21 Cheap New Year’s Eve Ideas For People On A Budget
Most people are feeling a little tight on the money side of things right after Christmas, so many may not be up for a big New Year’s Eve party. But ringing in the New Year in style doesn’t mean you need to take out a cash loan. Instead, there are plenty of ideas out there for ways you can celebrate New Year’s Eve without spending much (if anything).
To give you some inspiration, we’ve put together 21 cheap New Year’s Eve ideas on a budget. Read on!
Overview:
- Throw a party at home
- Dress up, dance … at a friend’s place
- New Year’s Day brunch
- Fondue night
- Games night
- Go out to dinner, drinks at home
- Potluck dinner
- Picnic in the park
- Progressive dinner
- Binge on Netflix
- Takeaway and group drinks
- Spend the night with the kids and sparklers
- Check the community calendar
- Watch the fireworks
- Volunteer for New Year’s Eve
- Go camping
- Have a paint and sip New Year’s Eve party
- Book an axe-throwing session
- Have a 2024 rewind
- Host a New Year’s Eve resolution party
- Kiss at midnight
21 cheap New Year’s Eve ideas
1. Throw a party at home
Rather than heading out to a bar-hosted party or some fancy dinner, you can host your friends and family at your place—automatically making it cheaper. Email invites, keep up your holiday decorations from last week and put together a simple menu or finger foods that works on a budget. If you’ve got a few dollars left over, you can supply some basic alcohol (like wine or beer) or ask your friends to BYO… Have fun!
2. Dress up, dance … at a friend’s place
Grab your mates and don your party attire as if you’re going out to a fancy evening out on the town, but head to a friend’s place instead. You don’t have to go clubbing to be able to dance; boogie to your favourite tunes with your mates in the comfort of someone else’s living room! The best bit is you get to put together the playlist—and just think of all the money you’re saving with this cheap New Year’s Eve idea.
3. New Year’s Day brunch
Don’t want to stay up late? Skip the New Year’s party and host a brunch or breakfast with your friends on New Year’s Day instead! Offer eggs and bacon, toast or even pancakes with plenty of toppings. This is a great way to start the New Year off in style.
4. Fondue night
Fondue is an awesome cheap New Year’s Eve idea because it’s a great way to eat some delicious food while catching up with friends. If you prefer savoury, opt for a cheese fondue and get plenty of crackers, bread and veggies. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you can make a super simple chocolate fondue with fruit, marshmallows and other sweet treats.
5. Games night
Everybody loves a games night! Pick out your favourite games, and ask your guests to do the same. Shop the holiday sales for snacks, and try your hand at making some of the food (which usually saves you money over buying premade items). Go for beer and wine and have your friends bring their own liquor if that’s what they prefer to drink.
Plus a good game night can take your focus off the time of night, playing games for hours on end and before you know it, it’s the New Year. Check out this list of the year’s best board games to inspire you!
6. Go out to dinner, have drinks at home
Drinks are often one of the most expensive parts of having dinner out especially on New Year’s Eve. Instead, enjoy pre-dinner drinks at home, have water with dinner at a good establishment, then enjoy more tasty beverages at home after the meal.
7. Potluck dinner
Another one of our favourite cheap New Year’s Eve ideas is to host a potluck dinner. Each friend will pitch in and bring their favourite dish, saving you from spending money on all the food.
You can even add in drinks so you can spread out the cost of the alcohol as well. Play some good music and set out all the food, and see how much fun you and your friends have just hanging out and eating good food. Enjoy this cheap New Year’s Eve idea with your friends – it’s all about good company.
8. Picnic in the park
It’s summer right now, so why not take advantage of the warm weather? Create your own decadent cheese board with dips and crackers, or put together a whole meal you can serve out of containers.
Check out the picnic location ahead of time to make sure there are BBQs you can use. Then all you need to do is pack some sides and cook your meat on location!
9. Progressive dinner
Similar to a potluck, a progressive dinner is where each course is eaten at a different host’s house in the same evening. Essentially, each friend will pick the meal they want to do (appetiser, main and dessert), and you travel to each location for it! This cheap New Year’s Eve idea is a great way to keep the party going, especially if you live close to your mates.
10. Binge on Netflix (our most cosy idea for New Year’s Eve)
If you don’t like crowds, think about taking the night to watch Netflix. Make some popcorn, get the snacks ready and maybe treat yourself to some takeaway—an easy, and cheap New Year’s Eve idea!
Check out our top free streaming services in Australia if you don’t want to pay for Netflix.
11. Takeaway and group drinks
Grab some good,(but cheap) takeaway for a group of your friends and then have everyone BYO drinks. Then figure out what fun activities you’ll do—like karaoke, watch fun movies or even just catch up. If you want to get out and about for New Year’s Eve, head to a park, beach, or hilltop. Pick a good spot and you might even be able to catch some official fireworks!
12. Spend the night with the kids and sparklers
If you have a family then it might be hard to do much on New Year’s Eve, especially if the kids are still young. Try making a fun meal with the kids that everyone can enjoy and then play games until you decide it’s “midnight” and then light some sparklers in the backyard. Then once the kids are in bed, relax with your partner and ring in the actual New Year!
13. Check the community calendar
Most communities host some sort of free or cheap New Year’s Eve event, both for families and adults. For instance, there might be an event earlier in the day geared for families and then an evening event more focused on activities for adults.
14. Watch the fireworks (great New Year’s Eve idea for the kids)
If your area has fireworks at midnight, you can make your New Year’s Eve extra festive by finding a great place to watch the fireworks go off. If there’s a way to plan a party at the location, then it will be even better. This easy, budget-friendly New Year’s Eve idea is a great way to celebrate the New Year in style.
Or if you are watching the ABC fireworks display, the first lot of fireworks go off at 9pm which would allow the kids to watch the “New Year’s fireworks” without staying up until 12pm. Then you and your partner can celebrate the actual New Years once the kids have gone to bed.
15. Volunteer for New Year’s Eve
Do some volunteer work and start your year with generosity in your heart. There are always local organisations looking for a few hours of help, especially around the holidays. Get a little group together and have fun doing something good for your community! If you need a hand finding something, you can check out websites like:
16. Go camping
Avoid the rush and noise of crowds and take your buddies on a New Year’s camping trip. Australia is abundant with beautiful camping spots from the sandy beaches to the rugged national parks.
17. Have a paint and sip New Year’s Eve party
You can host your own paint-and-sip party at home on a budget. Or book a session at one of your local paint and sip businesses. It’s a great way to have some low-key fun with mates for the final night of the year and keep your bank account safe.
18. Book an axe-throwing session
For those of us who have had a hard year, something more active might be the best way to end the year behind. Book a booth with friends at an axe-throwing business and let all your frustrations out in a fun and healthy way! You can laugh your way into the new year with a fresh perspective.
19. Have a 2024 rewind
Make your own rewind for the year with some friends. Each person collects some of their favourite moments from the year to present to the group. Whether it’s fun memories you have together or the wildest celebrity revelations that have come out this year, you’re bound to have a hilarious night. This is a great way to spend New Year’s Eve and reflect on last year and help you build a positive mindset for the New Year.
20. Host a New Year’s resolution party
Whether you’re a serious goal-setter or just looking to manifest a particular vibe for the year, a new year’s resolution party will help your friend group get organised in a fun and social way.
21. Kiss at midnight
Spend New Year’s Eve with your special someone at home. Make a delicious dinner (on a budget, of course!) and pick out some good movies to watch or play a game together. Then at the stroke of midnight, share a kiss with your loved one. Then…at 12:02, you can go to bed.
If one of the reasons you’re looking for a cheap New Year’s Eve celebration is because of the need to pay upcoming bills, then you may want to lighten your burden by applying for a small personal loan from Swoosh Finance. You’ll be able to pay your bills without any stress and pay off your online loan in small repayments. Learn how to apply for a payday loan online or speak to our customer service team!
We hope you find a fun way to ring in the New Year. Happy New Year!
Travel ideas for New Year’s Eve
With the increased freedom to travel, you might be thinking of celebrating New Year’s Eve somewhere different this year. To help you out, we’ve made a list of cheap places to travel to and let you know where to get some of the best travel deals.
And if you need a little bit of help topping up your holiday fund, our holiday loans are perfect. They’re simply a lump sum loan against your car or motorbike. With transparent terms and easy repayments aligning with your payday, you can have the new year’s eve of a lifetime!
