Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving Review

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Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving ReviewIn a time where money seems to be difficult to obtain yet easy to lose, I was excited to get my hands on this book regarding Amish money secrets. I do not know much about the author, Lorilee Craker, other than that she is a Mennonite who traveled into Lancaster County, PA to interview different Amish voices in regards to their money secrets--specifically, living simple and saving without depriving.
The book is 217 pages long, but it is a very fast read. I received the book this afternoon and started reading at about 5:00 PM. It is now 9:55 PM and I am writing the review. The book is just an enjoyable read because it is relevant to the economic times of our society. We are all wanting to know how to live simple, not be deprived, yet able to save money to enjoy retirement or the occasional luxuries of life.
Lorilee Craker introduces the reader to Bishop Eli King, Amos, Amish expert Erik Wesner, and more. One of the most memorable is Amos. He is a forty year old farmer who was raising fourteen children, renting a farm, and still managed to save $400,000 over twenty years. Could you imagine what this guy could do with two kids, or three? Saving that much money is absurd. Lorilee said that she expected to see deprivation in the household in some way, but she never saw it. The family was well-fed, jovial, content with life. Amos was saving money in order to stop renting the farm ($1,800/month) and buy a farm of his own. Nevertheless, I could not get pass the fact that this man was able to save $400,000 over twenty years with fourteen kids, a wife, and a rented farm. I am having a hard time managing to save 10% in a month and I only have a two year old.
The money saving and frugal lifestyle as described in this book is easily doable...if you choose to do it. We live in a culture that adopts the mindset of consumption and only the newest, best, and flashiest. The Amish do not believe this. The Amish also do not believe in debt. If someone does not pay on the due date (or before), the Amish believe that it breaks the commandment of "Do Not Steal." Every day that someone does not pay the lender its due money, that individual is stealing from that lender. If America adopted this attitude, I wonder what our economy would look like. I am not speaking about the government (which is a mess in and of itself), but I am mostly speaking in regards of American families.
My one drawback with this book is that it is mostly for women. Large portions of the book speaks about arts and crafts, cooking (I like to cook so I enjoyed the groceries/buying in bulk section), and woman clothes shopping at secondhand stores. While it was a bore to get through the arts and crafts section, the others I managed to make relevant to my life. While Lorilee relayed stories about women shopping and spoke about women's clothing, I was able to see the benefit in secondhand shopping and committed myself to it. My family and I are moving to Oregon from Phoenix in three weeks. We do not know what rain and winter is. Instead of going out and buying new clothes, I have decided that I will scower the secondhand shops in Oregon to get the items that I need to adapt to the new weather conditions.
Without a doubt, the most memorable portion of the book was the second chapter. It is about the Amish mindset/acronym that is the basis for their simple lifestyle. It is a motto that I have chosen to memorize in order to change my way of living. UWMW: Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make Do, or Do Without. In other words, eat all your foods and do not waste. Use everything completely. Do you really need to buy a new car? Phone? Appliances? Or, is there still life in the item and you're compulsion to buy is based on the desire to have the newest and latest, something that is culturally influenced? Make do with what you have. Do not buy something you do not desperately need. If you need something, see if you can substitute something you already have prior to purchasing. Is this something you can do without? If the answer is maybe...you probably can.
Not only is this mindset beneficial for families, the debt crisis, and the current economic landscape of our country, it is beneficial for Christians in the fact that we can live simply to save money in order to further the Kingdom of God for His Glory. What is better than living within our needs only, in order to save money to help others? While this may not be the greatest book regarding Amish money secrets or a fix-all book for economic problems, this is a great starter for those who desire to live simple, save, and change the course that many families and individuals currently find themselves on.
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