New Year's Eve Party Ideas: Host A Last-Minute, Cheap, Easy Bash To Welcome 2017

Although the new year is a highly anticipated event, New Year’s Eve can turn out to be more of a headache than a celebration for many party people. For some, spending the night at a lavish event may prove to be more costly than their worth and throwing a holiday party can easily drain a bank account, not to mention having to factor in expenses for the perfect New Year’s Eve outfit.

However, welcoming 2017 with a fun celebration doesn’t necessarily have to break the bank, because their are plenty of budget-friendly ways to host New Year’s Eve celebrations amongst family and friends. Check out a few not-so-expensive ways to ring in the new year within your budget below:

Plan Games: Holiday parties can be just as fun at home as long as there’s some form of entertainment provided, and what better way to get New Year's Eve party animals ready for the year ahead than with a fun card game reflecting on 2017. Real Simple has free download fill-in-the-blank New Year Playing Cards to keep guests busy guessing who finished which 2017 wish like, “The bad I want to kick this year is___.” Or friends can reminisce over all the good songs and movies that debuted in 2016 by playing the Pop Culture Matching Game that requires players to match lyrics to songs and quotes to movies and TV shows that aired throughout the year. Check out a few free printable New Year's Eve card games to play HERE.

Pick Libations: Champagne can be pretty expensive, especially around New Year’s Eve. However, Prosecco, which is basically bubbly that isn’t made in Champagne, France, is a cheap and yummy alternative. Some brands, like Mionetto Prosecco Brut, runs for about $10 to $12 a bottle and can get the party rocking just the same as something more pricey. For guests who aren’t looking to bring in the New Year with booze, Twelve, a fizzy fruity beverage is also a cheap but delicious alternative.

Prepare Snacks: If providing full course meals isn’t on the menu for New Year’s Eve shindigs, simply picking up a punch bowl and a few snacks can go a long way. Small bites like chips and dip, cheese plates, cured meats and pickled vegetables can be easily bought at a local grocer and won’t cost nearly as much as an a-la-carte restaurant food bill. Small plates also give guests more room to mingle with others attending the party. Not to mention the less time folks spend eating, the more time they spend dancing, singing and celebrating the year to come. And let’s not forget about the quick and easy clean up from serving chips and guac, because who really wants to start off 2017 cleaning up anyway?

Make A New Year’s Playlist: No one wants to bring in the new year in silence and to throw the perfect holiday party means the music needs to be on point. There’s plenty of songs that are geared towards New Year’s available on music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, both of which allow users to create their very own playlists. If classics like David Bowie’s “Golden Years” or “Let’s Start the New Year Right” by Bing Crosby doesn’t get people on the dance floor, then 2016 chart toppers like Rihanna’s “Work” and Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles” will surely do the trick.