Ah, New Year's Eve. The one night of the year it's virtually required to go out and show the world how social you are, with an inflated price tag to match.

Let other people pay top dollar for swank hotel parties, bottle service and VIP tickets. Here's how to bring in 2011 with a bang without your wallet taking a hit. Grab your flask!

Party for free downtown

Civic entertainment is often something of an oxymoron, but Gloworama, at Discovery Green and the George R. Brown, is the exception. Watch the ice skaters (or if you want to take a spin on the ice, it's $10 plus tax), check out the fire spinners on the Great Lawn, listen to the Jesse Dayton set, view the illuminated art car parade and cap the evening with a midnight fireworks and 3D light show for a night that hits all the senses and a visual that's trippy even if you're keeping it clean.

But if you aren't, grab a flask and DJ Roomba and throw an impromptu light rail pre-party.

Make your friends throw a party

This is the best way to have an amazing New Year's for the least amount of personal expense. Pick a friend who is either easily manipulated or has an open plan living space — preferably both — and pick a fight with them over text or Twitter about how you had to hear about their shindig from someone else. Order a couple kegs in their name. Take them to dinner (and suggest booze) and when they get home, having 30 people at their house yelling "surprise!" will seem like the greatest idea ever — or at least not one that's worth fighting. Don't worry, you can make new friends by NYE2012.

Hit a cool bar

On an average night, clubs are for dancing and bars are for drinking and hanging out. But on NYE, you can forget those rules. Clubs are for amateurs, and with cover at some topping $90 getting you nothing more than entrance and a cheesy balloon drop, it's obvious there's an amateur born every minute.

Keep it classy and head to one of Houston's best bars instead. With no cover, no hype and a more discriminating crowd, the bars will be pleasantly full while the clubs will either be packed beyond belief or cruelly vacant.

For retro swank, hit Anvil for candlelight, smoky jazz, and old fashioned cocktails during their Bubbles & Bourbon bash, or indie kids can kick it low-key at Grand Prize Bar, where there's no big event but the crowd is always cool. Wine fiends can get their thrills at 13 Celsius' NYE/Anniversary party (although there is a charge if you want a seat, so we suggest flats and dancing).

For a more lively scene, hit Hearsay, where refined cocktails mix with DJ-spun pop and dance tunes. And of course, if you want to go really crazy there's always Dirt Bar, where you can literally shut the place down because it won't be at that location on Jan. 1.

Borrow your parents' house

As a dutiful son or daughter, it's your job to check in on the parentals. Ask them about their plans for the night and try not to let your eyes glaze over if they mention a jazz trio, Ryan Seacrest or keeping the corgis company. Casually inquire if the spare key to the beach house/ranch house is still hidden under the ceramic turtle, and let your mooching, crashing friends foot the bill for a couple cases of Cook's and fireworks. Remember: You'll be miles from the next party and incapacitated, so only invite the fun drunks.

Get your concert on

New Year's Eve is one of the best live music night of the year. Enjoy it freely at the Free Press New Year's Eve Cataclysm at Fitzgerald's where some of the best local bands including Wild Mocassins, BLACKIE, Weird Party and Golden Axe.

Crash a hotel party

If Michaele and Tariq Salahi can make it into a White House state dinner with nothing but a sari and a smile, there should be nothing standing between you and partying with the society heavyweights without those pesky three-figure invitations. Pick your mark (we suggest focusing downtown for more opportunity), dress the part, don't head straight to the party from the front door, move in small groups. If questioned your husband has the invite and you're looking for your friend, a blonde in a sparkly dress, has anyone seen her?