Money Secrets of the Amish by Lorilee Craker

I learned several new things from this book, and was reminded about things that I already knew. I chose to read it because I drove through Amish country with my mother some 20 years ago and remember the buggies. I was only vaguely aware of who the Amish were and how they lived. I only knew that they were religious and wore black clothes and hats, and that they were averse to the use of technology.

I don't think that the Amish are the only people on earth who are frugal. Part of their reason for being thrifty is that they depend on agriculture. Living off the land is not like living off a monthly paycheck. Crops can be bountiful, and they can also be meager. The only way to seek an equilibrium in this type of economy is to plan ahead and use resources wisely.

Some Amish strategies are to save their money, not go into debt unless they have to, fix things when they break instead of throwing them away, buying used items such as clothes and buggies, and being resourceful by making their own food and other items. Craker has succinctly bundled these concepts into a motto: Use it up, Wear it out, Make do, or do Without (UWMW).

The author intersperses Amish wisdom with things that we "Fancy" folk can do to save money like the Amish. She is particularly motivated by the recession we are currently going through. She mentions things like having her van repaired with duct tape and painting it the same color as the van, thus saving hundreds of dollars in bodywork. She also talks about buying used clothes and "shopping your house" -- in other words looking around to see what items you have in your own closet before got out and buying clothes, or seeing what furniture you have in your bedroom and mixing and matching it with the furniture in your living room instead of going out and buying new furniture.

Even though reading this book was a learning experience for me, I would not have bought it with my own money. To begin with, I get the distinct feeling that it is written for women. A good deal of the book is devoted to purchases that women make. Another thing that bothers me about this book is the tone used. It's too colloquial. It's a bit like listening to a woman talk on her lunch hour in the staff room who uses expressions like "anywho", "hello" (not as a greeting) and "woohoo". Though there is nothing inherently wrong with this tone, I feel somewhat excluded. I also noticed that "tendinitis" was spelled "tendonitis", which is not the formal spelling. So if you think you would like to read this book, why not be frugal and check it out from your public library? Or you can join BookSneeze and read it for free in exchange for a 200 word review. It can't get any cheaper than that!

Please note: I received this book free from BookSneeze in exchange for a review. This review reflects my own opinions and I was not influenced in any way by BookSneeze