10 ways to have a budget-friendly New Year’s Eve party

1, BYOB

It may be an obvious one but it will make all the difference to keeping your costs down this New Year. Ask every guest to bring a bottle of their favourite booze and you’ll be in a steady supply of alcohol without having to break the bank.

Make it even fancier by telling guests to partner up to bring the ingredients of their favourite cocktail - or if your friendship group is skint too, a bottle of Asda Prosecco for a fiver will do the trick!

2, Say yes to any other offers

Demanding your guests bring all sorts of extras doesn’t exactly exude Christmas spirit. But if they do offer to bring along some snacks or anything else, don’t feel embarrassed to say yes. Friends will be happy to help you put your party on (after all, it means they’re not waking up to a mess on New Year’s day).

3, Be brave and forgo the plastic cups

Save a few pennies (and the environment) by ditching plastic cups for this party. Trust your friends to look after the glasses in your kitchen - and even move onto the mugs if need be. If mulled wine can be served in a mug, who says lukewarm red wine can’t be either?

If you’re stuck for cups, ask everyone to bring their own!

4, Decorate on a budget

Don’t worry too much about splashing out on fancy decorations. Your friends have come for the company, not your new sparkly two-tone tablecloth.

But if you do fancy jazzing up your house or flat with some New Year’s themed decorations, get them cheap in a shop like Poundland or even get crafty with a bit of DIY (cue hours of Pinterest scrolling).

5, Set the mood with candles

If you’re reluctant to go too hard on the decorations, simply dotting candles around the place is the perfect way to set the mood.

Combine that with your leftover Christmas lights and you’ll have a cosy space to bring in 2020.

6, DIY confetti

Here’s another party-trick you can do for yourself - DIY confetti. There’s no point forking out for sparkly bits of plastic that you’re going to sweep up and chuck away the next day. Instead, cut up old bits of newspapers, letters or exam notes (just make sure you don’t have to resit) and chuck them about at midnight instead.

7, Don’t bother cooking up a feast

Everyone’s probably stuffed themselves all festive season, so don’t worry too much about putting on a large spread of food.

Opt instead for a table filled with cheap and cheerful snacks. Frozen food that can be stuck in the oven or crisps to stick in bowls around the room is fine.

8, Keep your numbers down

If you want to keep costs down, it might make sense to have a more intimate affair. Remember that when it comes to socialising (and life in general), it’s all about quality over quantity.

This also means that the people you have invited will be more likely to look after your home. Didn’t you watch what happened in Project X?!

9, Keep the dress code casual

Unless you have a fancy frock at the back of your wardrobe that you’ve been dying to take for a walk, keep the dress code simple. Casual dress codes mean no pre-New Year’s eve panic-shopping.

Why spend a ton of money on a new outfit when you could spend that money on food and drink instead? (Okay, we know why - but the ASOS shop may have to wait until the January sales)

10, Create your own entertainment

Opt for some free entertainment and crack out the board games. Hello, Twister, we’re looking at you. This is especially good for the start of the evening as a way to break the ice.

You could also make up some of your own games as a way to have fun for free. Fill a bowl with New Year predictions and get your guests to pick one out. You could also do this with fortune cookies.

Alternatively, you could get everyone to come up with their New Year’s resolutions and toss them into a fire - dramatic… but fun.

Follow the 10 steps above and prove that having fun on New Year’s doesn’t have to empty your bank account.