It’s one of the biggest questions of the year regarding your entertainment dollar. Yes, it’s amateur’s night. Yes, you’ll pay a big-night-out tax, with everything from hotels to bars to limos at a premium. But yes, it can be worth it if you handle it properly.

Before “The Voice” season finale started on Tuesday night, I looked at my girlfriend and said, “I don’t always like Cassadee Pope’s voice. But she’s definitely going to win.”

If you haven’t been watching “The Voice” this season, you’re missing out. Seriously, 10 million people watch the show each week. The contestants are topping the iTunes’ rock and pop charts in the U.S. And as we look to the season three finale on Tuesday, it’s simple to see the show’s undeniable critical appeal, too.

Sure, “The Voice” wasn’t all that when it first debuted in April of 2011. The Blind Auditions — which featured judges Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo Green and Blake Shelton picking their teams of singers based on their voices alone — were intoxicating fun:

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