Letter from the Senior Digital Editor: Barbenheimer's Financial Tip

I have to confess something: I made a mistake. 

Leading into this past weekend, I of course had heard the hype about the upcoming movies Barbie, by Greta Gerwig, and Oppenheimer, by Christopher Nolan. But for whatever reason, I failed to make any plans to go see them.

Instead, I spent the weekend scrolling through social media and having conversations with friends building an immense amount of FOMO (fear of missing out). Except it wasn't really a fear of missing out — I was missing out, plain and simple.

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It was an event weekend, the likes of which Hollywood hasn't seen in quite some time, so big it warranted its own name, "Barbenheimer." The numbers don't lie; Barbie brought in $155 million, while Oppenheimer grossed $80 million, both domestically, according to The Washington Post. 

Meanwhile, moviegoers made the most of it. They didn't just buy tickets. They showed up and showed out, dressing in gloriously themed pink and black outfits befitting the moment. Even just walking around the city this weekend I saw Barbies and Kens everywhere as groups of friends skipped to theaters. 

So, yes, by Saturday afternoon, I was furiously, and futilely, looking for open seats in any theater, at any time, for either movie. 

While I was grumpy about that, I was also absolutely delighted. Every time I passed a group of Barbies on the street I couldn't help but smile. After a brutal two years since the COVID-19 pandemic, it was just nice to see people having a good time with something so simple as a movie release — and I'm sure studio execs and investors were feeling somewhat similarly after an economically brutal time for them.

...and given my day job, I enjoyed this all from a financial planning standpoint, too. Provided moviegoers weren't breaking the bank buying new clothes for their outfits, this was a classic inexpensive way to have fun on the weekend. Rather than blow budgets on fancy dinners or gimmicky experiences, people simply purchased a movie ticket and made a memorable time out of it. Even with the price of movie tickets up, it still cost less than a round of cocktails where I live. 

It reminded me of being a kid, and not just because I had a lot of Barbies. As a kid, you didn't need to spend a lot of money to have a good time. Something as simple as a bouncy ball could keep us entertained for an hour, and we got to put creativity to use with finger painting and blocks. Similarly, adults spent this weekend going all-out at the movies and designing DIY costumes out of what they found in their closets. 

It's a good reminder that we don't need to jet overseas to have fun as adults; we can make our own fun with just some inspiration from creative minds like Gerwig and Nolan. Your savings account will thank you, especially so you can avoid FOMO in retirement.

Thanks,
Alexandra 

What I learned this week:

• Dawn Wotapka with Kiplinger Retirement Report detailed how retirees are going back to college
• Personal finance writer Erin Bendig explored how many savings accounts you should have
• Contributor Tom Taulli explained, in a way I could really understand, what an IPO is
• Tax writer Katelyn Washington took a look at tax enforcement for millionaires
• Senior news editor Esther D'Amico shared what's going on with insurers restricting coverage in Florida