In one way or another, you’ve no doubt been affected by the recent economic downturn.  Many people have experienced a loss of income or household value, or they are close to someone who has.   Amidst all of this, you and your family still need to spend some time together, escape for at least a few hours every now and again, through some form of entertainment.
Upgrading or installing a home theater can be a cost-effective way to provide your family with entertainment value, as well as long-term investment value.  Over a period of time, the initial investment of home theater equipment begins to pay for itself, as you will find yourself spending less on extravagant nights out and more time with the family in the comfort of your own home. And by installing a top-notch home theater setup, you will increase the overall value and attractiveness of your home.
Consider the costs of a night out with the family. Going to see the latest Hollywood hit or your favorite sports team has many costs associated with it. You’ll need tickets, of course, and some food and drinks (and we all know what kind of markup a small bag of popcorn and fountain drink undergoes). You might also want to consider the cost of gas, travel time, and other unforeseen expenses. Add that all up, and if you spend $100 a night for each outing, you’ll be lucky.
Instead, you could take that $100, and add it to the “home theater fund” – save up even just five hundred dollars (that’s only five nights out!) and you can get a decent Home Theater in a Box, complete with surround sound speakers, a DVD or Blu-Ray player and all the cables you need to have a permanent entertainment haven in your very own home.
Of course, if you are looking at this not only as a way to save money on entertainment, but also a way to improve your home’s value, you can invest a little more and get a lot out of it. For instance, by upgrading your current TV to a plasma or LCD flat screen TV, and including a frame from HD Envy, you’d have an attractive centerpiece to show prospective buyers or renters if you ever decide to move out. Wiring the room for surround sound and other common features of a home theater is something that prospective buyers find appealing as well.
It’s not just the hardware that makes this option so appealing. Instead of paying $10 or more per ticket for your family of four to see a movie, you can purchase that movie, in all its widescreen, HD glory, for a fraction of the cost once it is released on DVD or Blu-Ray“>Blu-Ray.  And after it’s all done, you get to browse deleted scenes, bloopers and commentary at your leisure – because the movie is yours to keep.
Although it might be more money upfront, if you are able to budget your entertainment expenses for a few months into the future, you’ll likely see that investing in a home theater makes sense.  And once everything is in place, you can have family nights and date nights without the lineups, headaches and expenses that come with them.
Lauren is a contributor to the HD Envy Blog. HD Envy produces high-quality flat screen TV frames for your home theater. They will work with you to create a custom frame to match your interior, or you can choose from the large selection of flat screen TV frames they have in stock. Each flat screen TV frame is crafted using industry standards to ensure that it attaches to your HDTV safely and securely. For a unique home theater, try a flat screen TV frame from HD Envy.
Tags: Home Theater, Home Theater in a Box, Home Theater Tips, Save Money
