How to Celebrate New Years on a Budget

New Year's Eve is a very special occasion, one that marks the passing of one year and the birth of a new one. Because of the significance of it all, it's easy to want to go "all out" on your celebration, but breaking into the new year doesn't have to mean breaking the bank. Pass up on the limousines and 4-Star restaurants and throw your own New Year's party on a budget...

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• drinks
• food
• decorations
• music
• location

1. 
    
   Choosing Your Location

   Choosing Your Location:
   Throwing a New Year's party doesn't necessarily mean you have to be the one hosting it. If your own pad isn't quite suitable for a medium to large sized group of people, ask someone who you planned on inviting if they might host the party. Offer to do all of the organizing and prep work in exchange for the use of their house for the party.

2. 
    
   Choosing Your Guests

   Choosing Your Guests:
   In the end, who you invite to your New Year's Celebration will either make or break your party. Choose to few and things might get a little boring. Choose to many and things might get a little crowded and uncomfortable. Try to stick a list of 8-12 people, diverse enough to keep things interesting but not so different that they won't have anything to talk about.

3. 
    
   Choosing Your Music

   Choosing Your Music:
   You can save a lot of money here by using the radio or making your own mixed CDs. If you don't have a very large music collection, ask your guests to bring a few CDs of their own.
   
   Try to stick to upbeat music while making your selections. New Year's parties need to last at least till midnight... which might be past many of your guests' regular bedtimes.

4. 
    
   Choosing Your Decorations

   Choosing Your Decorations:
   You don't really need a lot here, just enough to give off that "party vibe". Try calling around to some friends and family for any leftover decorations they might have from birthday parties. Some balloons and streamers should be just enough to add that special touch.

5. 
    
   Choosing Your Drinks

   Choosing Your Drinks:
   Wine and champagne are staples for New Year's celebrations. Cheap champagne can really do a number on your guests, but you don't need to buy enough to last for the whole party. Steer clear of the André and buy a decent bottle of champagne (Moet Chandon White Star, for example) and save it for toasting the New Year.
   
   Since you won't be serving bubbly for the first half of the party, try sticking to a selection of semi-sweet red and dry white wines leading up to the countdown. They're not very heavy so they won't dampen the energy in the room, not to mention that they mix well with the champagne you'll be serving later. You can stick to the self-serve model by buying higher quality boxed wines from brands like Black Box and Bandit.

6. 
    
   Choosing Your Food

   Choosing Your Food:
   This is where you can cut a lot of the costs from your budget. Set some basic guidelines and ask your guests to bring a dish or appetizer to the party. Not only does this save you a lot of prep time and money, but it also helps to spark conversation between guests who might be meeting for the first time.

Tips & Warnings

• Start your party a little later in the evening. Remember the goal is to stay awake until midnight, so shoot for a start time around 9 o'clock
• Be sure to keep an eye on the time. It might be both interesting and helpful to place a clock in a prominent place with some decorations around it. This will draw attention to it and make sure midnight doesn't come and go without anyone knowing it.
• Don't set your expectations too high. The goal is to have fun with people you enjoy. If everyone is having a good time then that's as perfect as it needs to be.

Resources

• The Wine Fugitive

[WriterGig]

on 2/4/2008 Great tips! I wish I'd seen this earlier, but I'll be saving it for next year. Thanks!