Everyone wants to ring in the New Year right, but many tend to think doing this means spending a lot of money to have the party of the year. Although it is always nice to feel like you’ve done your best to say farewell to old year and hello to the new year it doesn’t mean you have to go crazy with spending. With New Year’s Eve just up the road it might be time to start thinking about frugal plans to get your holiday rocking without the price tag. There are many simple solutions to your party needs that won’t have you making a huge hole in next year’s budget. With a frugal start to the New Year you may find it much easier to follow suit throughout the year.
1. Start Late
Believe it or not, but the time you decide to start your party could actually effect the amount of money you spend on it. Starting the party much later in the evening can help you avoid some major cost like dinner plans. Since most people are guaranteed to stay at the party until midnight at the earliest you may find it easier to start the party around 9 or 10 p.m. This will allow you to easily keep everyone entertained until the ball drops, without having to burn through as much food and beverages as you would for a party that starts around dinner time. Starting the party later in the evening actually makes it more of a success too. This is largely due to the fact that you won’t have to spend as much time trying to keep people entertained. With a more relaxed host people will be able to go with the flow while you stress less about the dwindling food and beverage situation.
2. Internet Radio
A lot of people tend to go out and find new music to make their party the talk of the neighborhood. This can be a pretty pricey mistake though, especially if you don’t really listen to the items you buy after the party ends. Luckily there are so many different internet radios today that offer you free music. If you’re into making your own playlist to add that personal touch to the party then you may want to check out a program like Spotify which allows you to surf through its database of music to create your own personal playlist. There are a lot of radio programs now that actually have pre-made playlist for certain events so you may find some pretty good music there. The key is to give a few different programs and playlist a try in order to find the perfect match for your guest. The only downside is you’ll probably have to listen to a few commercials throughout the night, but most are short enough to give your guest time to catch their breath and get back on the dance floor.
3. Specialized Programming
Nothing says New Years quite like watching the ball drop at midnight. There are a couple of programs now that host a huge New Year’s Eve Party in New York City that consist of interviews, music and the ball dropping at midnight. This is a simple way to keep your guest occupied as they check out their favorite bands live or get caught up with some of this year’s headline events. The event will even promote conversation as the guest interact with the music and the people who made it into the interview room. Of course, nothing will get people ready to cheer on the New Year quite like the countdown, which is the best way to let the world know your party is happy to welcome 2014. The best thing is the program is free so you don’t have to worry about any excess purchases to please the guest. If you’re feeling really ambitious then you might want to bring out the projector so you can have a large screen edition of the party.
4. Use Christmas Decor
You don’t have to go out of you way to find exciting ways to decorate for New Year’s. In fact, a lot of the items you need might still be in your home from Christmas. With New Year’s occurring just a week after the Christmas buzz you may want to forget about putting up some of the decorations until you’ve coasted into the New Year. Sure, if you have a real tree then it might be time to get it out of the house, but there’s plenty of décor that can stay. For instance, tinsel is one of the most exciting ways to give your home a look that will celebrate the New Year. The metallic colors look great laying on mantle pieces or the table and will really brighten up a party. You may also want to leave out your holiday lights, especially if you have blue or white. These lights can be strung in different places of the home so you can turn out the lights while still having enough light to dance by. Holiday snowflakes are also a great decoration item that can keep your New Year’s looking festive.
5. Bring Champagne
No New Year’s party is really complete without the champagne to toast with so you might ask your guest to bring a bottle of their own. This will ensure everyone has something bubbly to drink as you count down while also saving you quite a bit of money. Of course, if you don’t want everyone bringing their own champagne you could also ask some guest to bring other beverages like wine or soda water. By having your guest help you out with the party it will start the New Year out with a more unified feeling which can help set the tone for the upcoming twelve months. Beverages are one of the biggest cost of a party too, so your guest will help you keep out of the pricey range so everyone can enjoy themselves.
6. Pajama Party
It might be tradition to dress your best during the holiday season, but sometimes traditions can be altered. One fun way to get your guest and yourself to save a bit of cash this New Year’s Eve is to skip the formal attire and move straight on to the pajamas. Pajamas will offer everyone a lot more comfort to dance and play games in so you won’t have to be as selective about the party entertainment you choose. Dressing up in pajamas also takes an edge away from the party that might make some people feel uncomfortable which can help promote more conversation and fun. One of the best things about guests wearing pajamas is if they don’t have a ride home after drinking then they can easily just find a place to sleep at your place. So, this season you may want to drop the hours of shopping for the perfect party dress and just rock the pajamas Santa brought you.
7. Board Games
If you’re having a hard time finding a cheap way to entertain your guest then don’t be afraid to go old school and bust out the board games. You might be surprised by how many people will gladly hover over a Monopoly board for hours. Depending on your collection of games you may want to set up a few tables with some of the classic favorite so people will be able to go from game to game throughout the night. Of course, if you aren’t a board game person there is no need to go out and buy all new games just for the party. There are countless improvisation and charade games that will make most guests happy to play. Sit down and right some titles on a paper for a quick game of charades or come up with some off the wall scenarios for people to act out before the party begins. If you’re not feeling creative then take to the internet and find some free ideas. You could also set out a few decks of cards and see how the party goes from there if you’re unsure of what your guest like to play.
8. Designated Drivers
One of the most dangerous aspects of hosting a New Year’s Eve Party is dealing with people who need to get home. Chances are a lot of people have already made arrangements, but sometimes plans fall through. Before the party begins you should have a couple of people pledge to be dedicated drivers for the night. You might also want to look for taxis who offer a discounted rate during New Year’s to ensure you always have a back up plan. With drivers set you should always have a game plan as to which guest live close enough together so they can be put into groups with drivers. This might sounds expensive, but at least you’ll know everyone is home. Of course, if you want to help alleviate some of the spending then you should ask for each guest to donate a dollar or two to help pay for the gas. If your party isn’t in your home then make sure you follow the same designated driver rules for yourself. One party isn’t worth jail time, heavy fines, losing your license or death.
9. Cheap Snacks
Feeding your guest is important, but it isn’t losing $100 on one cheese plate important. Sure, you want to make a great impression and keep everyone happy over the holiday but you don’t have to lose out on a ton of money to do so. When planning out snacks you should always check to see what is on sale in the freezer aisle. The better the bulk deals the more you’ll have to serve your guests. If you’re worried about the type of foods you should serve then step back and relax. When people are drinking they tend to crave the same kind of foods you’d feed a teenager, so don’t worry about loading up on frozen pizzas and tacos. You may want to grab a few vegetables like carrots or celery and a nice dip for those who aren’t into junk food though. You might also want to drag out a few of those leftover desserts from Christmas so they won’t go bad in the freezer. With a little improvisation you can get a pretty good snack bar going for less than you’d think.
10. No Paper Invites
In this day and age there is really no reason to waste money on paper invites for your New Year’s Party. Chances are a lot of people may still be out of town for Christmas and the mail might not even get all of the invites to the recipients in time. So, why waste money on something that can be done with the click of a mouse? Instead of getting paper invited try to log on to your favorite social media page. Most of them will have something to keep track of parties so you can easily invite everyone and have them RSVP in one simple area. Of course, there are many people who still don’t like social media pages so make sure to utilize email reminders or text people individually. You may even find it easier to remind people at work or give them a call to see if they’d like to come to your party. Whichever way you choose to invite people it will still save you more money then buy paper invites and sending them through the mail.
New Year’s Eve parties can be one of the best ways to give the New Year a fresh start so don’t mess it up with over spending. With these easy tips your party will be a huge success without you spending a small fortune on it. This party will help you find peace in the old as you happily welcome the new.
