on earth is inevitably going to pounce at the opportunity to attack me for buying treats in the cinema, it is a once off and I think I deserve a treat from time to time - doesn’t everyone?

Marketing geniuses means cinemas are well-equipped to trick you into buying the large size deal, rather than the medium because, ‘ah shur, it’s only €1 extra’.

Deciding on a share-combo means you are buying a large/medium sized popcorn, which in my experience this time was cold and stale by the way, and with that you get a large/medium sized drink and a packet of sweets.

These are priced at €15.99 for a medium combo and €16.99 for a large, feeding two people but only ‘watering’ one, as one standard type of fizzy drink is included. 

Don’t even bother opting for a slushie as it probably ups your (already pricey) bill by an extra €150. 

Choosing a large combo at €16.99 brings your total, including tickets, to €30. 

So finally, when the second person in the pair of cinemagoers wants a bottle of water, how does my total jump from €30 to €37? 

Riddle me that one, haters.