It's more expensive, but for small areas it's no big deal. Keep the soil moist. This is what makes the seed germinate. Grass seed will germinate in the dark on a slab of concrete if it is kept moist. I know this to be true because it happened in one of our storage sheds that had a leaky roof.
Water is what makes it happen.
Now is also a great time to dethatch an old worn out lawn. Rent a power rake that beats the old dead material out of the lawn. Get ready to rake up a massive amount of brown, dead grass. This make good compost if you have the room for it. After dethatching, fertilize and over seed.