In The Loop: New Year's Resolutions

Matt Simon hits the streets in search of your opinion.

Costly Clubs No More! How to Celebrate New Year's Eve on a Budget

Because spending your savings isn't worth it

Celebrating New Year's Eve in a nightclub can run a partygoer as much as $600 a ticket, at least in New York City, home to the internationally-known Times Square Ball Drop (which many of the same clubbers take for granted, but several thousand tourists savor seeing).

Sure, a premium open bar is promised, along with passed hors d'oeuvres, party favors, and some champagne, but is it worth ringing in the new year spending money you likely made a resolution not to?

Marta Segal Block, editorial director of the online entertainment agency GigMasters, suggests why some are willing to shell out the big bucks.

"I think the increased expense of New Year’s Eve is part of a larger trend of adults celebrating 'party dates'," said Block. "Think about how Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day have increased in importance in the party culture. Adults want excuses to go out and cut loose, and bars, restaurants, and hotels are more than happy to capitalize on that."

[How to Really Keep Your NYE Resolution]

But for those who are still looking to live it up on a budget, experienced party planners suggest keeping the holiday at home. Here are some tips on how to do so successfully:

First, according to "Top Chef" judge Padma Lakshmi, a buffet is a better than a strict shindig.

"If you have a sit-down dinner, everyone has to be there by 8 and they have to stay until 10:30 and if the conversation goes long, you have some of the guests like, ‘I have to be up at 6,' she told Fox News. "It’s rough."

But to counter the "flat" buffet table effect, lifestyle guru Karen Brown, who also advises not to do dinner, suggests offering hors d'oeuvres in open suitcases or drawers (stuffed with newspaper and draped with cloth), placing fancy silverware in big wooden bowls or baskets, and serving dessert in martini glasses or on spoons.

And Brown's not shy to admit that take-out items, whether tapas or tortillas, can be plated beautifully. Plus, "you'll have food that can be easily replenished—with a phone call," she told EpiCurious.

However, even if you're being cavalier with the cuisine, don't be about your company.

"If you're serving wine at your party and people are driving home, you're responsible for them," said Lakshmi. "I think it's usually like a glass of wine every 45 minutes to an hour and you should sip slowly."

In the Loop: New Year's Wishes

Matt Simon hits the streets in search of your opinion.