Staying Home This New Year's Eve?

You can only watch the ball drop on your TV so many times before it starts to seem a little sad, and if you have to sit through one more bad sitcom marathon you're going to scream. Staying in this New Year's Eve? You might be tempted to call the evening early, grouse a little about taxes and forget the whole thing. But ringing in the holiday at home doesn't have to be all about watching the tube or thinking about a lack of party funds.

Staying in this New Year's Eve is a great way to save money, but it can also be a fun way to spend this holiday - the very last one we'll ever have for the year.

Staying in for the New Year

As the date of New Year's Eve draws ever closer and no party invitations or extra bonus checks are flooding your front porch, you might start to think the holiday will be a wash. After all, who wants to sit around watching the same old variety shows, re-runs and other commercial-heavy specials associated with the evening? Staying in for the New Year might sound absolutely awful.

But it doesn't have to be. Ringing in the holiday at home can be just as fun as hanging out with a bunch of strangers - as amazing as that might sound. After all, why not celebrate the evening in a place where you feel comfortable, get to wear whatever you want and don't have to worry about getting pick pocketed?

Ring in the Holiday at Home

Instead of sticking to network specials or ancient re-runs on cable, try a few new ways to celebrate the New Year even while staying in and staying at home. Turn off the TV, put your money away and stay in for New Year's Eve - there's plenty of ways to enjoy the night (but we'll just talk about four).

* Play charades. Why not have the neighbors over or get the family together for a little charades action? Think it sounds old-fashioned and corny? You've never been involved in the thrill of screaming out guesses, rolling around on the floor while desperately trying to mime or solving the clues just in the nick of time. It's a lot more fun that bad episodes of 80s sitcoms.

* Resolution round-up. No funds to spend for bar-hopping? No parties to attend because everyone's broke? While away the hours with a little New Year's resolution pooling. Find out all your friends' resolutions and make a list (you could even create a Web page online to keep track), then lay odds on how long they'll take to get broken. As long as no one is offended and you aren't breaking any gambling laws, this can be a good time that stretches days into the New Year.

* The land of make-believe. Get the family together and write down everyone's name on a piece of paper. Have everyone draw a name. For the next (insert minutes here), everyone acts like the person who's name they've pulled. As long as it's all done in good fun, this game can create a lot of New Year laughter.

* Movie night. Have everyone in the family pick their favorite New Year's movie, then vote to find the winner. For two hours you'll be commercial-free and still enmeshed in Eve celebration.