Surviving the Holidays!

There are ways to survive the holidays, both mentally and financially; please see ideas below.

Maintain your mental health. It's as important as your physical health, Fong said. Make sure you get seven hours of sleep a night, exercise, eat three square meals a day, avoid junk food and limit yourself to two alcoholic drinks a night if you're a man, one if you're a woman. Avoid pot, heroin, cocaine and mama's pills.

Combine social activities with exercise. Become part of a running club or hiking club, for instance. Many such clubs and activities don't cost much, if anything.

Hand-make gifts or give the gift of your time (inexpensive yet priceless). "Objects or gifts don't necessarily equate to happiness," Gold said. "This is a good time to talk about what people mean to you and then make a gift, make a card. … Make coupons to a parent or a sibling or a grandparent: 'I'll spend an hour of time with you playing ball or taking a walk.' "

Volunteer. "Volunteering is the longest sustained happy buzz you can give yourself," Bagley said.

Get together with a group of friends and shop for people in need rather than each other, Bagley suggested.

"It's really a good time for people to evaluate their relationship to money and, if you're in a family situation, to talk about that with your kids," Gold said.

And sometimes a little guilt isn't such a bad thing. "It's the reality," Gold said. "People have less money, and it's probably good to feel a little guilty. It prevents you from spending more."