The popular television reality show "Survivor" is one of my favorites. I'm not sure why. I can't say I can identify personally with any of the physical challenges or even the deprivation suffered by the contestants. I do find it somewhat ironic that the best way to watch the show is curled up with a comfy blanket and a snack or two. All of this brings me in some odd way to the topic of the U.S. national economy. It's a real mess.

Granted, I am not an economist, nor would I try to predict the future. While I personally do not see the New Depression ahead, I've been surprised before. That's why I've asked myself, "How would I handle the coming holidays if thrown into a financial pit of despair, not unlike what many experienced during the Great Depression?" I believe it would be a lot like spending Christmas on Survivor Island: no money, no stores and no Internet shopping. We'd be forced to use only what we have on hand and what we could forage from our surroundings to create a holiday celebration. Here's my plan, just in case:

GIFTS: I have plenty of fabric and yarn to make quilts and slippers for everyone on my list, with more than you can imagine left over. I like to be prepared. One never knows when fabric and yarn will become scarce. How much do I have? Let's just say that I am well-prepared for any eventuality.

GIFT-WRAPPING: Grocery bags and newspaper make great wrapping paper, as do road maps, sheet music and pages torn from magazines. I feel my creative juices flowing just thinking about all the ways I will wrap gifts with only the things I have right now.

FOOD: I knew there would come a day when I'd be grateful to have a frozen turkey from last Christmas season. As I recall, it was "free with purchase" and found its resting place in the back of the freezer. Weighing in at about 16 pounds, it is perfectly safe because the packaging is intact and it has been frozen solid these many months. Two packages of Stove Top stuffing will make a great accompaniment. A bag of cranberries that have been snuggling up next to the turkey will make a perfect cranberry sauce. What we don't eat, we'll string for the tree. Instead of potatoes, we will have rice. Canned corn, homemade bread and pumpkin pie will round out the menu.

ENTERTAINMENT: Just the idea of being forced to stay home, huddled around the fireplace with big mugs of hot chocolate, sounds more like a luxury than punishment, doesn't it? Add a few jigsaw puzzles, board games, checkers and chess, and I already can feel some wonderful holiday memories coming on.

What would you do? Could your family survive and even enjoy the coming holidays with only what you have right now? Tell me what you would do by writing to mary@everydaycheapskate.com, using "Christmas Survivor" in the subject line.

Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living." You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. To find out more about Mary Hunt and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.