5 Frugal, Non-Depressing Ways to Spend NYE

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New Year's Eve can be a dreaded holiday for both singles and frugal families. We all have friends who are jetting off to Vegas or going to the hottest boutique hotel's $250-a-head bash, but you don't have to!

Here are five frugal, non-depressing ways to spend NYE:

1. Host a Champagne Potluck

This is a fun and less spendy way to host your own NYE party. Simply get those delicious and cheap hors d'oeuvres from Trader Joe's, or make your own cheap-to-make puff pastry treats. Each person you invite brings different a type of bubbly: champagne, cava, prosecco, sparkling rose, anything. Have a tasting party right up until the ball drops! And the best part? Lots of leftover champagne for you!

2. Play a New Year's Eve Movie Marathon

Looking for a more casual way to host? Get all your pals together and marathon some favorite movies that feature New Year's Eve, like Trading Places, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless In Seattle, Bridget Jones' Diary, The Cutting Edge, 200 Cigarettes, About a Boy, and more. Have fun drinking and heckling the movies together. Bonus: time one of the viewings to match up with the actual midnight countdown.

3. Attend Your City's Free Celebration

If you live in or near a major city, find out if your city has a "first night" or another kind of NYE celebration. For example, Los Angeles has a well-known free celebration that attracts thousands. Simply Google "NYE celebration [your city]." Take a lyft or public transit to the event (because parking will be a nightmare) and have fun! Have a family? This is might be your most cost effective option. Single? Bring a wingman/woman with you for maximum fun.

4. Hit the Ice Skating Rink

This is a great way to have fun with other people without dealing with public drunkenness. Bring your family or invite some friends to a fun winter tradition like ice skating, another great winter staycation trick. If you don't live near an ice rink, try a classic roller skating rink instead! The per-person cost is similar to bowling, which is also very frugal.

5. See the Stars

Tired of the crowds, stress, and faux-glitz of New Year's Eve? Take a friend and hit the road to the nearest place away from the city, where you can see the stars. There's even a meteor shower happening during NYE. Bring your own treats, refreshments, blankets, and camp out. Reflect on the past year and discuss your goals for next year. Have your own countdown to midnight with sparklers and a thermos toast. It will be a special, quiet NYE you won't forget.

How will you be spending NYE?