How to Host a Budget-Friendly New Year’s Eve Party at Home

Close your eyes, and picture this: It’s 11:59pm on the 31st. People across the country are chanting the countdown together as the ball drops. Now is when everything feels possible. A fresh year filled with potential stretches before you as friends and family bid adieu to the old in a haze of happy memories.

Hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home is something everyone should do at least once. The night can feel truly special with everything from the guest list to the soundtrack under your control, but the financial pressures can add up. So a huge part of knowing how to host a New Year’s Eve party revolves around keeping yourself from starting the new year in the red!

Luckily, Fetch can easily help you host a New Year’s Eve party on a budget. Not only is our shopping rewards app the ideal tool for staying within budget while earning reward points on every dollar spent – we’ve also put together a few handy New Year’s Eve party planning tips to help you save.

Don’t have Fetch? Download America’s Rewards App today to start earning free gift cards you can use to save money on the next party you host!

Step-by-step guide to hosting a budget-friendly New Year’s Eve party at home

1. Plan your party budget

Budgeting is never as easy as it seems, right? Sure, but you can come in under rather than over by:

• Starting with a list of must-haves (food, drinks, décor, and entertainment)
• Setting a spending limit for each
• Considering which items or extras can be DIYed
• Taking advantage of Fetch offers and snapping receipts or shopping online with Fetch Shop to earn rewards

2. Create a simple but festive atmosphere

Decorations can gobble up your budget and are hard to reuse – those “Happy [insert year here]” banners probably aren’t going to come out again.

Just a few affordable decoration ideas include:

• DIY photo booth with party hats and props
• String lights
• Confetti balloons
• Homemade paper lanterns
• Wine or champagne bottle centerpieces

Shopping-savvy party planners search online stores like Walmart, Sam’s Club, Temu, and more for party supplies through Fetch Shop to earn reward points on every dollar spent!

3. Serve budget-friendly food and drinks

Budget-friendly only means limp sandwiches and flat sodas when you’re not wise to these holiday hosting tricks:

• Skip Dinner: Full meals demand too much effort and expense. Start your party around 8pm or 9pm so people can eat before, then serve finger foods and appetizers to keep costs under control.
• Ask Guests to Contribute: Friends and family will be happy to repay your hospitality with a contribution of their own, so don’t shy away from asking each to bring along a snack or a bottle.
• Save the Champagne: No New Years party worth its salt would totally skimp on champagne, but hold back that expensive bubbly for the final countdown to midnight rather than letting it flow throughout.
• Buy in Bulk: Whether it’s multipacks of appetizers or crates of beer, buying in bulk can slash costs and help maximize reward points, especially when you buy from a Fetch-partnered retailer.

4. Plan fun, low-cost entertainment

Booking Beyoncé to sing or building an ice rink are two classic ways we’ve all gone overboard on New Year’s entertainment, am I right? Luckily, there is another way. Here’s a few ideas that are heavy on fun but light on your wallet:

• DIY karaoke
• Classic party games like “Who Am I?” or passing a balloon without using your hands
• Dance contest
• Curated party playlist instead of a live DJ
• Quiz themed for the passing year

5. Send out digital invitations

Cut out the time and cost of printing by sending digital invitations instead. Going digital makes keeping track of RSVPs waaaay easier. Here’s a few sites where you can put one together for free:

• Canva
• Punchbowl
• Evite

6. Set up a countdown area

Every New Year’s party revolves around the long-awaited countdown to midnight. A dedicated countdown area is a good place to keep your champagne and sparkling juices safe from guests looking to celebrate early.

Just remember not to go overboard on toast supplies like sparkling drinks and cups. Stay smart by planning ahead and picking them up with your other party supply purchases to maximize rewards earned through Fetch Shop!

Additional tips for hosting a New Year’s Eve party at home on a budget

Stick to a theme

Is your party’s vibe more Gatsby’s Roaring ’20s or a laidback pajama party? Either way, themes turn the guests themselves into part of an event’s feel and look, helping to create a cohesive atmosphere without sticking party planners with the cost.

Use DIY decorations and party favors

DIY decor and party favors add a personal touch that make guests feel you’ve gone the extra mile. We love baking mini brownies or cookies for favors, then throwing in some handwritten resolution cards to nudge everyone into starting the new year right.

Just a few quick and easy DIY decorations include:

• Paper fans
• Balloon arch
• Selfie props
• Patterned paper chains
• New Year’s banner
• S’mores kit

Redeem your points for Fetch gift cards to enjoy extra savings

Fetch has all the tools to make New Year’s Eve party prep simpler and more affordable than you’d ever expect. Plan ahead and snap pics of your receipts, or shop online for all your party supplies with Fetch Shop, to boost your reward points; then redeem those points for free gift cards to lower your party expenses even further or help yourself save in the new year at retailers like:

• Albertsons
• Amazon
• CVS
• Kohl’s
• Kroger
• Meijer
• Target
• Sam’s Club
• Visa
• Walgreens
• Walmart
• …and so many more!

Let Fetch help you host a party without breaking the bank

At the end of the day (not to mention the year), New Year’s Eve is about focusing on what matters most: the friends and family that make each of those 365 days matter. Let Fetch simplify the process of staying on budget and even saving money while you use our New Year’s Eve party planning tips to celebrate the start of a new year with a bang. Open the Fetch App today to discover all the ways you can start earning rewards!