Skint and ready to party: How to do New Years on a Budget
Spent a bit too much this year? Bank account on its last legs? No worries. Here’s how to have a NYE to remember when you’re skint.
Last updated: 16th Dec 2024
Originally published: 17th Dec 2021
Welcome. Take a seat. We both know why you’re here. You told yourself you’d save up for New Year’s Eve but it didn’t work out. Maybe you just couldn’t say no to a pint or two. Or a gig. Or a rave. But hey, we aren’t judging. Honestly, we get it. And besides, it was probably worth it. But with shrapnel in your bank account and New Year's Eve fast approaching, you need to figure something out.
With a limited budget, you could play it safe and throw a house party. But do you really want to tidy up all that mess? Hoovering, mopping, and trying to drown out the smell of smoke first thing on New Year’s Day, with a splitting headache doesn’t exactly sound like fun. You don't deserve that. Plus, it's our duty to get out there and go hard. So, here’s how to do New Year’s Eve on a budget…
Keep it local
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One of the most unnecessarily expensive parts of a night out is getting there and back. If there aren’t any trains or buses, which there probably won’t be by the time you want to call it a night, you’ll end up in a cab or an Uber. If you can find one. They’re extortionate at the best of times so what do you think your fare from the other side of town will look like at 3 am on New Year’s Eve?
Everyone and their gran will be out and they’ve all got to get home somehow. Every method of transportation will be hammered so your best bet is to stay within walking distance or at least a short drive from home. Another great option is to sleep at a mate's house or vice versa. You can figure out how to get home in the morning.
Book a cheap event
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Many people think cheap events won’t live up to their expectations. But an event doesn’t have to be super flashy to be great fun. And there’s also the added benefit of minimal damage to your current account. Result. One piece of advice for choosing a cheap night out: go where the best music is. How could you not have the time of your life when they're blasting banger after banger and you're three drinks in? Prioritise the music.
Okay, one more piece of advice: remember you aren’t the only skint person looking for NYE events. Your best bet is to find an event as quickly as you can and secure your tickets before they sell out or the price increases as it gets closer to the time. Check out the cheap New Year’s Eve ideas on Skiddle and buy your tickets before they sell out.
The alcohol situation
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The UK population is champions when it comes to predrinks. It’s what we do. So, of course, you’re going to. And fair play. But be careful. If you drink too much, you might not even get in the venue. Then you’ll have paid for an event you can’t get into. It’s just a waste of money. So have a good meal before you start and pace yourself.
And when you do get in, you don’t want to discover a vodka mixer will set you back £10. We know we said to book the tickets quickly, and do, but check to see if you can find any info on drinks prices before entering your card details. You don’t want to find yourself scrounging off your mates who are probably skint too because, well, isn’t everyone skint at the minute?
Resist temptation
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Finally, and you’re probably not going to like this one, start saving now. It might seem too late, but there’s still time. Resist the urge to go out for food (that includes ordering in) or head to the pub at the weekend. And resist the temptation to buy a new New Year’s Eve outfit. Here, we’ll be the voice of reason for you: you have plenty of clothes already!
New Year’s can get expensive if you don’t plan your night in advance. But if you follow these tips, you should be able to have a cracking New Year’s Eve on a budget. All you have to do now is hold onto that self-restraint until the 31st and you're laughing.
Book your cheap and cheerful NYE event now before they sell out!
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
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