Ask Wirecutter, an advice column written by Annemarie Conte, explores the best approaches to buying, using, and maintaining stuff. Email your biggest product-related problems to [email protected].

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Dear Wirecutter, 

My friends want to ring in 2022 with a big blowout, but I’m not ready for the crowds and expense that go along with it. Do you have any suggestions for a cheap New Year’s Eve that’s still fun?

C.B.

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Dear C.B.,

There’s no wrong way to do New Year’s Eve. (Well, that’s not entirely true. Last year at 11:30 p.m., I let my kids watch a nature documentary that involved polar bears dying because of melting glaciers, and we welcomed in 2021 through heaving sobs. So don’t do that.)

It’s completely okay if you’re not feeling ready to return to the packed-bar-and-pricey-drinks version of NYE festivities, whether it’s because of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 or any other reason. There are a lot of fun options if you’re sticking to hanging with just a few close friends and family. Since my idea of a good time is pretending it’s midnight at 10 p.m. so I can go to bed at a reasonable hour, I asked my colleagues for some suggestions. I hope you’re able to end 2021 in a way that makes you happy and hopeful for the year to come, and that doesn’t involve wearing uncomfortable shoes.

Play a game

Photo: Michael Zhao

There are a ton of games, both online and in-person, to fill an evening. Wirecutter writer James Austin plays D&D with his family over Zoom, and if you’re cool with a small group indoors, we have plenty of great board game recommendations, for both longtime players and beginners (if you’re playing with little ones, we have board games for kids, too). “Table-top games are a great way to spend time with friends and loved ones, and these modern options, like Small World and Wingspan, are much more engaging than past staples. So you don’t have to pass Go and collect $200 for the 100th time while the ball drops,” James said.

Sing in the new year

Turn your living room into the most exclusive karaoke bar in town. Our top pick for the best karaoke machine is the TONOR K20 Wireless Karaoke Machine, an easy-to-use, dual-microphone system that sounds incredible and delivers a killer light show via its built-in disco ball. Our guide has several …….

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/ask-wirecutter-inexpensive-new-years-eve/