Well... being a drive-in owner, it's not very convenient to watch a show "off-hours"... so we make a point to see several shows at one of the local indoor houses... matter of fact, the one that Robert used to work at. It's the newest one in town, has the best sound, and has people in there that I've known for years.
We don't bother the manager with requests for freebies... it's more trouble than just buying the tickets. We also pick up at least a popcorn or two, and drinks.
We have a good time, don't worry about the cost, and make it a fun outing for the family that we know we aren't able to do every day (or week).
We could watch the same films at home on a big TV... but we wouldn't be getting out with the family... and that's the whole point. I know several people who have those setups... a few of them are pretty nice. One even went so far as to buy a little "theatre-style" popcorn machine. Once the novelty wore off, those fancy (expensive) setups were pretty much relegated to sports.
Maybe I'm overly optimistic... but if you spend all your time waiting for the end of business as you know it, you aren't going to enjoy the time you have now, where you do have a clientele that appreciates you. At my place, I wouldn't want to miss those years... too much fun!