It’s the summer movie season, but between the cost of tickets and snacks, going to the movies could be an expensive family outing.

However, there is good news for moviegoers on how to hit the theater for less.

Going to the movies is the Weibner family’s favorite hobby, but they admit this weekly habit isn’t cheap for a family of four.

“On average, it's usually between $40 and $50,” said Rita Weibner.

Joel Weibner added, “It's pretty expensive to go the movies as a family."

Kelli Grant of SmartMoney.com said it does not have to be expensive.

“You can very easily get cheap seats to your next movie,” said Grant.

For regular moviegoers and big families, Grant said buying movie passes in bulk from theater Web sites is easy and saves time and money.

“You'll be looking usually at increments of about 50 tickets,” said Grant.

For the occasional moviegoer, Grant recommended checking eBay for discounted movie passes.

“People buy them in bulk, and they'll put the extras on eBay. So, you're looking at maybe $5 to $7 per ticket,” said Grant.

Before bidding or buying in bulk, Grant said to check expiration dates and limited engagement restrictions.

“You cannot go see a movie the weekend it opens. You'll have to go look at it; usually it's about two weeks after the opening date,” said Grant.

Another option for moviegoers is drive-ins.

Many drive-ins charge by the car and not the person, and they are usually cheaper than theaters.

Most large cinema chains have loyalty card programs for which customers can sign up for in the theater or online.

Grant said, “Present it every time you buy tickets or buy snacks and you'll get points for it, and then once you've reached a certain amount of points, you'll get something free in exchange."

“We get free tickets, like all the time -- free popcorn, free sodas,” said Rita Weibner.

The Weibners said those freebies add up to big savings. Even though seeing movies is pricey, the Weibners said family time together is priceless.

“We pay it because it's one of the things that we can do as a family together,” said Joel Weibner. "It's definitely good family time."

Another thing experts recommend is looking in newspapers or online for free showings and free passes to sneak previews.

Also, check your local theater to see if it offers free morning movies for children, as most chains offer programs during the summer.