by Christine T 7 Comments
Use these money-saving tips from the Amish lifestyle to inspire you to live a more frugal life.
The Amish are known for a couple things; hats, bonnets, horse and buggy and simplicity. It is that simplicity that allows them to live frugally and sustainably. While the Amish are not online telling us about their financial matters, some of their financial choices are something we all could benefit from. Here are some money saving tips from the Amish way of life that can be applied to any family to help save money.
Money Saving Tips from the Amish Lifestyle
Save way more than you spend. Most people set aside a little amount towards savings each paycheck or month and the section that is for entertainment, clothing, shopping and other unnecessary things in life is way bigger in the budget. The Amish value saving over spending so they put away a lot of their earnings. While you don’t have to forgo fun in order to do this, try to take a bigger chunk of your check and place it in savings and see it add up.
Avoid debt and credit. The Amish do not use credit cards or loans outside of their community if it all possible. This is because they see debt as somewhat sinful so they don’t take any on. While you may not agree that debt is sinful, you should take a good look at taking on more debt and be honest if it is something you need or if you could earn the money for something you are wanting to take a loan out on another way.
Recycle and re-use more. The Amish culture does not see waste as a normal thing. Americans waste so much in our everyday life. Try to find ways to re-use something you would normally throw away and be conscious of what you are buying and how much waste it will produce. In fact, look at the containers that things come in when you buy them. Before you even stick it on the check-out belt, think of a way it can be used for another purpose. Not only will your pocketbook thank you, but you will be saving the Earth as well.
Buying in bulk is normal and so is making everything from scratch. While many of us don’t have time to make everything from scratch and churn our own butter, you can stop spending money on many of the conveniences you buy. The funny thing is, you may spend 3 times more on something just to take a short cut when the shortcut you are taking is really only shaving off 5-10 minutes of your time. Buying in bulk can also be a huge money saver, especially when it comes to dry goods like pasta, spices and baking supplies. Here are some tips for buying in bulk.
The Amish have skills that we pay money for. Pretty much every adult in the community can do something, make something or contribute in a tangible way. They have skills that are lost by many of us in the “English” world. This means they don’t feel the need to buy stuff that is factory made because they can make many of these items and they don’t fret if something needs fixing. Since the Amish have these skills, they don’t spend money on tailors, carpenters, restaurants and so on. They do it themselves. You don’t have to know all the skills to benefit from this financial tip, but learning a few new skills can really save you along the way.
Do you plan to try some of these tips from the Amish way of life?
More Money Saving Tips
- 10 Tips for Staying on a Budget
- 101 Ways to Save $1.00 a Day
- 7 Little Ways to Save Money
- How to Trick Yourself into Saving Money
- How to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck
- 8 Reasons Your Budget May Not Be Working
- How to Budget for People Who Hate to Budget
- How to Build an Emergency Budget on a Limited Income
Comments
Cynthia says
One point that is not understood by the English, is that Amish live in a community. They get what they need from the community and not the outside world. That’s the problem with the outside world. The have no one to go to when they need something.
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Alea Milham says
Actually, I lived very near an Amish community in Maryland and they did go to the local stores to the basic supplies they needed. They also had a large market where the English could buy produce and other things from them.
When my husband was in the Navy we definitely had a community that we could rely on and some churches also provide that community for others. I believe we have been able to live by these basic principles even when we haven’t had a community though.
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Beth says
Butter is less expensive to buy than to make if you don’t have mill cows. It is easy to whip up with a kitchenaid mixer. Just remember you havr to rinse the whey off the butter solids before storing.
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judy says
You can easily make your own butter if you have a stand mixer or even a jar with a tight fitting lid. Google it! Takes about 10 minutes
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Maura says
I live in an area with a lot of Amish and Mennonites. They do not always cook/bake from scratch you find them in Walmart buying processed and packaged foods. They also have local markets where they shop. Certain orders allow technology so they use that as well. Even though their lifestyle is a lot simpler they are as busy if not more busier than their English counterparts. So they look for convenience just as we do.
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Chrissy says
That may be true, but they don’t pay any utilities and don’t buy electronic gadgets. Even living simply, unless you are amish, you have utilities of some sort. They also utilize the “community aspect” and help each other out. This means they trade services alot. We could do this, but you must know the right people. I love the tips listed, but there are other things that people struggle with financially.
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Alison says
Christine, thank you for sharing this information. I am always interested in how the Amish do what they do and admire them for it. I am so ready to live a simple and stress free (read debt free) life. Thank you for the inspiration.
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