This has been a tough time for many people touched by economic issues, but one expert is saying we can probably make it through the hard times just by using what we already have in our homes. This is good news for all your “collectors” out there!

Donna Every, author of What Do You Have in Your House? (Tate Publishing) has learned that pulling from the hard assets already in your home and the often overlooked assets inside yourself can help keep the ship afloat.

“When times get tough, some people feel it is their lot to sit back and accept their fate,” says Every. “However, I have seen the best that human potential has to offer, so I don’t accept that – and neither should anyone else. We can make things happen because we all have some gift or ability, some skill or some resource that we can use to transform our financial situation. All we need is the faith and determination to make it happen.”

Every’s tips for getting through the tough times include:

• Liquidate dormant assets. With the massive wealth accumulated in America, most people have possessions or property of value sitting in their attics or garages. With the advent of craigslist and eBay as online sales resources, many of these dormant assets can be turned into cash. Claen out the basement and garage and sell stuff!

• Mine overlooked your talent assets . Everyone has something they do well, and if they do it well enough, it’s not much more difficult to market it. Some people can sew and cook, while others are artists or musicians. In most households, just making a little extra money every month can make all the difference, so part-time jobs doing something you do well can help fill the gap. For example, one woman I met in Barbados couldn’t make ends meet with her day job as a maid, so on the weekends, she opened a mini-restaurant off the side of her house. She’d prepare meals during her off time during the week, and sell them to her neighbors on Friday and Saturday.

• Keep the faith.  Belief in yourself, your motivation and your abilities is a far better path to tread than to give in to despair when the tables turn against you. Meeting challenges head on can not only save the day – they can also change your life.