BLOG: WORTH IT

Ok, so I was suppose to see Disney's Toy Story 3 last night, but the the non-3D screening was SOLD OUT and the only other screening was in 3D. So it got me thinking...'WORTH'. What does 'WORTH' mean in a world where everything from what you wear and what you use to listen to music is all about the name?

If you're a cheapo, like myself you'll probably already know the following thing's I'm going to list, but for those who prefer to buy things either "impulsively" or because of their brands and often find yourself frustrated when you see the item you just bought $20-$50 a few months or weeks later, here's the secret.

MOVIES
(DVDs and Blu-ray; New Release and Bargains)

1. NEW RELEASES: always, always, always W.A.I.T. The reason why movies start of with prices that range from $25-$30 is because their prices depend on how popular the movie was. If they've been on the screen usually their DVD prices will start at $20-$25, if they've been good on the bid screen then they'll cost $25-$30 (sometimes even $35) for your small screen. Often it's the same of Blu-ray.
2. "SALES": Sale prices range from $7-$30 dollars. Depending on what you're buying, the under $10 price range are often found in stores like Target and Big W, the only problem is, these stores don't really account for what films they have in the store - especially at these prices. JB Hi-Fi and Sanity stores account for their items, but their price range don't really go down as far as $7, they maintain the $10-$20 "sale prices". The good thing for JB Hi-Fi is the fact that their prices often reflect the quality of their sales - ie. you're paying for the rating of the film and the opinion of the store - and therefore you often find the best prices in terms of box-office quality.

Aiight...IS IT WORTH IT?

HOW TO BUY DVDs and BLU-RAY

Between the two options, it depends on what you have, DVDs are often cheaper than Blu-ray, but if your new TV comes with Blu-ray, I say why waste what's comes with your screen? So here we go.

You know that a DVD/Blu-ray is worth if...

1. It comes with SPECIAL FEATURES. This may sound stupid, but it's the truth. You want to know why people download their movie from the internet? It's because sometimes that's all you get in the DVD/Blu-ray disc - JUST THE MOVIE. If a movie is priced $20 on a sale it's either because it was: a) a really good movie or b) you're paying for the actual disc and the cover it's in. Though this may be subjective it's the truth. Look, personally, if you want "JUST THE MOVIE" get it legally on iTunes or Graboid.
2. If the price NEVER changes. If you're like me and have paid $30 for a movie just because you could only to find out 6 months later it was half the price, then you know how good it feels to by $15 DVD and 6 months after that it still the price you bought it for. If the price never changes - which is VERY rare, then you know it's a good buy. Often their the ones that are popular no matter what happens, like Mean Girls or The Notebook.

Vital Tips:

1. WAIT until you know the price isn't going to get any lower.
2. Always compare the prices, if there's a lower price somewhere else, you get to save more.

CDs
(Music)

1. NEW RELEASES: Wait, often $25 CDs go down to $15 in a matter of months. NEVER rush into buying anything.
2. SINGLE/ALBUM: The Album is better, but if you only want that one song, I suggest you get an iTunes card that way you don't waste $5 on 3 other versions of the song you don't even like.

HOW TO BUY ALBUMS

1. Be sure that the CD comes with a LYRIC BOOKLET. This may seem like another stupid thing, but think about it, you're forking out $20-$25 on a CD, I mean you could buy a lot with that, but instead you decide to use it for a CD. You want the MUSIC, and therefore, often want to SING ALONG with the songs, so that means, you're not only paying for the song, you're also paying for the RIGHTS of the lyrics. You don't want a piece of paper with their faces on it, if you wanted their face you could go to their website and save them. You want to sing along, 50% of the time the internet lyrics are wrong and take time - buying a CD with lyrics kills two bird with one stone.
2. Be sure that you like MOST of the songs. If you only like 5 out of 14 then you're better off with an iTunes card. Don't pay $20-$25 on something you wont even listen to that often. Get an iTunes card that way you know which ones you want and you can use your money on other songs and items too!

Vital Tips:

1. Find someone with the CD you want, see if it's got the lyric booklet and have a listen to the CD.
2. YouTube is often a good source too, you can usually ask the vloggers questions about the album/ single you want.

iTunes
(Music and Movies)

iTunes is a great place to purchase your music and films. As much as I seem to promote it, iTunes is just like any store. Sometimes their prices are not the best and sometimes it's better to wait for the DVD price to go down rather than the iTune price. I prefer to get my music on iTunes because it's often cheaper, if not I buy the actual disc. Movies on iTunes are best if you just want the movie.

Vital Tips:

1. Just SEE the prices. If you think it's best that to buy the disc rather than downloading it's up to you.
2. Compare the prices. Sometimes iTunes it really good to see the worth of your items - songs especially.

I hope it's been helpful, if not just go on with your shopping ways. :D


Next on sL: "Toy Story 3" and the Top 10 CHILDHOOD classics.