At the library recently I picked up Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving. It sounded like a perfect fit for me. I am fascinated by the Amish, who live very near to me, and I am a big fan of simple living. I have also recently delved into the world of scrimping and saving, something totally new to me actually.
We have lived comfortably for years and without a budget of any kind, but we have also lived pretty much paycheck to paycheck. We have been one disaster away from real financial trouble for years because we could not manage to save. Didn’t even have a savings account until September of this year… pathetic I know. Anyway, a book changed all that about 2 months ago but I was still looking for ways to save money so that my burgeoning savings account and IRA could be beefed up even more. Once I got started saving it became like a game of sorts and I liked the challenge of finding ways to continually add more and more money to my these accounts.
In order to save more money I have been reading up a storm about great savers and the Amish definitely qualify! I have been in several Amish homes and it is absolutely amazing how they survive and thrive on so little. Money Secrets was written by a journalist after she read an article about how the simple people were actually thriving after the recession of 2008. She was so keen to find out how they do it that she decided to spend some time in their neck of the woods and interview many Amish families. What also makes it interesting is that she was experiencing lots of money hardships at the time and was looking to put what she learned into immediate practice. Learning their tricks was needed for its practical application.
It was an interesting look into the daily lives and habits of these people and also an interesting look into how the author applied everything she learned. One of the chapters that had the biggest impact on me was about the UWMW principle, “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, Or Do Without”. The Amish use everything until it is threadbare or just a scrap of what it used to be and then they use it some more. I have to get MUCH better about sewing clothing that rips around here instead of just turning it into rags or finding someone to fix a broken piece of equipment instead of giving up and buying new. I also need to do a bit more “home recycling” of what might otherwise be considered garbage or recycle bin fodder. Right after reading the book I remembered how I wanted to go thrifting for some baskets to go under our bathroom sinks. After looking around our house a bit I found a couple cardboard boxes that will do instead and I can even paint them using Tempera paints we have on hand if I want to. When the Amish need something simple (like a storage container) they figure out how they can get it without buying it. When they need something big they still try to find out how they can get it free… scrap yards, junkyards, dumpsters, etc. I recall that when my grandmother died a few years ago there were some Amish at her estate sale. They bought up old stuff from the barn that I would have assumed was trash but I imagine they took the stuff home, cleaned up 20 years of grime, and it served them well for many years. I want to be that thrifty!
Other interesting chapters addressed things like instant gratification and how patient the Amish are when it comes to
their want list, gifting during special occasions and holidays, buying in bulk, and being frugal foodies. After reading I really wanted to find an Amish grocer in my area so I can see their bulk offerings and I got a hankering for Shoofly pie. Oh and next spring I will insist that my hubby find an Amish source for grass fed beef because the prices the author started paying were staggeringly low.
The only thing that bothered me about the book was that sometimes the author would relate how she asked one of the Amish a question and then she would get sidetracked by some funny response or story and then never share the true answer to the question. A couple times I was left scratching my head and going “Is that it?” but otherwise it was a very enjoyable book and it really got my wheels turning about how I can bring some of that simple abundance into my life and save some pennies to.
Enjoy!
I’ll have to look for this book thanks! I have a bit of an Amish obsession myself :). We live prettY close to a community in Illinois and we do a lot if our shopping at their stores. Our favorite is a Family Health store where we get most if our dried goods in bulk. They have great deals on nuts and dried fruits too. There’s another store we go to for our fresh eggs that are cheaper than the regular ones at the chain grocery store! We also have a salvage store where they get a lot of expired or almost expired food , but they have good deals on still good food too. I definitely recommend their stores! There is also a meat processor where they take their meat to be processed it’s pretty pricey to buy directly from them but we renton found a local co-op group (it’s actually a yahoo group) so we’ve been going in with others to get meat but it comes from the Amish. You can also usually find a farm to get raw milk from if interested.
I always just love driving around the area and looking at their farms! I am always a little disappointed when I see the Amish mom shopping and throwing cheats and lucky charms in the cart , kind of ruins my ideal where I picture them making everything from scratch… ;)
Have added this book to my holds list at the library. We need this!
I’ve added this book to my library holds also. Thanks for sharing. I love the concept of looking around the house first when you need something. But I’m certainly going to adopt the UWMW principle.
Hi Tiffany,
Thanks so much for posting about this book, it sounds very intriguing and is not on my wish list! I know what you mean about UWMW…that is always a challenge and the Amish do seem to be masters of it. :)
Warmly,
Tracey
I am also intrigued by the Amish and have some very eager teachers close to us. They have offered to teach me anything I want to know and when I buy my farm in the Spring I will be taking them up on their generous offer! I have also added this book to my hold list.
Very interesting! I have always been so intrigued by the Amish too. One of my favorite books as a child was Rosanna of the Amish, which I picked up after visiting Amish Country in PA for the first time. I’m going to request this book from the library.
I always try to be resourceful. I like the idea of this book. The Amish are a very intriguing people! I’m sure they have a lot to teach us!
This sounds like a great book! I will have to add it to my list. Thanks for sharing!
I love fixing things rather than replacing whenever possible. Recently I fixed our coffee pot with a $1 worth of food grade high temp silicone tubing. So much better for the wallet and the environment than buying a new coffee pot at around $90.
Sounds like a fascinating read. I pay a lot for grass-fed beef. Too bad I don’t live anywhere near the Amish. A lot of these concepts were a way of life for our ancestors. I think it’s wonderful to have the example of the Amish carrying on these traditions in opposition to the crazy consumerism that is so much a part of most of our lives.
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