The cost: New Year’s Eve is the Uber surge pricing of holidays; everything is suddenly so much more expensive. A club handing out flyers for half-price drinks on Dec. 30 will demand $150 for a “VIP package” on Dec. 31. This typically includes a champagne toast (not the good stuff), party favors (a cardboard tiara purchased at Dollar General), and a breakfast buffet (lukewarm scrambled eggs) on the way out. Not included: your party dress or tux rental, hotel room, transportation there and back, and all those extra Red Bull vodkas you need to stay up past midnight.

The crowds: About two million people reportedly crushed into Times Square to watch last year’s Ball Drop; that’s almost a quarter of New York City’s population. Just imagine the pushing, the stomped toes, the unpleasant odors, the realization that your first act of the New Year will be mumbling the lyrics to “Auld Lang Syne” with your face wedged in some tourist’s armpit.